Iditarod 54 top ten

We are in the new era of Iditarod mushing. The roster has slowly grown in the last couple of years and while still not the numbers from the twenty-aughts and twenty-teens we no longer wonder if there will be much of a roster at all. With nearly forty teams set to head towards Nome in just under two weeks from now, a strong group of "new" potential champions are poised to take their team to the next level.

Sure, their names have been in the "waiting in the wings" status. The "potential to win" status. The "future champion" status. But there were still those teams that just had that much more experience to get the job done again and again. This year's roster is full of those teams that have been "waiting in the wings". They've won the other races. They've been in the top ten for years. They all have the experience and the ability to run a race that is a winning race.

But there are a lot of them. This roster is stacked with talented dogs and mushers. Of the four returning champions, three will be gunning for that top position. 2020 Champ Thomas Waerner is the only musher not focused on winning - his job this year will be to guide the inaugural "expedition class" musher to the finish line. Our three remaining return champs are the exciting trio of Holmes, Kaiser, and Redington. 

So as you prepare to choose your Fantasy Mushing Iditarod 54 team, let's take a look at the highest potential teams in this year's race (that will probably be the higher priced teams in FM.)

Jessie Holmes - The reining Iditarod Champion. The Team Can't Stop musher was all smiles and positive energy at race sign-ups this past June. Holmes entered the Iditarod in his rookie year with the full intent of immediately being competitive. And, he was. Winning Rookie of the Year, Holmes went on to continually contend for a top placement. And, then, in 2025 it happened. Holmes took a very similar approach this season as last. He was very choosey of which races his team would enter, deciding on the Copper Basin and... that's it until after Iditarod. It worked last year, let's see how it plays out this year.

Jessie Royer - One of the top female mushers for well over two decades now, Royer is no stranger to the top ten of Iditarod. Unfortunately for Royer her schedule was a little different this season as her stomping grounds in the Lower 48 saw a winter similar to what Alaska faced in 2025. Several mid-distance races were canceled, including Montana's Race to the Sky a race that Team J dominates. This should not in any way make this year's Iditarod more challenging. Royer spends a lot of time in the winter in Alaska and in any situation extremely adaptable. She's a sure bet to get you those fantasy points.

Josi Shelley - This may be a risky choice for top ten, but the 2024 Rookie of the Year just had a hell of a race on the Yukon Quest Alaska 750. She didn't just win that race, she dominated having a Libby Riddles like run where she lead by hours staying ahead of the bulk of the massive winter storm that hit during the race. She could absolutely make waves in the top ten this year if she plays her cards right and her team is bounced back from their historic win last week. We've seen other teams run both races back to back (and, yeah, the Quest is shorter now) and it's only seen one team win both in the same year. Could Josi repeat that feat?

Matt Hall - Is Matt going to be the next musher to ride the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" roller coaster? We've seen him come in second now a couple of times. In the last two years he's come in second. Last year he changed up his training program by doing more human training year round as well as focusing on just running Iditarod and not running many if any races in the months before. He said he was taking a page out of Dallas Seavey's book. Marathons for Hall in the summer, training dogs in the winter with the prize a long adventure on the Iditarod trail. He's nearly there, will it happen for him in 2026? That's what we're all watching.

Michelle Phillips - She was fourth last year. Her first in the top ten. She's consistently in the top twenty when she runs the race. She just won the Two Rivers 200 race, another dominate win by one of the mushers on this list. She's won the Canadian Quest several times in their different long lengths. She'd no doubt have been in this year's race had they been able to put one on. Last year's race was the longest and for many the hardest in modern Iditarod history and Michelle managed her best finish - by far. She's one of the toughest out there and it will be exciting to see how she slingshots off last year's result.

Mille Porsild - She's been crowned by many to be "the next". We've had several "the next" since Susan Butcher hung it up in the 90s. Porsild's friend and mentor DeeDee Jonrowe knows the pressure of being labeled "the next" better than anyone. Jonrowe raced against Butcher and after Susan's retirement was expected to take the legend's place as dominating the men on the trail. Jonrowe came close, but never took it all the way. Since Porsild's rookie year in 2020, the musher has yet to be out of the top 15, with only two years finding her team out of the top 10. She's as tough as they come, and as fast as they come, with experience to boot. 

 

Paige Drobny - The Squids lit up the race scene this winter and are now pointed towards Nome. While Drobny's husband took the team out for most of the race season, Paige is set to take another shot at the top placement of the Last Great Race. While always a fan favorite and certainly a consistent top twenty team, Drobny and the Squids made a huge jump in 2024 running down many of the top teams in the final leg of the race to come in fifth place - without pushing her young team. Drobny improved on that placement last year coming in third. If she and her team - now in its prime racing experience age - manage to follow this pattern.... just sayin'.

Pete Kaiser - Talk about coming in right under the wire. Kaiser's name wasn't even on the roster until Monday. Like drop bag Monday. Like just under three weeks from the Ceremonial Start Monday. The 2019 Champion's team looked incredible on the Kusko. They always do, but there was something about this year's team that had lots of comments on just HOW good they looked. Strong, powerful, energetic. As Pete made his historic tenth Kusko win the media immediately asked if he was sure he wasn't going to run the Iditarod and he musher played coy. Hope dwindled as food drop deadline approached and then the announcement was made. 

Riley Dyche - Speaking of the Kusko, Dyche once again came in second, gaining one minute on the champ from last year's race. Dyche said post race that in about 20 years he'll catch Kaiser. Hopefully it doesn't actually take that long, but Dyche is one of those spreadsheet mushers. Like many mushers of the newer generation, Dyche uses race archives to prepare his "thesis" for the master class of Iditarod. He studies race times, strategies, training habits. Everything. He and his wife have quietly built their kennel and their team to become one of the top kennels, choosing to lay low and out of the internet spotlight. He's truly the dark horse of mushing that way and time will tell how it works out for him, but don't be surprised to see him in the mix.

Travis Beals - Another solid bet for a top ten finish for Fantasy Mushing teams, Beals has come sixth the last two Iditarods. Two years ago he lead for a good portion of the race before realizing he punched the gas a little too soon on the Yukon (and he ended up with an eye injury that didn't help). Last year in the longest and some say toughest Iditarod in modern race history he once again ended up six after a strong race. Those added miles to the total may have played a part. With the race going back to a trail far more familiar with weather far more usual forecasted for the race, Travis should be right on track to stay in the mix and improve on his already impressive track record.

What?! Have we done it?! We've stuck to ten?! 

Ha! If you've read this blog before you know it's not possible to start at ten. These days there are just too many teams with the potential to ruin this perfectly, professionally, punctuatedly list of ten. No, no. We have some honorable mentions with not just an outside chance of spoiling the whole thing, but a very real chance of doing so. 

Honorable mentions like Rohn Buser who is returning to Iditarod after a life hiatus. He went out and did other things, met and married his wife who is very much equal kennel and business partner, he's a two time dad. Last year was supposed to be when Buser returned to Iditarod but his daughter had other plans and he withdrew so he could be dad to his newborn daughter. He's currently running the Su Dog 300 as a final training run. He's used most of the races this season to get the miles and exeperience focusing on a positive race for all. It's anyone's guess how much he pushes in this first Iditarod back. 

Jeff Deeter this past summer had noted that he wasn't fully planning on a bid at the Iditarod this year always hedging with it would depend on how the team looked, but when sign ups came around his name found its way on the list. So he must have seen something in the team that suggested they were gonna go for it. Deeter ran a conservative Kusko, and had to scratch from the Yukon Quest Alaska as the trail disappeared during the storms needing to preserve the team for the big one. 

Wade Marrs made the move back to Alaska after several years in the Upper Midwest of the US. Partially due to his spending his summers in Alaska managing a touring operation, but also just to get back to Iditarod - and that feeling of home. It should be expected for Marrs to remind people why he was so exciting to follow when he last ran Iditarod. 

Ryan Redington won the whole thing just three years ago. He's seemingly in the last season or so taken a backseat in the mid-distance races, using them to build up a his team for Iditarod. Perhaps he's playing a mental game and he'll surprise everyone in the Iditarod. Maybe this will be more of a training run. We'll know by the time he reaches Nome. (Blogger note: Ryan let me know today that he's not playing a mental game and is always working to build a better team. He's all in with a strong team.)

Bailey Vitello was just supposed to run the Iditarod to check it off the musher bucketlist. Then he did it, and he got bitten by that bug. The one they all talk about. The one that they all say they're done in Nome and then at the last Saturday in June they show up and ask "what is wrong with us?" And Bailey's stayed, trained, raced, and is now one of the up and coming stars. In three races he's jumped from a twenty-seventh place rookie run finish to fifth last year.

The race kicks off with the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, Alaska on March 7, 2026 at 10am with the restart in Willow, Alaska on March 8 at 2pm. 

Who do you think should be on the list? Comment below with your thoughts.

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Iditarod Champion is last minute entry in Iditarod 54

The Iditarod announced Monday afternoon that a new name has been added to the roster. After last week that saw multiple teams withdraw ahead of the March 6 start, fans believed the roster set as the deadline for food drops loomed. So, when the Iditarod's announcement popped up all over social media that the 2019 Iditarod Champion was their exciting last minute sign up, the fandom lit up.

Peter Kaiser won his historic tenth win in the Kusko 300 back in January, and at the time was coy with whether he had plans to enter this year's Iditarod. The pride of Bethel was just wanting to celebrate his win, was incredibly happy with how his team looked, and wasn't going to say yes or no to a run in Iditarod.

Late entries are rare in the race, though in the last few years we've seen several mushers take the opportunity. Mushers like Dallas Seavey and Paige Drobny - as well as Kaiser - have waited to sign up past the deadline. As long as mushers are a veteran in good standing with Iditarod and are willing to pay double the entry fee they can sign up before food drops are due. Pete's drop bags have already been shipped to Anchorage to be sent out on the trail.

Kaiser spent the weekend running the Bogus Creek 150, the champion musher did not win the race but said he was really excited to see how his team performed. Whether or not he used the Bogus Creek run as the deciding factor seems moot with Pete's media team reporting that he had his drop bags assembled and ready ahead of Monday's news. "Slippery Pete" as one friend calls him had everyone fooled.

Pete last ran the Iditarod in 2024 where he finished in ninth place. The 2019 champion hasn't been out of the top 15 since his rookie run in 2010. The Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 54 takes off on March 6.

What do you think about today's news? Will Pete take home the top prize? Comment below with your thoughts!

This blog has always been a hobby and will continue to be - and this list is more for myself than anything - if you can spare a few dollars to help keep this blog running I wouldn't say no. Please do not feel obligated, but know that all support (in every form, not just financial) is greatly appreciated! Click here to "buy me a coffee".

Kaiser dethrones King as winningest Kusko musher

Screengrab of video taken by Iditarod Outsider.

As stated in the previous update - in a world of chaos and unknowns one thing has remained constant: if Pete Kaiser is running the Kusko 300 he's most likely going to finish in lead. And finish he did. Peter Kaiser came into the finish chute on the river outside of Bethel Sunday morning winning his record making tenth win.

The record held for years of Jeff King's 9 wins was thought to never be broken. It was the record that helped King proclaim himself the "winningest musher in the world" in the late 90s. King was, well, King of the Kusko. But, as Pete Kaiser won nearly year after year (taking second place just a couple of times in the last 12 years or so) it was obvious that there was something to the magic the hometown hero was brewin'.

Kaiser was welcomed home by a raucous crowd of fans who braved the freezing rain and wind to cheer on history. Peter immediately went to each dog to give pets and kisses to each one before hugging family and friends. The musher snacked his dogs before returning to his sled to have a final gear check and be signed off the trail.

He answered questions by the media, including the ever on everyone's mind question of Iditarod to which he slyly smiled "still undecided". One look at his dogs suggests they could be a formidable team in the thousand mile race, but with Iditarod just about a month away it would seem unlikely that the 2019 Champ will be returning this year.

But Iditarod Outsider hasn't dubbed him "Slippery Pete" for nothing and he could fool us all with a very last minute entry.

There are still twenty-two teams out on the trail with Riley Dyche the next to cross the finish line. A quick peek at the tracker has Dyche about 2.5 miles out. The red lantern is fan favorite Anna Berington who said before the race began she would run a very conservative schedule for her first Kusko, she's about 14 miles away from the final checkpoint and a four hour rest so the race is far from finished.

Catch all the action on the Kusko's official website.

Pete Kaiser wins his 9th Kusko

Photo courtesy of Kuskokwim 300 facebook page.

At 1:57am Sunday Pete Kaiser and his exhuberant team of Alaskan Huskies crossed the finish line in bethel tying Jeff King for the most wins on the Kusko. The Bethel local was greeted by many excited fans, friends, and family as well as a little rain. The trail was said to be fast and even with the changes to the trail and the start time it felt like just another Kusko for the champion musher. The musher will take home at least $30,000.

"I'm pretty proud of our efforts after the challenge of our training this year," Pete told the local media.

It wasn't easy for Kaiser to get to the starting line this year. With the warm winter most of Alaska has seen, Kaiser wasn't even sure he would make it to the race this year. "We managed to do it," Kaiser said, "and I was just really happy we were able to get the dogs to the starting line." He said while the weather wasn't anything they weren't used to in the area, it just went on forever. "Just not ideal training conditions."

Kaiser noted that the fast trail meant that he'd have to run fast early in the race and stick with the front runners if he wanted to manage a chance to win. He was very proud of his team and his race. "It played out almost perfectly," he stated. 

When asked about the trail Pete had nothing but good things to say. It was a fast trail, not a lot of snow drift, no slogging through overflow or open water. "Overall one of the best trails I've ever been on in the Kusko." The musher, who didn't wear his traditional orange parka and fur ruff - he didn't need it when it was 32 degrees overnight on the trail - commented on the beauty of this year's trail. "One of the most beautiful trails we've ever mushed on," he said, "we're going to be spoiled for next year."

Riley Dyche who battled with Kaiser for most of the race came in second place 18 minutes behind the champion. Riley said he had to carry a dog for most of the way from Kalskag to Tuluksak on the inbound trail and he believed that was what sealed Pete's lead for the finishing run. When asked if he planned to be back for future races Riley didn't hesitate to say yes, "this is my new favorite race," he said.

Third place Cody Strathe, who caught a bug on the trail and had very little voice at the finish line. Strathe managed to say that most of the dogs on his team had not run the Kusko before. 

Next up for the Bethel area and Pete specifically will be the Bogus Creek 150. It was another race that had to be postponed, and Kaiser told media this morning his plan was to race in that one. With the warm up starting Sunday it's anyone's guess what the rest of his season will be. His social media team noted that beccause of the poor training season that Pete made the decision not to sign up for Iditarod, so the Kusko will be his "big" race of the year.

Pete gave credit to his dogs for doing so well, surprising their musher. "I'm pretty proud of our efforts after the challenge of our training this year," he said. He mentioned that he asked them for speed for the whole of the race to keep the pace with the front runners and they delivered, as he looked down the line of his happy and alert team in the finish line - tails wagging, "they're just incredible."

Four teams are now into the finish, with thirteen teams still on the trail. 

Top ten are into Tuluksak

As of 7:10pm AKST on Saturday, the top ten are into the final checkpoint of Tuluksak and are on their final four hour mandatory rest. From Tuluksak it's roughly a fifty mile sprint to the finish line back in Bethel. There are several bunches within the top ten of teams close together. The final placement is anything but certain for just about any team.

First into Tuluksak Saturday was eight-time Kusko champion Pete Kaiser. The veteran musher arrived at 5:15pm and had the checkpoint all to themselves for just twenty minutes before Riley Dyche and his team of Dark Horse dogs charged in. Dyche is a dark horse in more ways than one, the musher chose last year to leave social media entirely and so no one really knew what to expect as there was almost nothing in the way of training reports on the musher. He ran a couple of races, but it was anyone's guess would Dyche would be doing ahead of Iditarod. Riley bought many of Brent Sass's main team last year when Sass decided to get out of dogs (in Alaska, he's been in Europe running dogs). Riley brought 8 of the Wild and Free dogs with him to the Kusko.

Fifteen minutes after Riley checked in, Cody Strathe was next into the checkpoint. The Squids ate up some time on Dyche. At 6:09pm Mike Williams Jr. made it to Tuluksak. Williams is having a fantastic race and has many fans and mushers statewide cheering him on. One of the local heroes of sorts, Mike is a favorite in any race he enters. Williams' best finish was 2nd in 2011 according to the K300 archives, and he last ran the race in 2019. Hunter Keefe rounds out the top five, coming in just eight minutes behind Willliams. 

At 6:26pm, teen phenom Emily Robinson rode into the checkpoint. Saturday afternoon Robinson crossed the 200 mile mark - the furthest she's ever raced. Sitting now at roughly 226 miles, the junior musher is now in unfamiliar territory. Last year Robinson nervously laughed when reporters asked her if she was ready for Iditarod, she mentioned that 300 miles intimidated her. The teen who didn't seem to be intimidated by Iditarod champions as she ran them down in 100 and 200 mile races was intimidated by 300 miles. Well, this weekend she took that challenge on and she's minutes from cracking the top five. The only teen, only female, and only rookie in this race looks anything but intimidated.

Lev Shvarts is ten minutes behind Robinson to hold the seventh slot. Behind Shvarts came Matt Failor, giving Shvarts a seventeen minute cushion. Sitting in 9th and 10th place are Cim Smyth and Bailey Vitello who came in at the same time. There should be some very close finishes Sunday morning.

First and fifth are separated by just over an hour. Right now Peter Kaiser has the lead, but it's not a fully comfortable one. We've seen the Kusko throw a curveball for the leaders in the final stretch (Failor's win was helped by such curveballs). The top three are not set in stone. And then there are the chase pack just waiting in the wings. Hunter Keefe will have to pull out the stops to keep Emily Robinson behind him. Several teams could easily end up leap frogging in this last sprint.

At the back, Isaac Underwood and Ebbe Pederson are both resting in Kalskag. 

Top 10

Pete Kaiser at 5:15pm - can leave at 9:15pm Saturday
Riley Dyche at 5:35pm - can leave at 9:35pm 
Cody Strathe at 5:50pm - can leave at 9:50pm
Mike Williams Jr at 6:09pm - can leave at 10:08pm
Hunter Keefe at 6:17pm - can leave at 10:16pm
Emily Robinson at 6:26pm - can leave at 10:26pm
Lev Shvarts at 6:36pm - can leave at 10:36pm
Matthew Failor at 6:53pm - can leave at 10:53pm
Cim Smyth at 7:10pm - can leave at 11:10pm
Bailey Vitello at 7:10pm - can leave at 11:10pm

With roughly fifty miles to the finish and Peter Kaiser leaving at 9:15pm Saturday, expect a finish around 2am AKST on Sunday. 

Do you think we're going to see another re-PETE? Do you think we'll see any surprise placements? Who do you think will end up winning the Red Lantern? Comment below with your thoughts!

Kaiser takes the lead!

Saturday afternoon saw a new leader on the Kusko. Somewhere between Kalskag and Tuluksak on the inbound trail, eight-time Kusko Champion Peter Kaiser passed race leader Riley Dyche to take the lead. With just 18 miles to go until the last checkpoint, Kaiser should be tucking his team in for their final mandatory four hour rest around 5:30pm AKST.

Riley Dyche has spent most of the Kusko leading the race (the only time he wasn't first into a checkpoint was when Mike Williams Jr. was first to hit Aniak). Dyche pulled the hook in Kalskag about a minute before Pete came into the checkpoint. His team was coming off a three hour rest and looked strong as they took off down the trail. Still, fans noticed the energy of Kaiser's team and the musher's calm as he signed in and out and followed Dyche out of the checkpoint.

Riley managed to keep a mile or so between he and Pete for several miles before the champion musher managed to overtake him. Teams are required to yield trail to the faster moving team if the musher calls for it (normally with just a loud bellow of "TRAIL!"). Mushers must then allow several miles to pass before they can yell to retake the lead if the teams are still "on top of" one another. One mile from the finishline, however, is considered "No Man's Land" and all bets are off. Yielding trail is not required and can make for an exciting finish (still hoping for a skipole joust into the finish some day).

The chase pack has seen a bit of shake up as some have slingshot ahead of others out of Kalskag. Junior musher Emily Robinson was running around near 8th or 9th Saturday morning coming into Kalskag and has now picked off a few teams and shows on the tracker as currently running with Lev Shvarts bringing her to 5th or 6th place. The teenager is a rooke in this race in more ways than one, it's not just her first Kusko - it's her first 300 mile race. For the Kusko it's the fact that a team hasn't done 300 miles that qualifies them as a rookie, and Emily is the only one who qualifies for that honor this year.

The back of the pack remains unchanged. Current red lantern Ebbe Pederson is into the checkpoint of Aniak at 3:30pm AKST and is currently resting. The musher has planned to take his time in the race, but it's unknown how long he plans to enjoy the hospitality of Aniak.

Kaiser Racing has been giving its usual fantasic updates on the race again this year and put out a quick but informative breakdown of the purse payout. This year everyone's in the money. Highly recommend you give them a read.

If Kaiser and Dyche make it in at the estimated 5:30pm mark they will be able to head for the finish at 9:30pm giving us a potential 2am finish for the winner. Gear up, fans, consider this good training for next month's Iditarod (less than a month away now!)

Who do you have coming into Tuluksak first? Think Emily will make a move and start picking off the leaders? Comment below with your thoughts on the race!

Riley Dyche leads the Kusko

The Dark Horse has dark horsed quite well so far on the Kuskokwim. Riley Dyche and his team blazed up the trail Friday night and into Saturday morning. Dyche currently sits in the checkpoint of Kalskag on the return/inbound trail. He is required to take three hours of rest here to complete his mandatory 6 hour rest for the loop. Dyche isn't alone as Cody Strathe of Squid Acres is also sitting in Kalskag finishing up his mandatory rest, but Dyche has about a half hour lead on Cody.

Dyche took an early lead Friday being the first into the first checkpoint of Tuluksak blowing through that checkpoint and on down the trail. He was then first into the Kalskag outbound checkpoint where he elected to take a three hour rest as part of his mandatory six hour. Dyche was not first out of Kalskag nor was he first into the halfway point of Aniak, but he took the lead when he elected to not stay in Aniak on his arrival and continued on the trail loop back to Kalskag.

Dyche's race plan is similar to the one Strathe chose to run. This is the first Kusko for Strathe, it's Dyche's second. As the two leaders rest, a wave of teams who are fully rested are on their way to the checkpoint. The chase pack include Pete Kaiser, Matt Failor, Hunter Keefe, Mike Williams Jr., Lev Shvarts, and Emily Robinson. Yes, that's right, the junior musher running her first 300 miler is comfortably in the top ten and is fully rested. The teen has done a fantastic job of maintaining her team and sticking with the big dogs.

Also in the chase pack are Cim Smyth and Nicolas Petit both of whom still need to complete their six hour mandatory rest. Smyth looks to need two hours of rest having elected to rest for two hours in Kalskag Outbound and Aniak - Petit looks to have one hour. They are currently running in third and fourth position with about a nine mile (one hour-ish) cushion of the chase pack. Well, at least Cim does. Nic's tracker isn't behaving.

Current red lantern is Ebbe Pederson who planned to run a slower race with a lot of extra rest according to a post by Turning Heads Kennel - who Pederson is running dogs from. He is the only team still on the outbound trail on his way to Aniak. Issac Underwood is the only team currently resting in Aniak.

Judging by the tracker, it looks like Pete Kaiser will hit Kalskag right around the time Riley Dyche should be able to pull the hook and take off from his rest (if the math is correct and we all know how often that happens for this blogger). Kaiser has taken all of his mandatory rest on the loop so he could continue on down the trail, but Dyche's team will have had a three hour break and it could be that Dyche has just timed everything perfectly to keep control of this race.

Don't count any of the chase pack out yet, and especially not Kaiser as these are his home trails. It's going to be an epic race to the finish.

What do you think will happen when the chase pack makes it to Kalskag? Can Dyche and Strathe hold them off? Comment below with your thoughts!

2025 Kuskokwim 300 race preview

 

Someone cue up the chorus from Andy Williams' "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", because that's exactly where we are in the mushing season. The Kuskokwim 300 is upon us! 

After having to postpone the race by a couple of weeks due to the insanely warm weather Alaska suffered for most of December and January destroying trail, the Kusko is ready to go. The cold snap that settled on Alaska at the end of January helped stabalize several areas along the river route for the promise of a safe, yet tough, trail.

With much of Alaska still without snow (from Willow to Anchorage and points in between there's ice but very little of the white stuff), the West Coast has finally seen a little bit of snow along with the more normal winter temperatures.

Currently, Accuweather forecasts 20F at the start of the Kusko on Friday with wind gusts of up to 20mph. A tad warmer than last year's frigid Kusko, but the Coastal Winds of Alaska are no joke. For most of the race, teams will run on or along the river before hitting a portage of sorts that is known to be a difficult stretch as the terrain is reminiscent of the Iditarod's "burn" section with exposed tussoks for miles. With all of the river trail, there is always the threat of overflow for the teams (several years ago we saw the finish slow significantly as winds brought warm air and rain that turned the end of the race into an absolute slog). 

The Kusko saw quite a few teams withdraw in the last few days. Some withdrew after the race was postponed because they had other races lined up already for February. Some withdrew as late as Tuesday. With all of the unknowns both with the weather as well as not being able to get all of the training in with lack of trails close to home, it's any wonder the seventeen teams still signed up are still ready to go!

Teams have already made their way to Anchorage to fly out to Bethel with most arrivals scheduled for Wednesday. The Kusko knows how to put on a dog race and it's a full on celebration that rivals the Beargrease and the Scandinavian Races as far as the excitement surrounding it. It's rock concert level. Bethel hosts the start and finish of the Kusko and acts as a major hub for the region. The entire community takes part in the festivities and cheering on the mushers, each team is hosted by a family who offer up their yard for the dogs and their home for the handlers. 

The Kusko is also one of the races that you can create a Fantasy Mushing team (for free) to help bring another element of excitement for armchair mushers as they follow along. So let's take a look at some of the mushers that have a good chance of scoring high for your team. (This year we're doing a top ten because, reasons.)

Who to Watch

Cody Strathe - Did you watch the Copper Basin? You should have. Cody gave eventual winner Jessie Holmes a run for his money. Cody is a late entry to the Kusko roster, and it's a very good guess that it's in large part due to how the team did in the Copper. This team will also be going to the Iditarod in March (a very late addition) with Cody's wife Paige. This could mean that Cody runs a more conservative race, but.... either way he's a great choice for Fantasy Mushing.

Emily Robinson - Originally, Emily was going to be an honorable mention, but as the list of who to watch grew, she made it on the list because we were so close to having a top ten. This teenage phenom is on everyone's "to watch" list. Robinson has proven last year was not a fluke when she took down Iditarod champions in several "grown up races" when she repeated her wins this season. Robinson chose the Kusko over the WillowJr 100 which is also set for this weekend. This will be her first 300 mile race. Last year Robinson made comments stating 300 milers seemed daunting. She's a confident and smart musher (and she's a steal of a deal for Fantasy Mushing). Expect her to run a smart race, but if she's near the front, don't be surprised if she lets loose. (And did we mention that she's the only junior musher running?)

Hunter Keefe - It'd probably be a good guess that Hunter is using this as a training run for Iditarod, but Hunter also tries to keep from being back of the pack. He runs a very strong team out of Raymie Redington's kennel, and they've proven themselves time and again that they can be in the mix. Hunter would be a solid bet for your Fantasy Team, and we're just here to see Hunter have a fantastic Kusko experience!

Jeff King - Is Jeff still the winningest musher in history? Even if King no longer holds that title, he's no slouch. He may be retired from the Iditarod, he's not retired from racing. King also currently holds the most wins on the Kusko with nine championships. Perhaps that has motivated his return to the Kusko, his title is in danger of being tied this year, and perhaps he feels he has a chance to win just that one more. There are few mushers in this race as seasoned as Mr. The King, and it's always a joy to see him and his team of Husky Homesteaders on the trail.

Matthew Failor - He won in 2019, he knows how to run this race, but his focus is most likely on the Iditarod, so if the race proves to be very challenging - physically or mentally - for the dogs he could end up using this as a training run. However, Failor has worked hard to take the title again the last few races, so don't be surprised if he's one of the ones battling the reigning champion to stop him from repeating yet again. 

Nicolas Petit - This is one of the few 300s in Alaska that Nicolas has not won. This is also the first race we've seen Petit run this season. The musher posted to his social media earlier this season that he was "taking a break" from the mid-distance scene this year, except for the Kusko. Everyone loves the Kusko! Petit typically enjoys speed over following a schedule, though he has tried recently to change it up and use strategy. This will be our first real view of Petit's team ahead of Iditarod, one thing to expect is it's going to be anything but predictable with Nic.

Pete Kaiser - The current King of the Kusko, Pete is looking to tie for the most wins this year. The Bethel local who won the Iditarod in 2019 won his 8th Kusko title last year. Kaiser is not signed up for the Iditarod this year, so the Kusko is his big race of 2025. These are his home trails, he has a lot of knowledge of the area, his team is used to the weather and wind. He has the advantage in so many ways, but as we've seen before - anything can happen. (Plus he is a nice guy and gives his competition information on the trails and tips.)

Riley Dyche - Riley's really starting to climb the ranks this season in the mid-distance races. His team is really gelling (though some say it's due to having bought quite a few of Brent Sass's top dogs). This is Dyche's SECOND Kusko (he signed up for the 2022 race but withdrew) his rookie year he ended up in the top ten which for this race can be quite the accomplishment as the roster is typically stacked with the best of the best and is highly competitive. (Many thanks to those that pointed out that he ran last year, an earlier version of this post had Riley listed as a rookie by mistake.)

Ryan Redington - The 2023 Iditarod Champion, multiple time Beargrease champion. If Ryan's in a race, he's most likely running to win (though he blew that out of the water earlier this season during the Knik when he took the puppy team and let one of his handlers run the main team!). There's no sharing with other handlers/team members so expect Ryan to be in this for more than just a training run (though Iditarod is his main focus, no doubt). Ryan, like Petit, likes to run fast right out of the gate and try to get a large gap between him and the rest of the field and hope the gap is enough that no one catches him towards the end.

Wade Marrs - Okay, so Redington isn't "sharing" a team with a handler, but he IS sharing a few (four) dogs with Wade. Marrs is running mainly with dogs from his Stump Jumpin' Kennel, but did post to social media Tuesday night that he would be taking four dogs from Ryan's kennel that he bonded with over the summer doing tours on the Panhandle. Wade would be considered an outside chance for a win, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. We haven't seen much of Wade this season as he's been doing the family thing in the lower 48 waiting for the weather to cooperate for races closer to home.

Now that we know who has the biggest chance of winning the thing, how can we make sure to follow along with the race?

How to Watch

While many of the other mid distance races rely on fan videos and Kale Casey LIVE to cover their races, the Kusko is unique in that the local grade school runs a program where they film the start and finish of the races. They go live on Facebook with race coverage done mainly by the students. It's fantastic and well worth a watch. Last year the students were unable to film due to tech difficulties, so the official facebook page and the radio station took over the duties.

Official Website

The Kusko's website is pretty slick. You can follow all of the races, fundraising and news from their site. It's easy to navigate and they have great musher bios. And this is where you will find those ever important in and out times from the checkpoints. Be sure to check it out.

GPS Tracker

Real time updates will come through the trackers as always. With the cold there may be more glitches than we'd like (blame the aliens!) but there's not much we can do. Cold and technology don't get along. The link for trackleaders hasn't gone live yet, so this will get edited once it does. Once it goes live you should be able to view them here.

Radio Broadcast

KYUK Radio will broadcast the start which begins at 8:00pm (start listening at 7:30pm for pre-race info). You can listen to the broadcast online through this link.

Social Media

Updates will most likely be posted on the race's Facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. Photo updates should come from Instagram. They typically try to have a Facebook live feed. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #K300.

KYUK is also plans to post updates on their Facebook page, including Facebook interviews with the mushers from the last week or so.

Most mushers have facebook these days, and many of them have someone monitoring and posting to those pages during the race. To find and follow all mushers in this year's race, check out the 2025 Kusko 300 musher roster on this blog where all socials are linked.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, February 5
Vet Checks

Thursday, February 6
Vet Checks
5pm - Musher Meeting
7pm - Bib Draw 

​Friday, February 7
8:00pm 1:00pm - Kuskokwim 300 START*
8:40pm 7:30pm- FIREWORKS*

Saturday, February 8
NOON - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, February 9
6pm - Musher Awards

*Schedule changed due to forecasted warm up on Sunday.

Who do you think will cross the finish line first? Who do you expect to beat every expectation? Can Pete Kaiser win his 9th title? How about that Emily Robinson? Comment below with your thoughts!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Iditarod 52 top "ten"

Let's face it, this blog will never have a true top ten. With a smaller roster and more competitive teams than ever it's more than impossible to narrow it down. Too many variables. Too many changes to roster last minute that could shake things up. Too many, too many, too many!

With the news last week of first Eddie Burke Jr. being DQed from the race last Tuesday (only to be reinstated Friday, then announced Monday he's withdrawing) and Brent Sass DQed on Thursday, predictions blew apart for everyone. It will be interesting to see how the drama will effect not just the teams involved, but the race in general. If this race goes off like other "over dramatc" years, it may all be forgotten for the two weeks of Iditarod as everyone gathers to celebrate. Often the pomp and circumstance of the Ceremonial and Re-Start have a way of helping fans and the mushing community move on - especially if the starts are a success.

With a roster of thirty-nine teams the roster is a who's who of competitive long distance teams. Three Iditarod Champions are on the roster, two teams are back after a short hiatus, and perennial favorites. It's a roster that seems very familiar, and yet new at the same time.

But who takes top prize is anyone's guess. Let's take a look at some solid bets for your Fantasy Team.

Aaron Burmeister - One of the mushers that has tried and failed to stay away. Burmeister took the 2023 race off as a hiatus to spend more time with the family. Burmeister has found himself consistently in the top ten over the last decade with just a couple of dips out of it. He came close to winning the whole thing in 2021 when he almost caught Dallas in the final hours of the Gold Loop Trail. Burmeister's been quiet this season, choosing not to run the Kusko 300 as he'd originally planned citing concerns over the weather and trail conditions. Could the year off be what Aaron needed to finally bring his first win in his home town?

Dallas Seavey - The other musher who chose to take last year off and then surprised many when he showed up in June to sign up for the 52nd running of Iditarod. The five-time champion spent last year's race on the back of an iron dog to - he said - share the experience with his kiddo... but was he also studying his future competition? One thing is for certain, Dallas' quest for six is back on and it may be a bumpy one. Fans will remember that one of Dallas' handlers was running a team on the Denali Highway when it was struck by a snow machine. Several dogs were injured and killed - some that may have made Dallas's team for Iditarod otherwise. Dallas' operation is big enough that he should still have a strong team to challenge for another title, and it never hurts to run with a chip on your shoulder. The real question is - will we see The Sweater?

Jessie Holmes - Six Iditarods. Six finishes. Four top ten finishes. It looks like Team Can't Stop lives up to their name. Jessie Holmes is the "reality star" though he's more than capable of long distance mushing. He's had a short race season this year, but he very nearly ran down Brent Sass in the Copper Basin 300. Holmes has the goal and drive to win Iditarod, but as we all know it's a whole lot easier on paper than it is to actually do. Jessie is an interior musher who lives a subsistence lifestyle. His dogs are used to colder temperatures so this crazy winter weather Alaska's had recently could play a huge factor on how his team responds to the race. Look for Jessie to run a very aggressive race unless things warm up.

Jessie Royer - One of the few mushers to finish "in the money" with the full team of dogs (and when it was still sixteen dogs at that!), Jessie Royer is a constant in the top ten. The Musher who divides her time between Montana and Alaska (and also divides her time between mushing and mounted shooting) is a fan favorite. She's one of the quiet ones, the steady ones, she's always in the mix but she isn't getting much of the attention. She isn't flashy, she isn't showing off in anyway. She just does it. She rarely complains, she rarely gets excitable. She takes care of her dogs, they head down the trail, and they do well. She calculated and strategic. A good combination for a team. Look for Royer to hang back for the first third of the race before she picks off the teams in front of her.

Matthew Failor - The "17th dog" dog team and musher, Failor is coming off another second place finish in the highly competitive Kuskokwim 300 narrowly missing the chance to run down Pete Kaiser. Failor told the local media that he is "really, really good" at finishing second. Failor finally cracked the top ten last year finishing 8th in the Iditarod. Matthew's won the Most Improved musher several times in Iditarod, and won Most Inspirational for having to dispatch several moose on the trail sacrificing his race as he had to dress each one. He prides himself on having won several humanitarian (ie best cared for dogs) in other races. The new dad should have a good run to Nome.

Matt Hall - This newly wed combined kennels with his bride and is now one half of the mushing team of Silver Aces kennel. Hall is a former Yukon Quest Champion (back in the day of thousand mile races). Matt pulled off a fourth place finish in the Iditarod and in 2021 won most inspirational musher. He's been mushing the majority of his life, starting his own kennel at age 16. Matt's finished in the top ten twice in his five Iditarods - his rookie year he barely missed the top ten coming in 11th place. Hall had a strong finish in the Copper Basin 300 this year placing fifth. If all goes right he should see another top ten finish in this year's Iditarod.

Paige Drobny  - Squid Acres is the place to be! Dog mushin' is the life for.... sorry, got carried away. If you aren't aware of Paige Drobny you haven't been paying attention. Drobny and her Squids are often near or on top of the podium at any race, and while she hasn't always cracked the top ten at Iditarod she's poised to jump back into that ranking with the Squids not being divided by two teams this year. Paige came in fourth place in the Copper Basin and her husband Cody Strathe came in third. Combining the best of both teams into one mega team just may be the key to Drobny meeting or beating her best placement (two 7th place finishes). 

Pete Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion just won his eighth Kukso 300 with a full compliment of 12 dogs at the finish. Kaiser owns his hometown race, focusing much of his energy in competiting for top prize. The last couple of years for Iditarod fans were left wondering if Kaiser had plans to sign up, the champion choosing to wait and sign up later than what most do. Pete gave last year's champion a major run for his money, seeming to catch up to him in the final leg and be poised to overtake him, but the Bethel musher chose to hang back and give his dogs more rest - reading their needs over his need for a win. Second place is nothing to sniff at, and Pete gave quite the show for fans (he also got high praise from Dallas Seavey in the impromptu Insider feeds). Could it be Kaiser's turn to repeat in Iditarod this year?

Ryan Redington - Speaking of last year's champion. He did it. A Redington is finally champion (and for this year reigning) of Joe Redington Sr's race. As most champions will tell you, repeating is crazy hard. Few have won it a second time much less consecutively. Many of the ones that have in modern race history were generational mushers. Ryan is a generational musher. Redington had to change all of his mushing plans this year as his winter training grounds in the Lower 48 never had winter, so he pivoted and traveled to Alaska to hit up all of the races he normally misses. The reigning champ has a new found swagger of confidence which could help him navigate his defending championship run. 

Travis Beals - Though the last couple of years he's not made it to the top ten, Travis seems to be in a very good headspace with a strong team to make it back in and challenge for a top spot. Beals is a new dad who is now training out of Knik, home of many wonderful trails - including the Iditarod trail he's planning to head down this weekend. Travis finished third in the Kusko 300, a huge achievement. Travis writes in his Iditarod Bio that he feels he's starting to get to the point where the things in his life outside of mushing are in order to make his goal of winning Iditarod possible. Travis with partner Sarah Stokey welcomed their first child, Elias, this past year.

But, what about...?! you say. Of course we aren't going to stop at ten. When has this blog ever stopped at ten? We have a few honorable mentions/wildcards. 

Let's not forget Amanda Otto who nearly ran down Brent Sass last year in the Yukon Quest Alaska with a crazy amazing run in the last leg after banking a ton of rest to push her team on a monster leg. It was incredible and showed her tenacity and her ability to read her team and know how far she could ask them to go. She runs a team out of Jeff King's Husky Homestead so you know it's a good one.

Let's also not forget Hunter Keefe, the happiest musher the world has ever seen. Okay, that's a made up on the spot declaration on this blog's part, but seriously - HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HUNTER? Keefe runs dogs out of Raymie and Barb Redington's kennel... the parents of the reigning Iditarod Champion. Hunter narrowly missed out on winning Rookie of the Year, and he's had a fantastic season this year as well. Hunter came in fourth at the Kusko 300 in his rookie race. Keefe's positive attitude through any number of trials on the trail keeps his head on straight and he just goes. He even beat Ryan Redington this year! Honestly he probably SHOULD be in the top ten.

We'll put Mille Porsild in here as well, though Mille reported early in the season she's in a sort of rebuilding year with a very young team. Mille's also been sick recently and has had to rely on help of others to keep the training miles up while she recovers (she says she is now on the mend.) Still, Mille is a force on the trail (and off) so if the chips fall into place expect her to blow the top ten wide open.

Last but not least Nicolas Petit needs a mention. Why he isn't in the top ten this year is mainly due to his very lackluster season. While he hasn't bombed completely the musher has been very open about his struggles this year. Not able to get the right food his team enjoys (quality beef), stressing about finances, and just a series of unfortunate setbacks. Petit decided to scale back and focus on the Iditarod - but he kept up appearances by commenting on each race he missed (and some he attended as a spectator - like Fur Rondy this past weekend) via social media. He weighed in on the Idita-drama, and genuinely enthralled his fans with his haiku like posts. It's anyone's guess how Nic's Iditarod plays out this time.

One last musher that needs a mention - Anna Berington. For the first time in *counts on fingers but gives up* a long time, the Beringtons are not running the Iditarod together. Due to rising costs of running a successful racing kennel, the reinstating of the 16-dog team, and Kristy wanting to start a family with her husband, the Seeing Double Racing Kennel decided to take the next step and create one very competitive team. This could be another wildcard, and Anna may very well end up with the award for most improved musher. Anna placed 22nd in last year's Iditarod, so depending on where she ends up finishing she could have the biggest jump in placement.

As with every Iditarod, the certain is never truly certain. So many factors come into play, and just one wrong hair can be enough to derail a top team's plan. But, these names are almost certain to keep you in the running in the Fantasy Mushing realm. (That being said this blogger has yet to crack the top 100 much less the top 10 in Fantasy Mushing.)

So, who are your top ten? Who do you hope takes the top prize? Comment below with your thoughts on this top ten (and then some).

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

2024 Kuskokwin 300 reaches roster limit

In what felt like record time, the Kusko 300's roster was capped last week when it hit 30 teams just over a week after registration opened. Teams from all over Alaska and Canada plan to descend on the Western Alaska city of Bethel where the only way to get there is to fly if you don't live close enough to snow machine, mush, or if you're brave drive on the local ice road. But if you're from Anchorage, Fairbanks, The Yukon, and other parts of Alaska - you gotta fly (or you could spend a week mushing out there but then your team would probably not want to get up and race after!

The Kuskokwim 300 is one of the premiere mid-distance races in North America, and one of two major races in Western Alaska. Where the Iditarod's creation was in part to support the Alaska Native tradition of mushing by giving a reason to keep dogs even with the more modern inventions of travel, the Kusko actually has maintained that lifestyle for many of the mushers of the Kuskokwim Delta. They keep the expenses rather low for locals, they have other races throughout the season to bolster confidence and monies... and the Kusko 300 is the BIG race with the BIG purse. Where other races big and small seem to struggle with financial incentives - the Kusko is thriving.

And mushers notice. The race is heralded every year as one of the best run and organized of the races in Alaska. The locals in the villages come out for a weeklong party - almost like their own version of Anchorage's Fur Rondy celebrations - celebrating the dogs running the race. They manage in some of Alaska's harshest conditions to keep fans up to date in a variety of ways - including facebook live updates run by not only race volunteers but local students at the school.

It's just a really cool race, and it gives a lot of "outside" teams (as in not KuskoDelta teams) a chance to run in conditions you only find on the Alaskan West Coast. 

So just who are the lucky 30 with spots secured for the 2024 race? Take a look below:

Travis Beals
Pete Kaiser*
Brent Sass*
Ebbe Winstrup
Joe Taylor
John Snyder
Dave Turner
Josh McNeal
Raymond Alexie
Gabe Dunham
Lev Shvarts
Richie Diehl
Jessica Klejka
Riley Dyche
Matthew Failor
KattiJo Deeter
Cim Smyth
Jessie Holmes
Hunter Keefe
Isaac Underwood
Jeff King*
Father Alexander Larson
Jeff Deeter
Jason Pavila
Nicolas Petit
Rob Cooke
Aaron Burmeister
Mike Williams Jr.
Dakota Schlosser

Bold signifies Kusko Champion
*Asterisk signifes Iditarod Champion
Italics signifies Kusko Rookie 

Teams that missed out can sign up to be on a waitlist. Teams will be contacted if one of the thirty currently signed up withdraw their name. Waitlist teams will have twenty four hours to respond and pay for their entry once they are contacted. The race begins Friday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30pm in Bethel. Be sure to like/follow them on Facebook to keep up with all the race announcements as well as announcements on the Delta Championship Series.

What are your thoughts on the 2024 roster? Got any early predictions on who brings home the prize? Who do you plan to cheer for? Comment below with your thoughts!

Like what you see and want to see this blog continue? Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running.  

Twenty teams already signed up for 45th Kusko

In just 48 hours of opening registration, the Kuskokwim 300's roster is 2/3 full. This is the 45th year for the beloved Kusko race, and it seems it's a not to miss event again this year. With registrations coming in quickly, the race took to their Facebook page to announce that mushers still contemplating entering better hurry as there were only ten spots left. The race traditionally limits the roster to 30 teams so as not to overwhelm the communities involved in the race. Unlike many of the mid-distance races, the Kusko is not "on the road system" and so villages rely on local volunteers to keep the race going.

With the smaller roster, it always makes for an incredibly competitive and coveted race. So far for the 2024 Kusko there are three former Kusko champions in the mix as well as two Iditarod champions. There are two women currently signed up, and six rookies line the roster. Several local mushers are in it, including the champion of the newly formed Delta Championship Series (which, don't worry fans, it will return this season). 

Here's the list of names as of October 12, 2023 at 9pm:

Travis Beals
Pete Kaiser*
Brent Sass*
Ebbe Winstrup
Joe Taylor
John Snyder
Dave Turner
Josh McNeal
Raymond Alexie
Gabe Dunham
Lev Shvarts
Richie Diehl
Jessica Klejka
Riley Dyche
Matthew Failor
KattiJo Deeter
Cim Smyth
Jessie Holmes
Hunter Keefe
Isaac Underwood

Bold signifies Kusko Champion
*Asterisk signifes Iditarod Champion
Italics signifies Kusko Rookie 

Mushers have until December 31 to register at the $400 fee, after which it will be $800 to register (if there are spots available). The race begins Friday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30pm in Bethel. Be sure to like/follow them on Facebook to keep up with all the race announcements as well as announcements on the Delta Championship Series.

Who are you most excited to see sign up? Who are you hoping joins the roster? Any early predictions on who takes home the prize? Will Kaiser Re-PETE for an eighth time? Comment below with your thoughts.

Like what you see and want to keep this blog running? Send a slice of pizza or two my way, it'll keep the lights on and the internet running in my humble abode.

Redington with four hour lead in White Mountain

For the first time in race history, there is a Redington sitting first (and alone) in White Mountain. At 4:12pm Alaska time, Ryan Redington and team checked into the checkpoint outside the village of White Mountain for their mandatory eight hour rest. The Beargrease champion came in looking tired after he and his team essentially ran the entire way from Koyuk to White Mountain in a gamble to put distance from his closest competitors of Peter Kaiser and Richie Diehl.

Leaving Koyuk, Ryan had a 35 minute lead running to Elim. While Pete ran close behind cutting the 6 mile gap from the run before to 3 miles, Ryan continued out of Elim on his way to While Mountain. Peter Kaiser stayed behind.

And stayed.

And stayed.

Then stayed some more.

In fact, Pete stayed so long that Richie Diehl came into Elim and rested a couple of hours before leaving again and THEN Pete left. Diehl's lead was short lived and Kaiser made his way in front of his "best friend"'s team. The Kusko Boys ran from Elim to White Mountain together coming in just a few minutes apart. Pete's run into Elim was an hour and seventeen minutes faster than Ryan's, but his team has a four hour and seventeen minutes deficit to make up on Ryan. With only 77 miles to the finish line there may not be enough time for that to happen. Richie Diehl is only eight minutes behind Peter Kaiser. We're looking at having a "mini Kusko" finish for second place.

That being said in the Iditarod Insider evening report out of White Mountain from Bruce Lee, Lee reported that in talking with Ryan Redington there may be a longer rest in store for the current first place team. Redington ran the 88ish miles from Koyuk to White Mountain in one shot with no significant rest. That was a monster run that is completely doable but it can be taxing this late in the race. It was gutsy, but as Ryan's team came into the checkpoint of White Mountain they were visibly exhausted mentally (and the musher physically). At one point the team kept trying to jump off the trail onto a snowmachine trail and Ryan had to stop and reroute them at least three times, after the third correction his lead dog gave the signal that they were done leading. That's not a good sign for how his race may go tomorrow morning, so it makes sense that with a four hour cushion the veteran musher allows his team a couple of hours "extra" rest. Two hours is still a big gap of time to make up in the roughly 10 hour run to the finish.

It should also be noted that Pete Kaiser had not planned on running the Iditarod this year. His name was noticeably absent from the roster for several months before he slipped in before the deadline. Sure, it wasn't last minute like Ramey Smyth who waited until February to throw his hat in the ring, but Kaiser let it be known that it wasn't something he'd seen himself doing until he did it. Now, here he is in second place with the possibility of winning his second Iditarod if Ryan's race goes to Hell.

And let's not forget Richie Diehl. He's been working for this for nearly a decade now and he's giving a former Iditarod Champion and a "legacy" musher a run for their money. If either one of them hiccups, he's poised to jump on them. He's no doubt excited to be having a magical run and challenging the favorites - plus his team just looks good (so does Kaisers).

In 50 runnings of Iditarod there's never been a Redington in first. In 50 runnings there's only been a handful of Alaska Native champions. In this, the 51st running of Iditarod - barring them all having their race blow up in their face - there will be a Native Alaskan champion (last done in 2019 by who else but Peter Kaiser the first Yup'ik champion). In the 51st running that Champion could be a Redington. In 1973 when Joe Redington's race first kicked off on its way to Nome, Joe hoped that it would inspire a new generation of Alaska Native mushers to keep with dogs and hold to their thousands of years old tradition. Sadly in the race's history that has been lost as sponsorships went for easy to access teams on the road system and it became increasingly more expensive and difficult to get to races from the villages. In 2011 John Baker ended a decades long drought and joined the small ranks of Alaska Native champions, in 2019 Pete Kaiser won and inspired a new generation of mushers in the Kuskokwim Delta, which has a healthy mushing community that holds an entire series of mushing competitions as well as a dog food co-op of sorts.

This is Joe's dream and legacy coming full circle 50 years and 51 races later. As Jeff King said at the start of Iditarod 51, here's to the next 50 years of Iditarod. Let's add to it - we made it, Joe. Your dream is realized. 

No matter who comes under that burled arch tomorrow, this is what Iditarod was made for. Yes the roster was small, and yes the legends of the last 50 years are all but retired, but it's in good hands.

*For those wanting to know when to expect the champion, Redington can leave out at 12:12am Tuesday, IF he leaves at that time it'll be an almost 10 hour run for most, last year he ran it in 9hours and 45ish minutes. So start checking in around 9:30am (this is all ALASKA time and yes we follow Daylight Savings). IF Ryan chooses to stay longer in White Mountain (not a bad idea) then it may be later in the morning or early afternoon. As always keep to social media and this blog and we'll keep it updated as we can.*