2024-25 Race Season

Lauro Eklund's lead dogs at the ReStart of Iditarod 52.

Race List

Alpine Creek Excursion Sled Dog Race
DISCONTINUED

Knik 100
December 21, 2024
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Knik 200*
January 4, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

MUSH Synnfjell
January 10, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race
January 11, 2025
Website / Facebook

Gunflint Mail Run
January 11, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Bogus Creek 150
January 11, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Copper Basin 300*
January 11, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Frost Mountain Sled Dog Race
January 18, 2025
Website / Facebook

Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race*
January 22, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Willow 300*
DISCONTINUED
Facebook 

Kuskokwim 300*
January 24, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Su Dog 300*
January 25, 2025
Website / Facebook

Tug Hill Challenge
January 25, 2025
Website / Facebook

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon*
January 26, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Warm Lake Stage Race
January 29, 2025
Website / Facebook

Bergebyløpet N70
January 30, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Pedigree Stage Stop Race
January 31, 2025
Website / Facebook

Caledonia Classic
January 31, 2025
Website / Facebook

Klondike Dog Derby
January 31, 2025
Website / Facebook

Idaho Sled Dog Challenge*
February 2, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Yukon Quest Alaska*
February 1, 2025 
Website / Facebook 

Yukon Quest Canada*
February 1, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

PG Expedition Abitibi
February 1, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Willow Jr. 100
February 7, 2025
Website / Facebook

Race to the Sky*
February 7, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Wilderness Sled Dog Race
February 8, 2025
Website / Facebook

Northern Pines Sled Dog Race
February 8, 2025
Website / Facebook

Goose Bay 150*
February 8, 2025
Facebook

Taaqpak 120
February 8, 2025
Website / Facebook

Femundløpet*
February 11, 2025
Website / Facebook

UP200*
February 13, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Two Rivers 200/100*
February 14, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Canadian Challenge*
February 17, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Amundsen Race*
February 20, 2025
Website / Facebook 

WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race
February 23, 2025
Website / Facebook

Junior Iditarod
February 22, 2025
Website / Facebook

Yukon Odyssey Race
March 1, 2025
Facebook

CopperDog 150
March 1, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook

Iditarod 52*
March 1, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Can-Am Crown International*
March 1, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Torch River Sled Dog Race
March 1, 2025
Facebook 

Finnmarksløpet*
March 7, 2025
Website / Facebook 

Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Run*
March 6, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

La Chic-chocs
March 14, 2025
Website / Facebook

Tok Race of Champions
March 21, 2025
Website / Facebook 

T-Dog 200*
March 22, 2025
Website / Facebook

Under Dog 100
March 28, 2025
Facebook

Copper Basin 100 (Junior)
April 4, 2025
Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Hudson Bay Quest
April 5, 2025
Website / Facebook

Nome to Council 200*
Not this year
Facebook 

Kobuk 440*
April 3, 2025
Website / Facebook

Junior Kobuk 440
April 18, 2025
Website / Facebook

*Iditarod/Yukon Quest Qualifying Race

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Roster of 18 to run the Yukon Quest

The Yukon Quest, a thousand mile sled dog race that starts in Alaska and crosses into Canada, begins tomorrow morning at 11am. The roster includes 13 veterans and 5 rookies. Several of the veterans are known by even the most casual fans. Reigning champion Allen Moore is back to try to win another championship. Hugh Neff is back in the race, as well, with his laughing eyes team. Two time winner, John Schandelmeier is also back in the race trying for another title. John's taken a backseat - at least in the limelight - to his partner Zoya Denure who was considered an up and coming women's musher a few years ago. Denure is at home with their two daughters, so John is taking the helm for this race.

With the weather being unseasonably warm the last few weeks in Alaska, small changes have been made to this year's race. Instead of starting on the Chena River where they traditionally start, they will be running through the streets of Fairbanks before meeting up with the river later on down the trail. River conditions were cited as the reason behind the change.

The concern of trail conditions and heat will no doubt be the talk of early race discussion. Though most of South Central Alaska is mainly ice (if that) the Interior and Yukon areas have had a little better luck in keeping some snow on the trails. The weather forecast is also looking more favorably on the race as temperatures are dropping to closer to normal temperatures. But, it's anyone's guess how the race will play out weatherwise.

With the weather being so weird for this time of year, many of the races that one would use to gauge who the front runners are were cancelled. This leaves room for a lot of guess work and discussion as to who to choose for any sort of bets or predictions.

But here's my limited knowledge top three:

1. Allen Moore - not only is he the reigning champion, he and wife Aliy Zirkle have one of the best kennels in the 1000 mile race business right now. He won the Quest with his team, and she turned right around and came in second in the Iditarod (second time in as many years). This year Allen won the Copper Basin 300, which was one of two races that went on this season. It was a good bit of racing, and in the end he came out on top. No doubt his team will bring their A game once again.

2. Brent Sass - some may know him for his work on the first season of Ultimate Survival Alaska (it's a good show, by the way), but most who follow the sport know this up and comer is done waiting his turn. He's had top three finishes. I haven't paid much attention to his team this year so far, but something in my gut tells me he'll be one to watch for the Quest.

3. Hugh Neff - who doesn't love the Cat in the Hat? Neff breathes the Quest. He's won it before, and he's always in the mix. There's no indication that he can't win another one. It will come down to who wants it, not just musher - but team. No one seems more in tune with their dogs than Hugh.

So much for taking time off!

Schnulle at the start of Iditarod 37,
March 2009

After racing a very exhausting competitive season last year, Sebastian Schnuelle announced that he would take the 2011-2012 racing season off to go sailing and visit friends and family around the globe. Schnuelle tried to take a break the season before, but quickly found himself signing up for the big races around Alaska and Canada.

This season, Schnuelle gave many of his dogs over to another musher and headed outside to "see the sun," as he put it. Soon, though, Schnuelle actively followed the first races of winter, giving his advice and online commentary via his facebook accounts. Then news broke that he would be running the Copper Basin 300 race (being held next weekend). He posted that he was working on his CB300 drop bags, and begrudged his unwavering obsession.

Then rumors swirled earlier this week that Schnuelle had signed up for the Yukon Quest. Some fans scoffed, his name was not on the race website, Schnuelle was taking a break from the big races.

Schnuelle put that talk to rest this morning with his update to his facebook page: "signed up for the Quest. Damn, I AM addicted."

The Yukon Quest is the second most popular long distance sled dog race in Alaska, and the only international race in North America. The race begins in Fairbanks and crosses over the Canadian border. While the Iditarod is now known as the "glamor" race with its well groomed trails and temperate weather, the Quest is known to be brutal. Many Quest mushers who go on to run the Iditarod pump the Quest to be the more challenging of the two (though Hugh Neff took that back after the difficulties of last year's Iditarod).

The 2011 Quest was an exceptionally challenging one, with many of the top names having to scratch due to adverse weather conditions. Once front runner Hugh Neff scratched (a dog died on the trail, which devastated the musher, who then ended up trapped on the mountain during a snow storm), Schnuelle was poised to take the title, but flooding on the Yukon caused other mushers to become trapped on the ice. Schnuelle helped several out of danger, including the eventual winner, Dallas Seavey, who came in just minutes before Schnuelle.

The Quest begins Feb. 4, 2012.