07 March 2017

Iditarod Update #5

5:30 P.M. UPDATE:

The last time the Iditarod ran this non-traditional Fairbanks route, Martin Buser sped into Tanana at the front of the pack. This time, he'll have to overtake Pete Kaiser and hold off a chase pack of young mushers as the race heads north to the confluence of the Tanana and Yukon Rivers. 
On the official leaderboard, Aliy Zirkle remains at the top as the first musher to leave Manley, but much has happened and will happen in the next few hours along the Tanana River.  
In 2015, Buser finished 22nd and Seavey -- who was 12th to Tanana that year, won the race. 
We asked him today if this year was looking to be a repeat of that last trek from Fairbanks. We meant the cold weather. But Seavey didn't. "I sure hope it is. That turned out pretty well didn’t it?" the 30-year-old said in Manley.

Race Standings – Top 5 Mushers

1Aliy Zirkle
Bib 41
OUT OF Manley
AT 03-07 09:06
2Joar Leifseth Ulsom
Bib 38
OUT OF Manley
AT 03-07 09:09
3Peter Kaiser
Bib 25
OUT OF Manley
AT 03-07 09:29
4Michelle Phillips
Bib 9
OUT OF Manley
AT 03-07 09:30
5Ray Redington Jr
Bib 14
OUT OF Manley
AT 03-07 09:35
 

4 comments:

LindaG said...

Thank you, again, Reverend.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Reverend, is it based on total time or is there an offset for when competitors roll in and roll out?

Rev. Paul said...

You're welcome, Linda.

TB, it's "first across the finish line, wins." The times average out because of all the stops & checkpoints. Individual mushers have to decide when and where to catch a catnap, apart from the mandatory layovers, and when to shave 10 minutes here or there.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Thanks. My knowledge of the sport is precisely zero.