The fact that no sled dog competitors scratched – which means to leave the race – during the first section of the Yukon Quest sets a new precedent for the event.

Organisers of the meeting, which is one of the biggest dates on the mushing calendar, said it is the first time all entrants have stayed on past the initial stretch of the trail.

Taking place over 1,000 miles of snowy Alaskan ground, the event kicked off on February 6th 2010.

Hans Gatt, Lance Mackey and Hugh Neff have set the pace, but event officials said there is just as much interest around the back of the field.

In 2009 Jerry Joinson and Jean-Denis Britten left the course after two days, the longest length of time the event had gone with no one scratching since 2001.

Organisers stated: "The talk of the race is almost always about the frontrunners. However, there’s also been a lot of buzz over the fact that all 24 competitors are still in the game this year."

Established in 1984, the race follows a similar trail to the journeys made to deliver medicines to remote towns in the early 20th century.