Leonhard Seppala

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Seppala's three straight All Alaska Sweepstakes wins put him among the greatest mushers of his era. But his true legacy is the 1925 serum run, where he and Togo covered the most dangerous leg. The Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, given annually at the Iditarod, celebrates his commitment to dog welfare. His story reached a new generation through the 2019 Disney film Togo.

AwardsSeppala won the All Alaska Sweepstakes three consecutive years (1915-1917). He participated in the 1932 Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport. The Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award is named in his honor.

Honours & Distinctions

Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award

Alaska Airlines·1980

Annual award given to the Iditarod musher demonstrating outstanding dog care.

Records & Feats

Three consecutive All Alaska Sweepstakes wins

Career Milestone·1917

Won the All Alaska Sweepstakes in 1915, 1916, and 1917, the only musher to achieve three straight victories before the race was suspended.

Longest and most dangerous leg of the 1925 serum run

Historic First·1925

Seppala and Togo covered nearly 700 miles round trip in the serum run, including a dangerous crossing of Norton Sound on shifting ice.