Balto and Togo: The True Story of the 1925 Serum Run to Nome
New York's Central Park has a bronze statue of a sled dog named Balto, and his story is one of the most famous in American dog history. The full story also includes a second dog, Togo, who for decades got far less credit than he deserved.
Here's what happened, drawn from museum and archive sources.
A town in trouble
In January 1925, Nome, Alaska, faced a diphtheria outbreak. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the town had about 1,400 residents and one physician, Dr. Curtis Welch, who diagnosed the outbreak on January 20. NYC Parks notes that the nearest supply of antitoxin serum was in distant Anchorage.
The serum traveled by rail to Nenana. From there, the Alaska State Archives says, it had to cross a 674-mile trail to Nome, and the only practical way to cover it was by dog sled.
The relay
What followed was a relay. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History describes about twenty teams carrying the serum along the old mail route on the Iditarod Trail. Smithsonian Magazine counts 20 mushers and more than 150 dogs, moving through a blizzard, hidden hazards in the snow and ice, and the long darkness of the Arctic winter. At one point, the wind chill dropped to 85 degrees below zero.
The run is often told as the story of one or two dogs, but it was a team effort from start to finish. Smithsonian Magazine notes that Native Alaskan drivers covered nearly two-thirds of the route, and that they received little recognition until the 1970s.
The Alaska State Archives says the serum reached Nome in a record 127.5 hours, "without a single broken vial."
Togo: the dog who took the hardest stretch
Togo belonged to the famous musher Leonhard Seppala. The National Park Service says Togo was born in 1913 and weighed about 48 pounds, small for a sled dog. Smithsonian Magazine reports that Togo and Seppala won the grueling 400-mile All Alaska Sweepstakes in 1915, 1916 and 1917, and that Seppala's team, with Togo in the lead, was chosen for the most dangerous part of the route.
The biggest test came at Norton Sound, an ice-choked inlet on the Alaska coast. Crossing the sea ice could cut 42 miles from the trip, but the wind had shifted and was pushing the ice pack out toward the Bering Sea. Seppala took the risk, and Togo led the team across. By Smithsonian Magazine's count, Seppala and Togo traveled 261 miles, including 135 miles with the medicine, more than two and a half times the distance covered by any other driver.
Years later, Seppala summed up his dog this way: "I never had a better dog than Togo. His stamina, loyalty and intelligence could not be improved upon."
Balto: the dog who ran the final leg
The last long stretch into Nome went to musher Gunnar Kaasen. His team included Balto, one of Seppala's backup dogs, according to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Magazine adds an interesting detail: Seppala didn't consider Balto a lead dog, but Kaasen rotated dogs at the front, and Balto led on a few occasions.
Around 5:30 a.m. on February 2, 1925, Kaasen's team pulled into Nome with the serum. Kaasen later described the run to reporters, as quoted by NYC Parks:
"I couldn't see the trail. Many times I couldn't even see my dogs, so blinding was the gale. I gave Balto, my lead dog, his head and trusted him. He never once faltered. It was Balto who led the way. The credit is his."
With the serum in hand, Dr. Welch was able to bring the epidemic under control. Smithsonian Magazine notes that at least five people died.
Fame, and what came after
Balto became a celebrity almost overnight. NYC Parks says he was present in December 1925 when sculptor Frederick George Richard Roth's bronze statue of him was unveiled in Central Park. The plaque is dedicated "to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs" of the relay and ends with three words: "Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence."
Balto's later years were harder. Smithsonian Magazine reports that he and his teammates ended up in a traveling circus, living in poor conditions. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History tells how a Cleveland businessman, George Kimble, led a campaign to buy the dogs, with Clevelanders, including schoolchildren, chipping in. The dogs lived out their days at Cleveland's Brookside Zoo. According to Case Western Reserve University's Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Balto died in 1933. His mounted body is still on view at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Togo retired to Maine, where he died in 1929 at age 16, according to Smithsonian Magazine. In recent years his reputation has caught up. Smithsonian Magazine notes Togo statues in Cleveland, New York and Maine, and a 2019 Disney film that tells his story.
The Alaska State Archives notes that the run is commemorated today by the Iditarod sled dog race.
What a 100-year-old sled run has to do with your Raleigh dog
Most Raleigh dogs will never pull a sled. But the heart of the serum run isn't about snow. It's about trust.
Kaasen couldn't see the trail, so he trusted his dog. Seppala trusted Togo on the ice. That kind of two-way trust gets built one walk at a time: a familiar voice, a steady routine and someone who notices when something's off.
We think about that every day on our walks around Raleigh. The goal is a dog who feels safe and understood. For local walk ideas, see our Raleigh dog parks guide and dog-friendly things to do in Raleigh.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the real hero of the 1925 serum run, Balto or Togo? Both dogs, and many others. Togo and Seppala's team covered the longest and most dangerous stretch. Balto ran with Kaasen's team on the final leg into Nome. Smithsonian Magazine counts 20 mushers and more than 150 dogs in the relay.
Where is the Balto statue? In Central Park in New York City, near East Drive at 67th Street, according to NYC Parks.
Can you still see Balto today? Yes. Balto's mounted body is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
What breed were Balto and Togo? Smithsonian Magazine describes Balto as a Siberian husky. Togo was one of Leonhard Seppala's sled dogs. The National Park Service notes his small size, about 48 pounds.
How far did the serum travel by dog sled? The Alaska State Archives puts the trail from Nenana to Nome at 674 miles, covered in a record 127.5 hours.
Every dog deserves someone they trust
Your dog may never be in a museum, but they're the hero of your household. If you'd like a dependable local walker who treats your pup like family, we'd love to meet you. Learn about our dog walking and pet sitting, or read more on our blog.
Book a free meet & greet or call (984) 212-2524.
Sources
- Smithsonian Magazine, "Heroic Dog Togo Raced Across the Frozen Alaskan Wilderness to Deliver Life-Saving Medicine" (David Kindy, Jan. 28, 2025): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-heroic-dog-raced-across-the-frozen-alaskan-wilderness-to-deliver-life-saving-medicine-but-his-contributions-were-long-overlooked-180985905/
- National Park Service, Togo: https://www.nps.gov/people/togo.htm
- Alaska State Archives, The Serum Run: https://archives.alaska.gov/education/serum.html
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History, collection object on the 1925 serum run: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1466244
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History, "100 Years After the Great Serum Run, Balto's Legacy Endures": https://www.cmnh.org/learn/science-blog/2025/01/23/100-years-after-the-great-serum-run-baltos-legacy-endures
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Visitor Hall: https://www.cmnh.org/explore/galleries-attractions/visitor-hall
- NYC Parks, Central Park Monuments: Balto: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/75
- Case Western Reserve University, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, "Balto": https://case.edu/ech/articles/b/balto
Sources were checked in October 2026. Local rules, hours and events can change, so please check the linked sources for updates.