Iditarod 2015: Podium Positions Set as Race Continues Across Alaska

I wanted to post one last update on the 2015 Iditarod sled dog race before moving on for another year. While the winner of the race has been crowned, and all of the podium positions are now set, there are still a number of mushers and their teams of dogs still out on the course. Some won't reach the finish line for several days yet, and conditions out on the trail remain very cold. "The Last Great Race" doesn't end when the first person crosses the finish line, and for those still racing it is a test of their skill and endurance. 

Yesterday morning Dallas Seavey claimed his third victory in the last four years, with his only loss coming in 2013 when his father Mitch won instead. The Seavey Iditarod dynasty is in full force this year once again, as yesterday Mitch finished second, reaching Nome nearly an hour and a half ahead of third place finisher Aaron Burmeister. Two ladies battled for fourth and fifth spots over the final couple of days, with Jessie Royer crossing the finish line almost three hours ahead of Aliy Zirkle. Since then, another 12 racers have arrived in Nome, leaving 51 teams to still arrive at the finish. 10 others who started in Anchorage have scratched along the way. 

At the moment, Cindy Abbott is running in last place out of the checkpoint at Kaltag. That leaves her with roughly 346 miles (556 km) yet to go before she is done. If she does manage to make it to Nome, she'll receive the traditional red lantern that goes to the final finisher. This is a badge of honor for having the strength and determination to see the race through to the end, no matter where you finish. 

As for the Seaveys, they're enjoying a much deserved and needed rest after a long race. But no doubt they're already thinking about next year, when they'll probably be battling it out at the top of the leaderboard once again. For Dallas, the sky is the limit in terms of the number of potential wins he could have for his career. The current record is five held by Rick Swenson, but surpassing that total now seems like a real possibility for a man who just turned 28 years old. 

For all of the talk about how this year's Iditarod was going to be easier and faster than year's past due to much of the course taking place on frozen rivers, it turned out to be just as difficult as ever. In order to finish – let alone win – this event, the mushers need to be highly focused, physically fit, and mentally prepared for the challenges of the trail. They also have to be in sync with their dogs, knowing when to let them run, and when it is time to rest. A 1000-mile (1600 km) dog sled race through the Alaskan backcountry is serious business, which is why this truly one of the most spectacular competitive events on the planet.

Congratulations once again to everyone who has already finished in Nome, and good luck to all of the other racers still out on the course.

Dallas Seavey Wins 2015 Iditarod

Dallas Seavey has claimed victory in the 2015 Iditarod sled dog race. The 28-year old defending-champ has become the first musher to reach Nome, arriving early this morning. He finishes the 979 mile (1575 km) race with a total time of 8 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 6 seconds. He also crushed the competition, claiming his second straight win in "The Last Great Race" and his third victory overall. 

In the latter stages of the race it became clear that Dallas had the strongest team of dogs out on the course. As his closest competitors slowed down as the neared the later checkpoints along the route, Seavey only seemed to get stronger. Over the last few stages he was breaking trail on fresh snow, but only widened his lead over those who were chasing him. In the ends, he crossed the finish line well ahead of the next closest musher.

As the race continues today, the battle will now be for second place. Dallas' father Mitch is currently holding that position, having left the White Mountain checkpoint just 34 minutes ahead of third place musher Aaron Burmeister. Jessie Royer and Aliy Zirkle are also out of White Mountain, and are currently holding down the fourth and fifth spots respectively. Unless something radical changes while they race today, that is likely to be their order of finish. 

For Dallas Seavey winning another Idiatrod puts him in rare company. Even his dad has just two wins in the race. Winning three times before the age of 30 puts Dallas in a position to set the bar very high for his career, perhaps even surpassing the record five victories of Rick Swenson. For claiming victory this morning, he was handed a check for $70,000 and the keys to a new pick-up truck as well. Not a bad prize for a little more than a week's work. 

While the winner of the race has been crowned, there is still a lot of racing to be done in this year's event. The next group of mushers will continue to trickle across the finish line throughout the day, but it will take several days for the race to wrap up, with competitors likely arriving well into the weekend. The final person to cross the finish line will receive the traditional red lantern that comes along with holding that position. 

Congratulations to Dallas on another impressive win, and good luck to all of the mushers still out on the course. Get home safely. 

Iditarod 2015: Dallas Seavey Takes Lead Out of Elim

The lead mushers are moving into the homestretch in the 2015 Iditarod, and there is a very familiar name at the top of the leaderboard at the moment. Yesterday, defending champion Dallas Seavey moved out in front and is now the clear favorite to finish first in Nome. But the race isn't over just yet, and the two-time winner will face stiff competition on the final legs to the finish line.

As of this writing, Dallas it the only musher out of the checkpoint at Elim, which is situated 123 miles (198 km) from the finish. He set off just 15 minutes before second place musher Aaron Burmeister arrived at that point. The only other competitors to reach Elim at this point are Dalla's dad – and 2013 champ – Mitch Seavey, and Jessie Royer who is now holding down the fourth position. Three-time runner-up Aliy Zirkle is in fifth place out of Koyuk, but is bearing down on the frontier town as well.

The winner of the race is expected to arrive in Nome sometime early Wednesday. Right now, the anticipation is building that the younger Seavey could claim his third victory in four years, although there is still a lot of racing to be done. Last year, four-time champ Jeff King looked like a lock to claim his fifth title, but just 25 miles (40 km) from the finish he was caught in a blizzard, got lost, and ultimately was forced to scratch. That opened the door for Dallas to nab his second title, but it is a good reminder that the race isn't over until the mushers and their dogs reach the finish.

Weather conditions on the trail remain very cold, but there is more snow in the latter stages of the race than there was at the beginning. That will help the teams run a bit faster, and seems to be favoring Dallas at the moment. He is currently posting the highest speeds of any of the top racers at the moment, which will make catching him all the more difficult.

It now appears that we should know the winner of the race by this time tomorrow. I'll post the news as soon as he or she crosses the finish line.

Iditarod 2015: Burmeister Leads, Seaveys in Pursuit

It was an interesting weekend in Alaska, where the 2015 Iditarod sled dog race continues to play out with the top mushers battling one another at the top of the leaderboard. As they begin to take the turn towards Nome, all of the contenders have now completed their mandatory 8- and 24-hour rest periods, freeing them up to race towards the finish line in what is shaping up to be another interesting battle.

As of this writing, Aaron Burmeister leads the pack as the first musher in and out of the Shaktoolik checkpoint. He holds an hour and a half lead on Dallas Seavey, who has also passed through that village, and is in hot pursuit. At this point of the race, Seavey's team is running much faster than Burmeister, but with 220 miles yet to go, it is still anyone's race.

Mitch Seavey is currently running in third place out of Unalakleet, with Aliy Zirkle just 18 minutes back. Jessie Royer is holding down the fifth spot out on the trail, while four-time champ Jeff King is running in seventh place overall, but has banked up a bit more rest time at the moment.

As the teams have traveled west and north, the temperatures have gotten much colder. In fact, they are bitterly cold at the moment, which is a reminder that this race is still held in Alaska during the winter. Yesterday morning the mercury hovered around -30ºF (-34ºC), although the winds were mercifully light. Hard packed snow on the trails has made conditions better than they were at the start of the event, when the race was forced north to Fairbanks due to a lack of snow on the traditional Iditarod route.

With more than 200 miles to go before the winner reaches Nome, the race is truly still up for grabs. With so many good mushers lurking near the top, it'll come down to whomever has the best strategy for resting and racing heading into the final stages of the race, and who has the fastest dogs. This could be the year that Zirkle ends her frustrations after finishing second to both Mitch and Dallas Seavey each of the past three years. Then again, either one of those two men could bring the title back home again this year. But don't count Burmeister out just yet. The 15-year veteran is racing well, and he could stave off the competition to claim his first title as well.

It is now looking like the first mushers could reach Nome as early as Wednesday. We'll just have to watch the weather and trail conditions to see how everything plays out over the next couple of days. With so many contenders within striking distance of one another, it should certainly be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Iditarod 2015: Burmeister Atop Leaderboard, But Contenders Plan Longterm Strategy

It has been an interesting 24-hours in the 2015 Iditarod, where several of the top mushers are clearly making tactical moves at this stage of the race in order to be ready for the final push to Nome sometime next week. Several of the main contenders arrived at the Galena checkpoint yesterday, where they have been taking their mandatory rest stops. As a result, the leaderboard has been scrambled some, with one of the top contenders now in prime position to take the lead heading towards the halfway point of the race.

As of this writing, Aaron Burmeister is the leader out into the Huslia checkpoint. Currently running in second place is defending champion Dallas Seavey, who arrived about two hours behind Burmeister, although Seavey has already taken his mandatory 8-hour rest, while Burmeister has yet to stop. The only other musher to reach Huslia at this point is Thomas Warner, who is an additional hour and a half behind. Chasing the leaders are Martin Buser and Hugh Neff, both out of Galena and running in fourth and fifth places respectively.

Five-time champ Jeff King was leading the race into Galena yesterday, but he has now slipped to 10th place overall as he appears to be taking his mandatory 24-hour break. With his 8-hour rest already out of the way, he seems poised to make the run all the way to Nome. With 583 miles (938 km) yet to go, that is a bold strategy to pull at this stage of the race, but it could pay off in the long run.

Other fan favorites on the leaderboard include DeeDee Jonrow holding down the 8th spot into Galena, as well as Aliy Zirkle, who has come up just short in the last three races, finishing second each time to a member of the Seveay family. She's currently in 11th place, and resting in Galena too, although she'll no doubt make a move in the days ahead. 2013 champ Mitch Seavey has already taken his 24-hour rest as well, and seems ready to improve on his current standing of 42nd place overall too. Once he returns to the trail out of the Galena checkpoint, expect him to start chasing his son.

At this point of the race, it appears that just about anyone could still win. There is a lot of racing yet to come, and with much of the route taking place on frozen rivers, just about anything can happen in the days ahead. After the race was diverted further north due to a lack of snow, the route is now turning towards a more traditional path that is known to the mushers. This will help them plot out their strategies more fully, and to know what to expect on the trail ahead.

It is hard to say exactly when the first teams will start to arrive in Nome, but around Wednesday of next week seems like a good bet. The weekend will likely sort out some of the contenders, and give us an idea of who will be battling for the win. Stay tuned for updates from The Last Great Race.

Iditarod 2015: Jeff King Leads at Galena, Challengers Lurk

There are once again some very familiar names lurking on the leaderboard at the 2015 Iditarod sled dog race currently underway in Alaska. The top mushers have now completed more than 350 miles (563 km) of the course, and have passed through the checkpoint in Ruby as they steam on towards the finish line in Nome. There is still a long way to go until someone reaches that point however, and the race has not been an easy one thus far. But it is shaping up to be another classic that will be decided on strategy and positioning in the days ahead.

Iditarod legend Jeff King is currently the leader, and the only musher to have passed through the Galena checkpoint. He is being chased by Ally Zirkle, who is in second place out of Ruby. Aaron Burmeister is holding down the third spot, with former champ Martin Buser currently in fourth and Jessie Royer in fifth. Defending champ Dallas Seavey is running 7th overall, and seems poised to make a move as the race develops.

Of that group, King, Buser, and Seavey are the only ones to have already taken their mandatory 8 hour rest period, which means that Zirkle, Burmeister, and the rest may be ahead on the leaderboard, but they will give up time when they stop for their eventual rest. All of the mushers are also required to make a mandatory 24-hour stop, but that won't come until a bit later in the race. Those rest periods are part of the strategy that they'll employ as they make their way toward the home stretch in a few days time.

Elsewhere on the course, four-time champ Lance Mackey is hinting that this could be his final Iditarod. Mackey has been having issues with his hands getting very cold, despite wearing very warm gloves. This is causing him some pain and discomfort, and has forced him to take his mandatory 24-hour rest in Tanana, days before his competition will do the same. Lance suffered similar issues in last month's Yukon Quest, and it could be an indication that his long-distance racing days are coming to an end. Mackey has had to deal with a number of ailments over the years, not the least of which was surviving cancer to continue racing, but it seems that this time his body is no longer cooperating with him, and this could be the last ride for one of the sport's great champions.

Meanwhile, at the front of the race, the teams continue to press on. A lack of snow on the trail has forced them to race on frozen riverbeds for much of the way thus far, but that doesn't seem to have had much of an impact on the proceedings thus far. The leading mushers are comfortable racing on any surface, and while they would like to see more snow, they're managing to cover the distances just fine so far.

It will be likely be the middle of next week before we know who the 2015 Iditarod champ will be. There is a lot of racing yet to go, and the leaderboard will likely be scrambled several times before the race is done. I'll post regular updates on the standings as the teams continue on to Nome.

Iditarod 2015: Snow Arrives Just in Time!

The 2015 Iditarod got underway in Anchorage, Alaska over the weekend with 78 mushers setting off from downtown as part of the ceremonial start to the biggest sled dog race in the entire world. But if you've been following the events leading up to the start of the competition you probably already know that the lack of snow along the Iditarod Trail has forced race organizers to make some dramatic changes to the route. The actual restart of the race will take place today in Fairbanks, which is 225 miles (362 km) further north than the Iditarod traditionally runs. The move seems to be paying off however, as some much needed snow arrived in a timely fashion over the weekend.

About 4 inches (10 cm) of snow fell along the Iditarod Trail on Sunday, bring a blanket of fresh powder that the dogs and mushers are sure to appreciate. The route that will be taken to Nome this year incorporates a lot of frozen rivers, which is very different to run on than snow, and could create some real challenges for the teams. At this point, any amount of snow will probably make them feel a bit better as they launch the 1000 mile (1600 km) journey that is expected to take roughly nine days to complete.

The mushers will see a staggered restart beginning at 10 AM local time today. That's when the dog teams will be turned lose at last, and the true race will begin. Spectators are expected to line the route out of Fairbanks, cheering their favorite teams on. The route will give them ample opportunity to do just that, with the first mile and a half (2.4 km) being run on city streets before turning onto a frozen river leading out of town. After that, most fans of the race will follow along on the official website, where a constantly changing leaderboard will update us to the standings. Expect perennial favorites like Mitch and Dallas Seavey, and Jeff King to make a move early to separate themselves from the pack.


This isn't the first time the race has been run between Fairbanks and Nome. Back in 2003 similar weather conditions forced the Iditarod to take this unique route, with a surprise victory earning the win. Norwegian musher Robert Sorlie claimed the top spot in that race, and his efforts are a good reminder that anyone can win this race, particularly when it is being run on mostly unknown ground. Perhaps this route will be the great equalizer, and a new contender will arise to challenge the established names.

Over the next couple of weeks we'll be watching the race closely, as it is always a source for high drama. Last year's dramatic finish is the perfect example of this as it appeared that Jeff King would be assured of another win just 25 miles (40 km) from the finish line. But a surprise blizzard blew him off course, causing him to be disoriented and lose his way. That opened the door for Dallas Seavey to claim the win, his second in three years.

Will something that dramatic happen again? Who knows! That's why they call this "The Last Great Race."

The 2015 Iditarod Gets Underway Tomorrow!

One of my favorite events of the year will kickoff tomorrow in Anchorage, Alaska, where the ceremonial start of the 2015 Iditarod sled dog race will take place. This year, 78 mushers will take to the line to compete in the "Last Great Race," a 1000-mile (1600 km) endurance run that will culminate at the finish line in Nome.

The streets of Anchorage will be lined with well wishers as the racers set out from downtown and head toward Campbell Airstrip just 11 miles (17 km) out of town. From there they'll head to the secondary starting point in Fairbanks where they'll return to the trail on Monday. The route has been moved about 225 miles (360 km) north to help make up for the lack of snow on the traditional route. Unlike some parts of the U.S., Alaska has not been covered in excess snow this winter, and it will now have an impact on the state's greatest sporting event. In fact, Anchorage typically sees 60 inches  (150 cm) of powder by now, but has only seen 20 inches (50 cm) so far.

This has caused race organizers to scramble to find an alternate route that will help keep the race moving forward. The path they have chosen will actually spend more than half of its time out on ice rather than snow, which should make for a vastly different race than ones we've seen in recent years. In fact, the ice could actually level the playing field, allowing just about anyone to have a shot at the win.

The field is a diverse one to say the least. It includes six former champions with the likes of Mitch and Dallas Seavey returning, as well as Jeff King, Lance Mackey, and a host of other very experienced and talented mushers. Iditarod veteran Brent Sass will be looking to capitalize on the momentum he received by winning the Yukon Quest last month as well.  There are also 20 rookies in the field too, and they are likely to get a baptism by fire with this challenging new course.

It is expected that it will take this year's winner about 10 days to reach Nome. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings and keep readers up-to-date as things unfold. If last year taught us anything it is that this race is always full of surprises, and I suspect there will be some amazing stories this time out too.

Video: Sled Dogs - More Than Meets the Eye

This video comes our way courtesy of our friends at National Geographic. It was filmed in West Yellowstone, Montana, were sled dog mushers compete each year in the Rodeo Run, a two-day race through that spectacular part of the country. The video introduces us to these amazing dogs, who simply love to run, and gives us a glimpse of the bond they share with their owners. With the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod just weeks away at this point, it seems a fitting video to share. I hope you enjoy.