Iditarod Day 4

From Dutch Sheets, "The Grace Place"

Iditarod standings: Jessie Holmes is now in 1st place, and already out of Takotna

Iditarod Live Blog (video)

Today: Official Start of the 2024 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Here's the daily live report.

This year's line-up of 38 mushers.

Photos from yesterday's ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage.  There's a world of difference between seeing the photos and experiencing the event: the crowd, the atmosphere, the dogs' excitement. Also, it was around 0° F. when the first sleds left the start line. As one old sourdough told me 20 years ago: "You haven't been to the Iditarod until you've frozen your @$$ off."

Along the Anchorage trail, a couple of miles south of downtown. (My photo)

Another old photo of the starting line, downtown. (also mine)

Today, the race starts in earnest from Big Lake, about an hour north of the Anchorage area. 

Final Musher Crosses the Finish Line

Anchorage (KTUU) Iditarod XLVIII comes to an end with the final finisher crossing the finish line.

Kaci Murringer crossed the finish line in Nome at 12:29 p.m. on Sunday, March 22nd with 10 dogs in harness. She captures the Red Lantern award.

Murringer and her team finished the race in 13 days, 22 hours, 29 minutes and 45 seconds.

Murringer is the 34th and final musher that completed Iditarod XLVIII, in a field that began with 57. It's not the smallest group of finishers, but it is on the smaller side. The first race in 1973 had 34 teams start and only 22 teams finished.

Iditarod Update #14: We Have a Winner!

Thomas Waerner of Norway crossed the finish line in Nome at 00:37, Alaska time.

By Beth Verge | 

Posted: Wed 1:22 AM, Mar 18, 2020  | 

Updated: Wed 3:15 AM, Mar 18, 2020

Mitch Seavey is not far from Nome now, with a roughly 90 minute over the third-place musher, Jessie Royer.

Current standings here.

Iditarod Update #13 - 17 Mar 2020

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Veteran Iditarod musher Larry Daugherty scratched at 12:42 a.m. Tuesday at the Kaltag checkpoint.

Daugherty had 13 dogs in harness at the time he made the decision to scratch.

This makes the ninth scratch of the race so far.

Monday, Richie Diehl scratched at 1:30 p.m. at the Unalakleet checkpoint and Aaron Peck scratched at 3:50 p.m. at the Shaktoolik checkpoint.

A quick look at the standings as of 6:22 a.m. Tuesday show Thomas Waerner in the lead. He checked into the White Mountian checkpoint at 5:35 a.m.

Waerner was the first to White Mountian, meaning he is the winner of the Northrim Bank Achieve More Award.

The award includes a $2,500 check and a one-of-a-kind print by Anchorage artist Marianne Wieland.

This is a developing story.

Copyright 2020 KTUU. All Rights Reserved.

Iditarod Update #12 - 3/16/2020

Top ten racers:

1.  Thomas Waerner (out of Koyuk and back on the Trail)
2.  Jessie Royer          (in Koyuk)
3.  Aaron Burmeister      "
4.  Wade Marrs               "
5.  Brent Sass                  "
6.  Mitch Seavey          (out of Unalakleet)
7.  Ryan Redington         "
8.  Travis Beals               "
9.  Joar Leifseth Ulsom   "
10. Paige Drobny            "

Current standings here.

Dirty job aims to keep Iditarod clean

Carrying on Middy's legacy at Unalakleet checkpoint

Iditarod Update #11 - 3/15/2020

1st musher reaches the west coast at Unalakleet. (This is from earlier in the day; now 13 mushers have reached that checkpoint.)

Top five mushers out of Unalakleet.
1. Thomas Waerner
2. Brent Sass
3. Jessie Royer
4. Aaron Burmeister
5. Wade Marrs


This has been post #7,400.

God's Word - Iditarod Update - Sunday, 3/15/2020

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:10,12 KJV

“By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”

Acts 4:10,12 MSG

* * * * *

The top 13 mushers are all out of Kaltag, and well on their way to the west coast. Several more are still in Kaltag, but most of the pack hasn't gotten there, yet. 

Thomas Waerner is in the lead, but Aaron Burmeister is only three minutes behind him.

Current standings here. Also on the standings page are several videos from along the trail. 

Iditarod Update #9 and God's Word for Saturday, 3/14/2020

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

2 Peter 1:5-8 MSG

* * * * *

Iditarod updates:

The top four mushers - Jessie Royer, Richie Diehl, Thomas Waerner, and Brent Sass - have reached the checkpoint at Nulato. (Current standings here).

Two mushers scratch in McGrath: Nils Hahn and Alan Eischens

Iditarod to postpone events in Nome

And if you're stressed out by current events, perhaps these photos of sled dogs along the Trail will help.

Iditarod Update #8 - 3/13/2020 (Updated)

Update: 

"Musher Jessie Royer is the first into the Ruby Checkpoint. This means she won the Yukon Award. The award comes with a five-course, gourmet dinner prepared at the checkpoint by Chef Bobby Sidro of the Lakefront Hotel. 

Royer checked into Ruby at 6:37 a.m. 

Royer also receives an “After Dinner Mint” of $3,500 in neatly stacked one-dollar bills along with a bottle of Dom Pérignon." (The rest of the story can be found here.)

Original story:

The top 20 racers have completed their 24-hour layovers at Cripple, and are back on the trail. Jessie Royer is once again in the lead.

Current standings here.

Jeremy Keller scratches at Nikolai checkpoint

Iditarod to postpone events in Nome

Lance Mackey's mother passed away last April; he's racing with her ashes onboard, this year. "I know she's smiling from ear to ear," he said. (I erroneously reported far different circumstances, earlier this morning. My apologies.)

Iditarod Update #7 - 3/12/2020

Most of the leading mushers have taken a mandatory 24-hour layover at Cripple. The layover is mandatory; the location is not.

The first-place musher, Jessie Royer, took only 11 minutes and is well on his way to the next checkpoint. However, he'll have to take that 24-hour rest stop at some point, soon.

The rest of the pack, resting in Cripple:

2. Brent Sass
3. Michelle Phillips
4. Lance Mackey
5. Paige Drobny
6. Mitch Seavey
7. Kelly Maixner
8. Aliy Zirkle
9. Thomas Wairner
10. Richie Diehl, out of Ophir and still heading toward Cripple.


For those unfamiliar with the lay of the land, here's the northern route:

Click to enlarge

Just remember the sheer size of Alaska, at 587,000 square miles. This route is real close to 1,000 miles in length.

Iditarod Update #6 - 3/12/2020

The top six mushers were at the Cripple checkpoint as of one hour ago. Brent Sass, as first one to arrive, won his choice of a Galaxy S20 with free service for a year, or $3000 in gold nuggets.

Position                                     Musher                                        Bib #                      Checkpoint

1	Brent Sass	44	Cripple		13
2	Michelle Phillips	33	Cripple		13
3	Lance Mackey	12	Cripple		13
4	Paige Drobny	58	Cripple		12
5	Mitch Seavey	27	Cripple		12
6	Kelly Maixner	22	Cripple		13

Current standings here.

Iditarod Update #5 - 3/11/2020

As of 16:45 Alaska time, the first two racers are women:

1. Paige Drobny
2. Michelle Phillips
3. Mitch Seavey
4. Brent Sass
5. Lance Mackey
6. Kelly Maixner
7. Travis Beals
8. Aliy Zirkle
9. Tom Knolmeyer
10. Jessie Royer

The first six are out of Ophir; 7 and 8 are still at Ophir, and 9 and 10 are on the way to Ophir.

Current standings here.

Iditarod Update #4 - 3/10/2020

The top three mushers (Sass, Beals, and Mackey) have passed through the checkpoint at Takotna and are on their way to McGrath.

Aliy Zirkle says her team isn't competitive this year, and she doesn't know why.

Current standings here.

Iditarod Update #3 - 3/10/2020

The top 26 mushers have gone through the checkpoint at Nikolai, and are on the way to Rohn.

Top 10 mushers right now:

1. Brent Sass
2. Richie Diehl
3. Jessie Royer
4. Wade Marrs
5. Aaron Burmeister
6. Joar Leifseth Ulsom
7. Travis Beals
8. Lance Mackey
9. Thomas Waerner
10. Peter Kaiser

Interestingly, the Berington twins - Anna and Kristy - are tied for 25th and 26th place, and currently racing together.

The Beringtons

And one musher has had to scratch: 'A huge relief': Lanier, dogs safe and sound after hours-long stranding in Rainy Pass".

Current race standings are found here.

Iditarod Update #2

Mushers check out of Rohn, race toward Nikolai
Sunshine in Rainy Pass, a sleeping bag save & a one-of-a-kind ride
2020 Iditarod race course map

Iditarod Update - 3/9/2020

The top 29 mushers are through Rainy Pass and on the way to Finger Lake. Aaron Burmeister is currently in the lead.

2nd place: Richie Diehl
3rd place: Pete Kaiser
4th place: Lance Mackey
5th place: Brent Sass

Standings here.

God's Word for Monday, 3/9/2020

Primus:

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2 Timothy 1:9 KJV

So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:9 MSG


Secondus:

Updated Iditarod standings here. TLDR:  Pete Kaiser, last year's winner, is off to an early lead.

And They're Off!

The official re-start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is underway, leaving Big Lake this morning.

There are no standings available yet, but mushers should begin arriving at Yentna (the first checkpoint) soon.

The complete standings, once available, will be posted here.

Mush On!

The 48th Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began this morning, with the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage.

Vidcap from KTUU Channel 2's live coverage

There 57 mushers in this year's field, with a number of strong contenders. (The complete listing of teams is here.)

Alaska has received "epic amounts" of snow, according the Iditarod Trail Association president. He said there are places where the trail is between two walls of snow which were over his head. He went on to say he only hopes no moose fall into the trough, so that no teams get trampled.

The official re-start is tomorrow morning, from about 47 miles northwest of Anchorage at Big Lake. 

Last year's winner, Pete Kaiser is expected to do well again this well. One disappointment is that Jeff King had to scratch at the last minute for unscheduled surgery. But many other favorites are competing. One note: Lance Mackey, who won four times in five years a decade ago, is back in the race after dealing with some serious ailments.

The first musher to win four races was Rick Swenson, in 1982. In 1991 he became the only person to win five times and the only musher to win the race in three different decades. Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley, Martin Buser, Jeff King, Lance Mackey, and Dallas Seavey are the only other four-time winners. 

Martin Buser and Lance Mackey are the only four-time champs in this year's race.

Anyone wishing to follow the race can go here to find current standings, after tomorrow's re-start.

This is going to be good. :)