From 1946 to 1986, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union prevented contact between people across the Bering Strait. As relations warmed in the 1980s and travel was allowed once again, ideas of collaborative events blossomed.
One of the events proposed was an international sled dog race, which would begin in Nome, Alaska and finish in Anadyr, Russia. With hard work from organizers on both sides of the Bering Strait, the race was approved and in 1991, eight mushers from four countries competed in the first ever Hope Race.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service