Organised for the first time in 1981 by Alta Mushing Association, Finnmarksløpet is today the world’s northernmost sled dog race. Held in March every year, Finnmarksløpet is actually two races in one: competitors in the FL-500 race 500 kilometres over the Finnmarkvidda plateau with up to eight dogs, while the FL-1000 race is twice as long, crossing the whole county, and competitors can have up to 14 dogs with them. Both races start in Alta.