Once again, it's the most wonderful time of the sports year - for me at least. The 50th running of the Iditarod is here!
Ceremonial start with 49 mushers is scheduled for 10 AM Alaska/2 PM east coast on Saturday, March 5 in downtown Anchorage. The real racing begins on Sunday, March 6 with the restart in Willow, AK at 2 PM Alaska time/6 PM east coast. VT's own Paige Drobny returns and has drawn bib #5, so she will be leaving Willow early on. Alas, honorary Hokie by marriage to Paige - Cody Strathe - will not be running this year.
After wholesale changes to the course in 2021 due to COVID, the course is largely back to normal. The race will follow the ~1,000 mile even-numbered year northern route from the ceremonial start in Anchorage to the finish in Nome. (link to the map: https://iditarod.com/race-map/ ). Mushers are largely isolated from the general population in the days prior to the race. Many checkpoints along the race course are limiting the number of people in or having the checkpoint away from town and 1 that is normally on the route (the native village of Takotna) will not be serving as a checkpoint this year.
In addition to #5 Paige, last year's winner and 5 time champion Dallas Seavey (bib #20) is running and his dad, 2 time winner Mitch Seavey (bib #30) returns after skipping last year. 4 time winner Jeff King (bib #3), who was not planning to run, but will be taking the place of Nic Petit who had to drop out due to a recent positive COVID test. Also, there is Denmark's Mille Porsild (bib #33) who was on a polar expedition with Will Steger. Will was partners with Paul Schurke on a North Pole dogsled expedition. Paul owns Wintergreen dogsled lodge where I learned to mush. So, as you can see, she and I are practically brother and sister!
Let's go - hike, hike - Paige and all the teams!
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