While the dog and musher Leonhard Seppala ran the longest and most dangerous leg (about 260 miles), Balto was the lead dog for the final 53-mile stretch into Nome.
Musher Gunnar Kaasen faced whiteout conditions so severe he could not see his own hands. He "gave Balto his head," trusting the dog's instincts to find the trail through the storm. While the dog and musher Leonhard Seppala ran
At one point, the sled flipped in the gale, burying the medicine in the snow. Kaasen had to dig it out with his bare hands before continuing. At one point, the sled flipped in the
Balto pulled the team into Nome at 5:30 AM on February 2, 1925. Kaasen was so exhausted he could only mutter, "Damn fine dog". The Great Serum Run and Balto's Enduring Legacy Kaasen was so exhausted he could only mutter,
In January 1925, children in the remote town of Nome began dying from diphtheria. The only supply of life-saving antitoxin was in