History Rewritten

Around 6pm Alaska time, Dallas Seavey will pull into Nome's Front Street and aim his dogs to pass under the famous Iditarod Burled Arch. He will be be the youngest musher to win, beating Rick Swenson's long standing record, at just age 25.

Seavey has worked for this achievement over the last four years. He's built his kennel, trained his dogs, and worked his strategy for this moment. Whenever tourists asked what his goals were, one of them was to win the Iditarod before age 26. He had a record to beat. This was his year. Just like Lance Mackey in 2007 took his bib number, lucky #13, and said it was a sign that it was his year, Dallas knew this was his. After Mackey's win in 07, folks began saying 13 was a lucky number for Iditarod (Mackey's brother and father won their Iditarod titles with the bib #13). Today is the 13th of March.

Considering Mackey's declaration that he wanted anyone but Dallas Seavey to win due to his feeling that Seavey was cocky and obnoxious, well, one can't help but enjoy the irony.

Dallas will be pulling into Safety in just a few minutes it looks like. Safety is the last checkpoint to Nome. This is where he will don his bib - #34 - and snack his dogs. He will be congratulated, and it's a mere 22 miles more to go. Bells will begin ringing - large bells - church bells - and he will have the first of many moments. He could stop on the trail between there and the finish. Mackey did one year to congratulate his team before the craziness of the finish chute. He may snack his dogs. But he'll be headed to Nome. He'll be headed to family.

Meeting him in Nome will be his paternal grandmother, mother, brothers. More importantly his wife and daughter will be there. They knew he was going to win this year. Jen bought tickets well ahead of time, Annie was already celebrating daddy's new truck. Missing from the celebration: two men still on the trail beaming with pride. Mitch, Dallas's father, has been at that moment. He won in 2004. He was welcomed by his father, Dan, who is at the back of the race pack also missing his grandson's moment. They've been interviewed, they know that this is Dallas' moment. They want to be there, they're torn, they have a job to do, too. But, they get bragging rights none the less.

So an early Congratulations, Dallas! We're all sitting in front of TV and computer screens waiting to watch you finish!

Dallas Seavey could be champion by 7pm AKST Tuesday

He's being declared the winner already by many tonight, but there's still 77 miles to go. Plus 3. He hasn't even hit White Mountain and the manditory 8 hour layover yet. But he's leading. By five to six miles on Aliy, and more on Ramey Smyth.

Yes, that Smyth the one that nearly ran down John Baker last year. The one that, this year, was in the 30s position wise until jumping up to third this evening. The one that tried to catch Dallas and Aliy all afternoon. The one's that still about 12 miles behind. The one that could easily throw off everyone's predicitions.

It's now midnight, and I'm freaking tired. I can't imagine what Dallas and Aliy and rest of the mushers are feeling. I'm sure through the sleep depravation, Mitch and Dan Seavey are both keenly aware that their son and grandson is close to making history. Just about 77+4 miles away from his first Iditarod title. They may be exhausted, but they're proud.

But there's still 77+ miles to go.

Bib Numbers for Iditarod 40

	Bib #	Musher Name	Sex	City	State	Country	Status
	2	Redington Jr, Ray	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	3	Lanier, Jim	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	4	Pinkham, William	M	Glenwood Springs	CO	USA	Veteran
	5	Thurston, Tom	M	Oak Creek	CO	USA	Veteran
	6	Bailey, Jodi	F	Chatanika	AK	USA	Veteran
	7	Marrs, Wade	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	8	Smyth, Cim	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	9	Petit, Nicolas	M	Girdwood	AK	USA	Veteran
	10	King, Jeff	M	Denali	AK	USA	Veteran
	11	Baker, John	M	Kotzebue	AK	USA	Veteran
	12	Maixner, Kelly	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	13	Suprenant, Michael	M	Chugiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	14	Zirkle, Aliy	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	15	Moon, Pat	M	Park Ridge	IL	USA	Rookie
	16	Herbst, Trent	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
	17	Jonrowe, DeeDee	F	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	18	Mackey, Lance	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
	19	Cooper, Travis	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Rookie
	20	Griffin, Kelley	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	21	Smyth, Ramey	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	22	Santos, Mike	M	Cantwell	AK	USA	Rookie
	23	Willomitzer, Gerry	M	Whitehorse	YT	CANADA	Veteran
	24	Ekran, Sigrid	F	Sparbu		NORWAY	Veteran
	25	Gebhardt, Paul	M	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	26	Phillips, Michelle	F	Tagish	YT	CANADA	Veteran
	27	Neff, Hugh	M	Tok	AK	USA	Veteran
	28	Kaiser, Peter	M	Bethel	AK	USA	Veteran
	29	Berkowitz, Jake	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	30	Kinzer, Jaimee	F	Willow	AK	USA	Rookie
	31	Berington, Kristy	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	32	Steer, Anjanette	F	Sheep Mountain	AK	USA	Rookie
	33	Berington, Anna	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Rookie
	34	Seavey, Dallas	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	35	Seavey, Mitch	M	Seward	AK	USA	Veteran
	36	Linton, Bruce	M	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	37	Janssen, Scott	M	Anchorage	AK	USA	Veteran
	38	Savidis, Justin	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	39	Anderson, Ken	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Veteran
	40	Steves, Jan	F	Edmonds	WA	USA	Rookie
	41	Buser, Martin	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	42	Robertia, Colleen	F	Kasilof	AK	USA	Veteran
	43	Hendrickson, Karin	F	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran
	44	Burmeister, Aaron	M	Nome	AK	USA	Veteran
	45	Stielstra, Ed	M	McMillan	MI	USA	Veteran
	46	Olson, Ryne	F	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Rookie
	47	Barnum, Kirk	M	Grangeville	ID	USA	Veteran
	48	Debruin, Hank	M	Haliburton	ONT	CANADA	Rookie
	49	Chlupach, Bob	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	50	Sass, Brent	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Rookie
	51	Williams, Jr., Michael	M	Akiak	AK	USA	Veteran
	52	Giblin, Matt	M	Juneau	AK	USA	Veteran
	53	DeNure, Zoya	F	Gakona	AK	USA	Veteran
	54	Furtwängler, Silvia	F	Rauland		NORWAY	Rookie
	55	Cadzow, Josh	M	Fort Yukon	AK	USA	Rookie
	56	Ramstead, Karen	F	Perryvale	AB	CANADA	Veteran
	57	Failor, Matt	M	Mansfield	OH	USA	Rookie
	58	Sousa, Gerald	M	Talkeetna	AK	USA	Veteran
	59	Lindner, Sonny	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	60	Swenson, Rick	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
	61	Perano, Curt	M	Queenstown		NEW ZEALAND	Rookie
	62	Buser, Rohn	M	Big Lake	AK	USA	Veteran
	63	Peterson, Braxton	M	Fairbanks	AK	USA	Rookie
	64	Church, Jr, Art	M	Willow	AK	USA	Veteran
	65	Seavey, Dan	M	Seward	AK	USA	Veteran
	66	Clarke, Lachlan	M	Buena Vista	CO	USA	Veteran
	67	Redington, Ryan	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran

66 Mushers are signed up and ready to go. The reason they start at 2 is the Honorary Musher will be #1. Junior Iditarod Champion Conway Seavey will be the first out of the chute during the Ceremonial Start. And, considering it's a big anniversary, how fitting that a Reddington start and end the line up. What a fantastic - coincidental, I'm sure - tribute to the man who was crazy enough to dream up this seemingly impossible dream. May a little bit of Joe be with every mushing team this weekend.

Iditarod FAQ - 2012 Edition - Part 2

To read part 1, click here.

The race has come a long way since Dick Wilmarth won the first Iditarod in 1973 in twenty days (just shy of THREE WEEKS). The race now takes, on average, nine days before the winner is declared. Wilmarth in the inaugural year ran the unknown trail to win his one and only Iditarod, due to controversy (rumors still fly that he cheated somehow) and a lack of desire, Wilmarth never ran another race. Third in that race was Dan Seavey, who will be the only musher from the first race to run in the 40th anniversary race. Dan is the first of a three generation Iditarod racing family, his son Mitch won the Iditarod in 2004, and three out of four of Mitch's sons have run the Iditarod and hold their own records.

Dallas Seavey at the start of Iditard 37.

In 2000, Dan ran in the same race as Mitch and Mitch's oldest, Danny. They made the record for the first 3 generation family to run in the same race. In 2005, Dallas Seavey became the youngest musher to finish the Iditarod, he turned 18 the day before the race (in other words it'll come down to minutes and seconds in order for someone to take that record away from him). In 2011, Dallas won the other long-distance race in Alaska - the Yukon Quest and went on to place fourth in that year's Iditarod. Dallas hopes to beat Rick Swenson's record of youngest musher to win the Iditarod in the next two years.

Rick Swenson became the youngest musher to win the Iditarod at age 26 and would go on to win four more. Swenson is the only five time champion in the forty year history of the race, and continues to run the race and participate in the Iditarod Trail Committee board meetings. He has not given up on winning the all elusive sixth win. Swenson also played a part in Dick Mackey's one second win. In 1978, Mackey and Swenson went head to head into Nome. Both men went all out to get their team to the finishline. Mackey collapsed as his team crossed under the Burled Arch, while Swenson ran his sled under. It was determined by the Race Marshall that Mackey had won because the "nose of the first dog" determined the win. It was not a sled race, it was a dog race.

Dick Mackey also hosts a family with three generations of mushers. Along with Dick two of his sons are also Iditarod Champions. Rick Mackey won in 1983, and younger son Lance Mackey has won an impressive four consecutive wins. Lance is the only musher in history to win four in a row. Lance started his winnings on the Yukon Quest before doing both races in a single year. In 2007, it all came together. Interestingly enough each Mackey won their first Iditarod with the lucky number thirteen for their bib number. Lance Mackey's step-son Cain Carter ran the Iditarod in 2011.

It's not an easy feat, winning the Iditarod (or even running it!), only 19 mushers have ever won. To repeat the feat is even more difficult. It's said there are more people who have successfully climbed mount everest or gone into outer space than there are mushers who were able to finish the race. The Iditarod is the great equilizer. There are no handicaps, there are no "easier courses" for the ladies. Men and Women compete together - one of the few sports that allows this. During the height of the feminist movement in the USA in the 80s, this was especially interesting to those outside of the race. For those running? It was just another day in Alaska.

Susan Butcher with lead dog Granite.
Photo by Jeff Shultz?

The first lady to finish the race was in 1974 when Mary Shields completed her race. It wouldn't be until 1985 until a woman would win. Libby Riddles defied snow storms and nay-sayers when she, surprisingly, was the first to cross the finishline in Nome. However, the next year's winner, Susan Butcher would be the face of mushing women for the sport well into the 90s and 2000s. Butcher is the only woman to win four Iditarods. She changed the sport of mushing by the way she trained and the care of her dogs. She was a fierce rival for Rick Swenson - who was frustrated with the low blows being directed at him for "letting a woman beat him." Through most of Susan Butcher's career the slogan around Alaska was "Alaska: Where men are men, and women win the Iditarod."

Susan Butcher took a break from racing at the height of her career in order to raise her family. In the early 2000s Alaska was rocked hard with the news of Susan's dianosis of Leukemia. Susan fought and beat it the first round, but on another check up it was discovered the disease had come back with a vengence. Susan succumed to the illness on August 5, 2006. The next year, she was declared the Iditarod's honorary musher. The first Saturday in March was declared Susan Butcher day in 2008, and Figure Skating Icon and Olympic Champion Dorothy Hamill - long time friend of Butcher's - was on hand to help dedicate the day.
Only a handful of mushers have won the race more than once, with only six teams winning four times or more. Along with Swenson, Butcher and Mackey, are also Jeff King (the world's "winningest musher"), Martin Buser and Doug Swingley. Swingley is the only American from another state to have won the Iditarod. Swingley's popularity dwindled while he was still at his peak due to the fact that he was very unsportsmanlike towards his competitors and even the state of Alaska. He retired after two disappointing races - one where he froze his corneas, and another where his team became ill and did not finish well. He raises horses in his Montana ranch.

The only other "outsider" to win was part of Team Norway. Robert Sorlie is a two time champion, and is much beloved by the Mushing and Alaskan community. Unlike Swingly, Sorlie was gracious to all, and it was a huge effort on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific to help Team Norway travel to Alaska each year. With the economy the way it is, and the purse for the Iditarod much smaller (and the entry fee higher), Team Norway has been missing the last few years. Sorlie has not run a team in several years, but in 2012 Sigrid Ekran will be back to run the dogs.

Interestingly enough, even though the Iditarod is Alaskan in most every sense of the word, only three Native Alaskans have ever won the Iditarod. Two in the early days of the race, and finally in 2011 John Baker became the third to be crowned champion. Baker is also the first Inupiat to win. Baker came in and broke the fastet time record (held by Martin Buser from his win in 2002), the new record to beat is 8 days, 18 hours, 46 minutes, and 39seconds.

Check back for more Iditarod posts soon! Have questions? submit them in a comment on any blogpost or email me!

Many familiar faces in line for Iditarod 40.

November 30th marked the deadline to complete and file paperwork to sign up for Iditarod 40. Many of last year's race's key players are back, such as Lance Mackey, Dallas Seavey, and - of course- current Champion John Baker. There are also a few suprises on the list that has the mushing fan community buzzing. If anything, Iditarod 40 will be one to remember.

Mitch Seavey returns after being forced to withdraw due to injury. Martin Buser started last year's race off very well but fell far back in the standings by the finish, he has also thrown his hat in the ring again this year. Perrenial favorites Paul Gebhardt and DeeDee Jonrowe will also be racing. Missing from the list of who's who of the Iditarod is Rick Swenson who - as of December 5 - is not listed on the Official Roster. Sebastian Schnuelle and Hans Gatt are also off the list, the latter having announced his retirement. Schnuelle is reportedly taking a break to spend sometime outside with family and friends.

The surprise of the summer was the return of Jeff King. Jeff made his intentions known when he appeared at the Volunteer picnic at the Wasilla Headquarters and signed up for the race. King did not race in the previous year's race, having stated he was retired. Jeff is running a smaller kennel and group of dogs, according to his comments in the press and online, but he cannot be counted out. This four time champion knows what it takes, and he's had a year to get a fresh perspective.

The other big surprise is the addition of Dan Seavey to the list. Dan ran in the very first Iditarod - and is credited as one of the mushers that helped make it a reality -  Dan is now 74 years old. His best finish was third in that first race. No doubt this is mainly a nod to the race itself. Dan is the only alum of that first race to be coming back. Dan is the father of 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey and Grandfather to Yukon Quest Champion and Iditarod Veteran Dallas Seavey. Dan is the patriarch of one of the Iditarod dynasties. It will be exciting to see what he will bring to Iditarod 40.

Entries are still trickling in by mail. As long as the packets are postmarked by November 30. There are 67 names on the official roster. Alaska Dispatch has the list at 69, and they have Rick Swenson among the entrants. Do they know something Iditarod.com doesn't?

Great Time

Photos and 'review' to come later, but tonight I leave you with a shot of Dan & Conway Seavey - and team! I feel very fortunate to know the Seavey family.



Visit Team Seavey's website by clicking here, and make sure to cheer on both Mitch and Dallas during Race 38!