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!

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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.

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Jessie Holmes wins the 2023 Kobuk 440

Jessie Holmes and team at the restart of Iditarod 51.
March 5, 2023. Willow, Alaska.

Jessie Holmes finished the Kobuk 440 at 8:38am Sunday morning, two hours ahead of the next team making him this year's champion. The musher from Interior Alaska started fast and stayed close to the front throughout the race. The team came into the finish line in Kotzebue in a strong trot with tails wagging as they came to a stop. Weather reports from boots on the ground claimed the team finished with windchill bringing the temps down to -45F! The frosty musher pulled snacks out of his iced up sled bag and quickly fed the dogs before signing off the trail. With very little fanfare the team turned around and ran back down the trail about 100 yards to their host home.

Second place may have been a little more exciting as Richie Diehl and team raced most of Saturday taking down the teams in front of him. Diehl ran down Hugh Neff to gain third place last night, and in the wee hours of the morning overtook Michelle Phillips. The musher from Aniak closes strong in the Kobuk often and is making it a habit to come in second in a highly competitive field. Back home, Richie's young son kept up with the race and his mom shared the most adorable pic of the babe during tummy time following the tracker on facebook. 

Diehl came in at 11:33 Sunday morning, just over an hour ahead of third place Michelle Phillips. Hugh Neff came in at 12:54pm with rookie Bailey Vitello rounding out the top five. Jeff Deeter has also finished. There are six teams still on the trail, with two currently on their way into the finish. The back of the pack are all in he final checkpoint of Selawik. Windchill is still keeping temps at very cold levels, and the other race happening this weekend (The Arctic Championship Series) had their third and final leg canceled today due to the winds (sprint races need warmer temps). Lots of frosty pictures of race judges all over social media today.

Typically the Kobuk is plagued by storms, so this year's cold temps and wind are a nice reprieve from the ground storms that seemingly come out of nowhere. With the negative temps along the way, the trail set up nicely for a fast race. The final six will continue to run throughout the night and the race should wrap up nicely early Monday - well ahead of the musher banquet Monday night.

Who do you have coming in as the red lantern? Did you pick this year's winner? Comment with your thoughts about the race below! 

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.*

Redington rests in Shaktoolik as Kaiser, Diehl draw closer

Ryan Redington had an impressive 5 hours and 13 minute run time from Unalakleet to Shaktoolik before apparently taking a break in the checkpoint on the edge of the Norton Sound. Redington had nearly an hour lead over the next team of Peter Kaiser, but now as Ryan sits just about a half hour into his break in Shaktoolik, Pete is coming into the checkpoint. There are no live feeds in Shaktoolik so we have no real idea of how teams are looking as they come into a very windy run to then head back out into even stronger winds.

Speaking of wind, they expect a steady 25mph wind leaving Shaktoolik according to the morning report by Greg Heister and Bruce Lee. That isn't the most terrible weather we've seen in this stretch, but hard cold wind gets to even the most hardened of dog teams. The Norton Sound sea ice is still the trail they are planning to run, though yesterday there was concern about open water that does not seem to be the case today.

Both Kaiser and Redington will need a little bit of rest at the very least for the dogs to recover from their runs. Kaiser has just rolled into the checkpoint and Richie Diehl will be into Shak soon. If Ryan can keep his speed, he most likely has this race and Peter seems to have second in the bag in this case. Mushers like Bruce Lee and Dallas Seavey aren't counting Peter Kaiser out for the win, though, as both have been extremely impressed with how Kaiser Racing dogs look in Unalakleet.

The race. is. on.

We have a dog race

We've reached the West Coast of Alaska and you know what that means - the race is on! Ryan Redington chose to run the 85 miles from Kaltag to Unalakleet in one long run keeping his lead gained on the run from Eagle Island to Kaltag. Redington stayed in Unalakleet (his mother's "hometown") for just shy of four hours before heading to Shaktoolik Sunday morning. That's right, folks, a Redington is in command of the race... for now.

Pete Kaiser and Richie Diehl have kept pace with the lead pack from day one, and with their race strategy both are in good position to make a push on the Coast. This is their kind of trail as they are from the Coast (just a little further south as Barb Redington likes to point out). The famed winds are an every day no big deal thing for their teams and they thrive on the third leg of the race.

The weather looks... calm... for the front runners. Sure, there's the ever brutal wind, but they don't expect any snow storms or ground storms to wreak havoc on the leaders. There's still no word on trail conditions out of Shaktoolik, just that they expect some heavy wind (but when is that not expected) at a steady 25mph. The wind could play a factor as many sled dogs dislike running into the wind (does anyone?) and it could stall a team if they aren't on their game.

Richie Diehl just blew through Unalakleet chasing down his best friend and competitor Pete Kaiser. Both are hoping to keep within range to take the lead if Redington falters. The best chance of that is the run out of Shaktoolik. Redington is in somewhat unknown territory - he's never led this part of the Iditarod - but he's got an entire family's history worth of knowledge on the race his Grandfather started. As long as he can stay focused on his race and his dogs and not panic or focus on what the others are doing we could finally see what the entire IditaFandom has wanted to see since the beginning - a Redington just might take this race.

Shhh! They're all sleeping on the Iditarod today!

It was a quiet day on the Iditarod trail. Oh, sure, there was the occasional howling team and the airplanes buzzing around, but no one was really moving. That's because Wednesday was the day most teams chose to took their 24 hour mandatory rest. Teams stretched from Nikolai to Ophir with only two mushers by the end of Wednesday choosing not to take their 24.

Wade Marrs blew through each of the busy napping checkpoints and is now on his way to the half-way point of the ghost town Iditarod. Iditarod was once a bustling community, one of the biggest "cities" in Alaska, during the Gold Rush Era and was the original goal of Joe Redington's race (hence the whole Iditarod Trail Race). Redington's original goal was something similar to what we saw back in 2021 (the Gold Loop Trail) where teams would leave from Knik or Anchorage and head to Iditarod before turning around and coming back. As of Wednesday afternoon Wade was the only musher who had decided to head that direction.

While the first few days of the race slowed teams and thwarted their plans because of the hot sun beating down and warming things up and melting the trail - Wednesday's trail saw cloudy skies that quickly turned to wet snow and freezing rain. It was anyone's guess what sort of trail Marrs and team would find past Ophir and every musher interviewed about what they expected were noting they were waiting to see how Wade did. According to a very recent report from Wade's facebook page, snowmachiners drove all over the trail to Iditarod and so it has been slow going as the dogs and musher try to find the packed trail.

In the back of the pack, Mike Williams Jr. may be the last one on the GPS, but he was one of the first to finish his 24 back in Nikolai. He will now be able to slingshot ahead of others who are still resting in McGrath if he so chooses. Next to last is Gregg Vitello who has yet to take his 24 and if he isn't declaring it now in McGrath he's looking at falling even further behind. 

Richie Diehl was the first out of Takotna after his 24 with Ryan Redington out three minutes later. Both teams were amped as they left, Redington's team angrily barking when Diehl's team left without them. Before they left as the teams started to rise as they prepared the dogs to go the entire dog yard of Takotna broke out into the most beautiful howl. Bruce Lee estimated there were around one hundred dogs there singing.

Nicolas Petit took his 24 back in Nikolai and has flown up the trail since leaving the checkpoint this morning. He is out of Takotna and very close to Ophir. He's rested on the trail in what looks like an attempt to break up the run to Iditarod in 3 runs. Petit, though, doesn't follow the norm and it's anyone's guess what he and his team actually do.

Teams will continue to leave throughout the late night/early morning hours. This is where the race truly begins. Hold on tight, folks!

Top 13 teams have finished

The 49th running of the running has had a third of its teams (that have not scratched or been withdrawn) finish today. Starting with Dallas Seavey's finish around 5am this morning, the day saw 12 teams behind the five-time champion. Dallas was able to meet his closest competitor in the race - Aaron Burmeister - to the finish before finally succumbing to his exhaustion (his parents drove him home). We probably won't hear from the champion for at least another 16 hours. If then.

Aaron Burmeister gave a very good post race interview where he cited that he had worked out to plans for Iditarod in the months leading up to the race. He had a "passive" race plan and an "aggressive" race plan. He chose the former, and ironically the latter was the exact schedule that Dallas had come up with. The veteran musher was jovial and excited to know he stuck it out with Dallas to the very end. He's also apparently announced that next year will be his final Iditarod (we've heard that before, though, Aaron). 

Brent Sass followed a little over an hour later with a strong team of 13 Alaskan Huskies that looked like they could keep going. Iditarod Insider's Bruce Lee said that in a normal race year Sass would've won with the team in this year's finish. It's definitely possible. That being said, both Burmeister and Seavey would've had different strategy if this was a normal year.

In a hard fought battle, Wade Marrs was able to keep Mille Porsild behind him to place fourth. Marrs came in 4th one other time - in 2016... the last time Dallas won the Iditarod before, well, this year... interesting - and came in wearing a sweatshirt, not his parka. Wade explained for at least the last 15 miles he was running with the sled to make sure Mille did not over take them. Wade was greeted at the finish by his wife Sophia and their baby boy (awww).

Mille Porsild rounds out the top five with an impressive finish. Her team is a mixture of many borrowed dogs from several kennels and she managed to bring them into the finish as a cohesive unit. Mille told Insider that when she started the race she believed her team to be a power team but then they decided to be a speed team (or did I get that backwards). She said the team amazed her and they are superstars. When asked what she would have done differently she said she would have slept more. (Same, Mille, same.)

Nicolas Petit flew down the trail in the last leg of the race picking off teams one by one and nearly caught up with Mille and Wade. Petit's team was another that did not seem ready to stop, even after gorging themselves on prime cuts of steak. (For real these Iditarod dogs eat better than I ever will.) According to his interview with the media Mille said there was no one she didn't want right behind her more than Petit and that she was constantly looking for her shoulder, Petit responded: "She wasn't just looking, I saw her footsteps." The sixth place for Team Petit is a welcome placement after several years of disappointing finishes and scratches.

Coming in with the smallest team so far, Ryan Redington improved his standings by one placement coming in 7th this year. Redington's in a rebuilding stage for his kennel after some professional and personal setbacks, so a top ten finish is a very good placement. Redington told the media that he spent the last several days already planning what to do better for next year as he looks forward to running the 50th. He enjoyed running with friends Nic Petit and Wade Marrs, and it was pretty cool to finish in Willow. 

Joar Liefseth Ulsom - the 2018 Iditarod Champion - was next in in another close finish for 8th. Joar was all smiles as he was greeted by his wife and they had quite a few moments for the camera to capture (ah, newlyweds). Joar's dogs did really well in the final leg, especially to keep Richie Diehl behind them. In a new race that was difficult to gauge ahead of time what would work, Joar was very happy with how things turned out.

Ten minutes after Joar, the 2021 Kuskokwim Champion Richie Diehl made his way to the finishline. The musher from Aniak said that he had hopes of catching Joar near Yentna, but it just didn't happen. He said he expected to run the first half of the race like he would in a normal year and hoped it would pay off. He said it did pay off but that this year was "hell of a fast race". He still managed to finish 9th in a highly competitive field where his best friend and rival Peter Kaiser had to end his race early. With some sleep Richie may be able to appreciate the accomplishment a little more. (He was very proud of his team.) 

Rounding out the top ten was Ramey Smyth. Long time race fans were hardly shocked to see Ramey come charging down the trail and pick off at least a dozen teams to make 10th place. Smyth is known for his strong closing runs. If Ramey's behind you (especially seemingly out of nowhere) worry. The veteran musher had few words instead telling the interviewer asking if he learned anything in the race to "keep it on the trail." And with that he was headed with his team to load up and go home. It was great to see him make another top 10. 

Just outside the top ten was Michelle Phillips. The 51 year old Canadian musher held onto 10th for much of the race only to have it lost in the last leg. Still she was all smiles as she was met at the finish by family and friends including fellow musher Jodi Bailey (whose husband is still out on the trail) who immediately threw a boa around Michelle's neck as is their tradition. She didn't give much of an interview either, instead choosing to focus on her dogs and make sure they knew just what a great job they did and make sure they got all the best snacks (including fatty snacks!) 

Jeff Deeter held off Jessie Royer to come in 12th place after a harrowing night dealing with a moose who would not give up the trail. (Okay he didn't make a big deal about it, but moose on Iditarod Trails don't always end well.) Jeff told insider that he enjoyed the going back through the Alaska Range and stated that running up the gorge was "so cool." During his interview he looked over to Race Marshall Mark Nordman saying that he wanted to do that again and that he was putting in a vote to do it again. Nordman gave a very hesitant "uhhhh" to which Deeter said "for like every 10 years." Mark then said that was fine because he wouldn't be around for the next one (what?! no!) While Deeter was hoping for top 10 this year, he is very happy with 12 as the race was a very fast and competitive one.

Jessie Royer came in soon after in 13th and was greeted by Jeff Deeter. The veteran musher was very animated and happy with finishing. She said she really enjoyed running back up the gorge saying that it was actually a really beautiful trail when you aren't having to hang on for dear life. "Going up the gorge it's like 'oh wow, this is actually kinda nice, oh look a squirrel!'... going down it though you're like 'AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'" While fans may worry this seems like a step back for Jessie, it's just another race she'll use to build an even better team for next year. She was very excited about the dogs in front of her and I'd say watch out for them next year.

Several teams are on the trail headed into Deshka Landing tonight, but if today's finishes are any indication, the runs will be slow and we may not see another finish until midnight (or really really really late tonight, depending on how fast Aaron Peck can go the next 22 miles). There are 23 teams out on the trail, most have made it to Rohn with just three not yet in that checkpoint. We should see a close to the 49th Iditarod by Thursday. 

2021 Iditarod Top Ten

The 2021 race will be one like no other when it comes to Iditarod. For the first time since the 1967 inaugural run, the race will not go to Nome. Unlike the '67 experiment, teams are still running well over 800 miles. Like that race, it will have few "modern conveniences" and a whole lot of camping. The '67 run was not the Iditarod Sled Dog Race we know today, but it did give Joe Redington Sr enough proof (for him) that a race like the one we know today was possible. 

2020 seems like a year of impossible. The world shut down while facing the global pandemic. The US dealt with a tumultuous political season. 2021 seems to be the sequel as the world deals with the fallout. The drama of the global pandemic started in earnest while teams ran to Nome last March, the world vastly different for the mushers coming off the trail than when they started their journey. That continues with a race unfamiliar to them all, with "bubbles" and mitigation plans. 

Even with the changes, 47 teams are set to leave Sunday, March 7, from Deshka Landing in Willow, Alaska. With the Covid-19 pandemic still in full swing the race opted not to hold the traditional Ceremonial Start in Anchorage (a first. Even in no snow years they managed to run teams through the city.) So the "restart" is now THE start. The race has asked spectators stay away to protect the integrity of "the bubble" to keep risk of infecting communities off the road system to a minimum. 

The big news is who isn't running the race: 4-time Champ Jeff King is choosing to create a new qualifying race to take place during the big one called the Ididn'trod, 4-time Lance Mackey is working on recovery and sobriety while also grieving the loss of his partner and mother of his two children, and 3-time Champ Mitch Seavey announced during last year's race that he wouldn't run in 2021 (but it's not retirement). 

Even with some "big names" missing from the roster, the race has a strong list of contenders for the top spot (and the top 10). Let's take a quick look at who has the best chance to take top billing.

Aaron Burmeister - Aaron's had a good last few seasons of racing. His teams have looked strong in this year's mid-distance races. As a long time contender in the Iditarod, it'd be wrong not to put him on the list. Aaron came in 5th last year, and while the teams aren't running to his beloved home town of Nome, he's very familiar with the Iditarod trail and this "gold-trail loop" shouldn't throw him off his groove. With this year being one of new strategy it's anyone's guess what any team will do, but don't expect Aaron to shoot out of the gate, he's one of those that use the tried and true method of "building the monster". Aaron will run with Bib Number 36. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio. 

Aliy Zirkle - Oh, Aliy. The 50 year old Queen of Dog Mushing announced earlier this year that the 2021 Iditarod will be her final one. Fans of the sport and of the musher have been in a state of mourning ever since (as if 2020/21 haven't taken enough from us?!). Aliy has spent 20+ years of her life working hard to WIN this race. The 2000 Yukon Quest Champion has come oh so close several times (often coming second to one of those pesky Seaveys). While this may be her "swan song" do not expect another 18th place finish like last year. She's got one last shot at taking this title and Aliy is still VERY hungry for that win. While we don't want to lose her to retirement, we do wish her one heck of a final ride. No matter what happens in this race, Aliy is champion in the hearts and minds of many and will go down as one of the Iditarod Legends. Aliy will run with Bib Number 32. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her Iditarod Bio.

Brent Sass - The three-time Yukon Quest champion managed a 4th place finish in last year's Iditarod after taking time off from the race to refocus. Sass had to take time off this season and not run the races he signed up for due to injury as well as some "things needing attention at home." Brent has the goods to take the tile, but with injury and other setbacks it's unknown what sort of shape his dogs are in (he has maintained that that dogs are ready to go and he's been the weak link this year). Still, Sass has been vocal in saying Iditarod is the focus this year (he did not run the Summit Quest for this reason). Brent will run with Bib Number 21. He can be found online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio. 

Dallas Seavey - The last time we saw Dallas race the Iditarod was 2017. He came in second in that race (behind his dad) in a hard fought race. Then news broke later that year that Dallas' dogs had somehow been given a drug during (or right after finishing) the race and all Hell broke loose. Dallas sat out 2018 in protest and raced in Norway. He liked it so much he went back in 2019. Dallas's personal life also took a detour and so 2020 he once again sat on the sidelines. With his dad, Mitch, announcing that he was sitting 2021 out, that became the perfect time for Dallas to "borrow" some of his dad's best dogs to combine with his best to create a "Super-team". There's no doubt that Dallas will be one of the front runners (Mitch came in 2nd with many of the dogs on Dallas's team). Expect Dallas to play the patience game to its fullest. Dallas will run with Bib Number 23. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his Iditarod Bio.

Jessie Royer - Jessie nearly had it last year, she owned the first half of the race and many felt she just let up on the brake a hair too soon. Jessie takes every year as a learning year and improves upon the experience. She's unflappable, having caught her sled on fire last year and just laughed it off when retelling it to the media - even while showing off the singed parts of her sled. Often overshadowed by Zirkle, Royer has quietly climbed to "third in the World" (...or...well... Iditarod). Expect her to ride that momentum this year. The real test will be if her team can do two rounds of the Alaska range. Jessie will run with Bib Number 24. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - The newlywed 2018 Iditarod Champion managed a 6th place finish in 2020 and should sit well for another top 10 finish in this year's race. In fact, Joar has never placed lower than 7th since entering the world of Iditarod in 2013. From a Fantasy Mushing standpoint, he's an anchor type musher to choose. He's yet to have a scratch or have an actual loss to his name. Joar's team should be well prepared for the mountains times two trail this year. It will be interesting to see what sort of strategy he brings to this year's race. Joar will be running with Bib Number 41. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Nicolas Petit - To be honest I almost left Nic off the top ten. Petit has had a rough go of the Iditarod of late with scratches the last two years. When not scratching, however, he manages top ten finishes. Petit likes to start fast and hope to end fast, and often times he does. He is king of the mid-distance races with many wins under his belt, but he's not able to take that to the thousand miler. However, with this year cutting the mileage to around the mile marker where Petit's team has shown to have problems in a normal year, this could be Petit's best chance yet. Do not expect Nic to race the Iditarod any different to any other race he's run in the past. His team is built for speed. Nic will run with Bib Number 10 (in his 10th Iditarod, his team feels that's significant). You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Paige Drobny - The Squid Acres musher finished 7th in both the 2019 and 2020 Iditarods. Paige has done well in mid-distance races and, like Jessie Royer, has had a steady climb in the ranks. I didn't add her to my top 10 last year (I did give her an honorable mention, though!) and that was a mistake. I expect her to have another solid run, and would not be surprised if she places higher than last year. Paige will be running with Bib Number 42. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Peter Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion had a rough race last year coming in 14th, but they said defending your title is always difficult. Kaiser came in second at the Kusko this year, coming in after his best friend and competitor Richie Diehl. Pete is well liked by fans, and no doubt deserves to be in the top ten. With having dogs from the West Coast of Alaska, it will be interesting to see how they handle a trail that's mainly in South Central and mid-Yukon River. Temps are typically warmer (and less windy) for much of the portion of trail teams will run on this year, the Sea Ice section of the traditional trail is usually the "true test" of endurance for the teams. With no race to the coast it's anyone's guess how teams will shake out. Don't count Pete out. He's really come into his own with his training program and I expect him to play a key part in this year's race. Pete will be running with Bib Number 3. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Richie Diehl - The 2021 Kuskokwim Champion beat out a very competitive field that hosted many top Iditarod teams this past month. Diehl also hails from the West Coast of Alaska and is best friends with Pete Kaiser. In interviews after the Kusko both Kaiser and Diehl admitted that they trade information/ideas/advice with each other. Their dogs are linked in their breeding programs. While each kennel is definitely their own beast, the friendly competition between friends has only helped both teams become tops in their field. Richie scratched from last year's Iditarod, but that just could spur his team on to fight for redemption. Richie will be running with Bib Number 6. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

The field is tight, and so - while I do call this a top 10 - I have a few "honorable mentions" again this year. I found every time I tried to pare down my list to ten I ended up adding another name instead of subtracting one. Honestly I think the race continues to get more competitive each year in ways I don't remember it being when I was growing up. This is a DEEP field filled with a lot of "young" mushers. More women are at the top of their game. It's an exciting time in sled dog racing. 

Matt Hall - The 2017 Yukon Quest Champion took last year off from the Iditarod as a rebuilding year with his team. Feeling his team was full of too many inexperienced pups, he took a year to just give them a fun stress free season to get some miles under them. Hall finished 6th in 2019 in just his second Iditarod. 2021 will be his third Iditarod. He could be a major dark horse and spoiler in this year's race. Matt will be running with Bib Number 17. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Matthew Failor - Failor was one of three teams that got caught in crazy overflow on the coast of the Iditarod trail last year forcing him to scratch after his sled got stuck and they couldn't get it unstuck (dogs were fine). The 2019 Kusko champion is a solid top 20 finisher in Iditarod, but it won't be long before he cracks the top 10. Matthew will be running with Bib Number 29. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle was another team last year that fell out of the top 10 after many predicted she could break top 5. Phillips has been MIA with most of the mid-distance races this year, and it was uncertain she would even keep her name on the roster for Iditarod considering the issues with traveling from Canada to Alaska, but as of February 26 she was still on the roster and received a Bib Number. With her experience on the Quest for years she should have no problem scaling mountains during this year's "gold-trail loop". She could be a spoiler for the top 10 easily. Michelle will run with Bib Number 26. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Mille Porsild - The 2020 Rookie of the Year is the true dark horse of the 2021 race. Mille is a highly skilled and experienced musher and her 15th place finish in her rookie year in an extremely difficult race. While many fans only knew her as the PR person for Joar's social media - taking amazing photos and weaving beautiful stories filled with mushing history - Mille was a well established musher in her own right and it's wonderful to see her make her mark on the Last Great Race. Mille will be running with Bib Number 28. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, and her Iditarod Bio.

Ramey Smyth - Ramey comes from a mushing family, with his parents being members of the "Iditarod Trailbreakers" being firsts in the race. His father Bud ran in the first Iditarod and his mother Lolly was one of the first women to run in the 2nd Iditarod. Ramey is known for his fast speeds in the final leg of the race. He can really move up in the standings and is always a threat for a top placement. Ramey will be running with Bib Number 9. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

Travis Beals - Travis was 10th in last year's Iditarod and seems to be on an upswing. Beals took it easy this season with few races on his schedule, so it's hard to know just how his team is going to be, but don't count them out. Travis and team are a solid bet to do well in the Last Great Race. The long time musher knows what he needs to do to stay in the running, and continues to improve. Travis will be running with Bib Number 33. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Wade Marrs - New dad Wade Marrs is another musher who is always *right there* on the cusp of the top 10. Marrs and team came in 12th last year, so it's possible that he could crack the top ten this go around. It will come down to how well he can adapt and be prepared for a race that loops back around to where they've been instead of heading towards Nome. Like all of the other teams, he's no doubt thought long and hard about the new challenges a race like this year's Iditarod will be. Keep an eye on him. Wade will run with Bib Number 25. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram (look for his super huge puppy STITCH), and his Iditarod Bio.

This year's race is shaping up to be all sorts of dramatic and interesting. With champions returning, other champions missing, and the Champion of Hearts retiring after one last go I personally expect to be very emotional throughout this race. It's another one for the history books.

Who are you cheering for in this year's race? Who do you think will win it all? Thoughts? Comment below!

Richie Diehl wins the Kuskokwim 300

Setting a pace almost equal to his starting pace, Diehl and team flew down the Kuskokwim River to land a strong finish. The team came under the arch (after trying to detour into the crowd) with energy and tight lines. He was met under the arch by a fan who gave him a red rose and wished him a Happy Valentine's Day - Richie passed the rose onto his Partner Emery.

When asked what made this team the one he knew could win, Richie said he didn't know if there was one thing as it is a combination of feeding, training and breeding. When further pressed he said it was the breeding. 10 of his team are direct siblings ages 3 and 4. He did the same breeding twice and ended up with a group of highly energized dogs. He calls them the Spring Breakers because, "everyday is a party with them."

Richie is the first of several local mushers in the top five, reporters asked how he felt to see such a strong local showing. Diehl credited the sign up as being due to the Bogus Creek 150 being run almost 2 weeks ahead of the Kusko. He suggested it continue that way as the Bogus saw far more entries and more local teams joined the Kusko. "There's definitely something to be said about that," he stated.

When asked how it felt to beat five-time champion Pete Kaiser, Richie said it felt good. He said you always want to win by competing with the best, and Pete has dominated this race. Diehl noted that Pete is his "best friend" and said Pete told him thay this was the best Kusko (Pete) had ever had so to win after that, it felt really good.

Richie Diehl was quick to shut down questions about winning the Iditarod next month. "I'm not even thinking about that," he said. Diehl pointed out he grew up with the Kusko, that this was his race, he wanted to take the next few days and just think about how he won his race.

Next into the chute should be Pete Kaiser followed closely by Nicolas Petit. 

Could be an early morning finish for the Kusko

Richie Diehl is the first to make it to the final stop before the finish. His official time in is 10:24pm AKST. He will take a mandatory 4 hour rest before he can continue. He can leave at 2:24am Sunday. There's 46-48 miles of trail left for his team, so that gets him into the finish in possibly five hours or less. Start watching around 7am AKST just to be sure.

Pete Kaiser looks to be the next team in followed by Father Alexander Larson and Nicolas Petit. An official press release posted tonight that earlier today Petit took a wrong turn coming into the halfway point and lost up to potentially 16 minutes. It was determined that his mistake was due to a poorly marked trail (reported by Richie Diehl) and race officials decided to "give back" 10 minutes to Petit who only had to take a 50 minute layover in Tuluksak #3 checkpoint this afternoon. 

Isaac Underwood rounds out the top five. It's anyone's guess who can push and make it into 2nd place. As with a lot of races, it seems 2nd is where the real excitement will be.

So get a couple minutes of shut eye and be ready for an early morning finish! Looks like another Homegrown Team will be taking this championship.

Diehl leads in the Kusko

 The newly crowned Bogus Creek 150 champ Richie Diehl blew past front runner Nicolas Petit earlier this evening to take the lead of the Kuskokwim 300 race. Diehl came in on the heels of Petit into Tuluksak #3, but Petit had a mandatory hour of rest left to take - Diehl's rest is up. After taking only a couple of minutes to leave a dog with handlers, Diehl and his team of 11 dogs left the checkpoint taking the lead. All Petit could do is watch.

Petit was not alone in his rest strategy. Former Kusko champ Jeff King also must take an hour in Tuluksak #3. Diehl has been joined by 5-time Kusko Champion Pete Kaiser, and Kusko 300 rookies Father Alexander Larson and Issac Underwood. Just recently Petit and King gave chase. Each team will have a 4 hour mandatory layover in Tuluksak on their return before running into the finish.

The race is far from over, buckle up. The finish looks to be dramatic. Still a lot of race left, but it's quickly being eaten up.

Who needs sleep?

2021 Kuskokwim 300 Race Preview

Mushers and teams arrived today in Bethel, Alaska ahead of the 2021 Kuskokwim 300. The race always boasts an impressive roster of competitive teams, and even in this year of Covid it's no exception. While normally run in January, with rising Covid numbers happening early in the New Year, the race organizers chose to push back the race date to February hoping that Alaska would get the numbers under control (and a vaccine). The Kusko has one of the most intensive Covid-19 mitigation plan of all of the mid-distance races. Being off the road system, the race wants to take every precaution to protect the peoples of Western Alaska. 

Even with all of the changes to make sure they keep the communities along the trail safe, the Kusko still plans to make this a party for the ages. The fireworks are still planned for Friday night after the teams take off, and there will be a pre-recorded virtual awards ceremony on Sunday after everyone completes their race. As always, Bethel knows how to throw a dog race.

With a roster of 16 teams (as of February 7), the race is a balance of top names most everyone recognizes and some local heroes all running their first Kusko. It's promising to be another stellar race and the only bummer is it has to share the weekend with the Summit Quest (the new name of the Alaskan Yukon Quest 300).

So, let's do as we always do and take a look at the teams that are a safe bet to be near the top...

Dave Turner - The 2019 Tustumena 200 champ made Rookie of the Year in last year's Kusko. Turner has already withdrawn from one race this season, and his social media has been quiet since Christmas. I'm unsure if he's actually gone to Bethel, but I look for that info to update by morning one way or the other. Still, if Turner starts on Friday, but sure that he'll once again challenge for a lead spot. 

Jeff King - the 9-time Kusko Champion (and 4 time Iditarod champion among countless other races won) has been busy behind the scenes of this year's race season. He hosted the Denali Doubles at the start of the season, and he's created a new mid-distance qualifier race to take place in March (called the Ididn'trod, because of COURSE he did). But Jeff is now ready to get on the back of a sled and no double cause some trouble for the young guns currently dominating the racing scene. I don't know that I will ever keep him off the "to be watched" lists. (I mean, he DID come in 4th last year. Not too shabby for the "old dawg".)

Matthew Failor - the 2019 Kusko champ came in second sandwiched between two homegrown heroes in last year's race, proving that his win two years ago wasn't an anomaly. Failor has also had an easier season - choosing to send his dogs off with other mushers, but I expect that he'll be ready to go for another title this weekend.

Nicolas Petit - Let's just dub him the King of the Mid-Distance race, okay? One of the few he hasn't won, however, is the Kusko. He should probably be considered an underdog for this race, but he's been hot (as always) in his earlier races. Expect him to start fast early and try to jump to the front and stay there.

Pete Kaiser - the 5-time and reigning champion (and 2019 Iditarod Champion) dominates his home-town race. The homegrown musher is the odds on favorite to make it a 6-Pete, but he'll have his work cut out for him. This is Pete's backyard and he owns it. Do not expect him to be far from first.

Richie Diehl - the other hometown hero, while he's yet to win the Kusko, he did just win the Bogus Creek 150. Do not count him out. His team came in third in last year's race. It would be a huge deal to see Richie and Pete charge to the finish in a 1-2 order. And it's kinda what I'm rooting for. 

How to Follow

Unlike the bigger races like the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, there is very little promise of any video coverage. With the temps dropping so low, even the facebook live feeds we've grown accustomed to cannot be guaranteed. Cold air zaps batteries faster than lighting, and who has the time or ability to keep their fingers exposed long enough to even press "start"?! That being said, the Kusko crew do their best to give us a looksee into the start, fireworks, and finish. So, how can race fans follow along when a race doesn't have Iditarod Insider like coverage?

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. 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 (I blame the aliens!) but there's not much we can do. Cold and technology don't get along. You can follow the trackers here, but they won't go live until closer to go time on Friday.

Radio Broadcast

KYUK Radio will broadcast the start which begins at 6:30pm (start listening at 6pm 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.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, February 10
2pm - Covid Tests for Mushers

Thursday, February 11
11am - Food Drops
2pm - Covid Testing
6pm - Musher Meeting (Bib Draw?) 

​Friday, February 12
6:30pm - 2020 Kuskokwim 300 START
8pm - "The Lead Dog Light Show" presented by First National Bank Alaska

Saturday, February 13
2pm - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, February 14
7pm - Virtual Awards Ceremony via Facebook

Which teams are you cheering for? Comment with your thoughts and questions below.

Iditarod 43 - My Top 10

The 43rd running of the Iditarod is set to take place in just two weeks. Lack of snow has forced the race to run further north than ever before, with the ReStart moving for only the second time in race history to Fairbanks. This levels the playing field in a way as none of the teams have any real experience on the new trail (which visits several villages/checkpoints for the very first time) so their run-rest strategies are at best educated guesses.

This may be one of the races where it truly is more about the dogs and their abilities and not the mushers. Who knows? It's all anyone's guess.

So This year I'm going with 10 names that I think are just on the upswing, or at least have that experience needed to keep the dogs from over doing it before that final push. They're not in any particular order - I'm not that good at predicting (in fact this list is probably going to just jinx them all).

Tonichelle's Top 10 

Brent Sass - Brent just won the Yukon Quest with his team of amazing dogs. His only real issue that was reported on the trail was when he overslept (you'd think he'd learn not to do that after Jeff King lost the Iditarod to Lance Mackey back in 2008 doing the exact same thing). He had to run down Allen Moore running the A team out of his kennel. The same team that Aliy Zirkle will run in the Iditarod. Moore's team kicked it up a notch in the final stretch, but seemed to tire through most of the race. Sass's team seemed to "feed the monster" (as the Seavey's say) at all the right times. After the bad fall last season that ended his Quest and Iditarod runs, Brent finally delivered on his potential. I have no doubt this will BOOST his confidence going into the Iditarod.

Dallas Seavey - Dallas came seemingly out of nowhere last March to win the race. Jeff King was supposed to have the win in the bag, but his team refused to run in the horrible winds as they made their way to Safety. Jeff had to flag down some snow-machiners to help him and his dogs get to the checkpoint. At that point he scratched as teams cannot have outside help. That meant that Aliy seemed to have the race in the bag as Dallas was a long ways behind her - but with the winds being what they were and the news from all weather reports saying it was only going to get worse, she decided to hunker down and wait them out. Dallas was unaware of any of it and ended up continuing (better to just run in the wind than sit in it, afterall) which put him in the lead and gave him just enough time to win the darn thing. He's just that lucky - and he's also just that good. I don't know what his team looks like this year, but his goal is to stay consistently in the top 5. He's young, confident, and a two time champion. There's no way in Hades you should count him out.

Jeff King - Jeff is a wildcard in a lot of ways. He had to scratch on the Quest due to the extreme cold and the fact that he didn't have enough food for the dogs to compensate at the checkpoint he was at. It was a difficult decision, but it was the RIGHT ONE. That a certain kennel that "will be running the Iditarod" (I bet they scratch before the halfway point) called him out for that should not even factor into one's mindset when discussing King's racing skills. Jeff is one of the most experienced mushers out on the trail - it's his dogs that don't seem to have the experience to finish a thousand mile race. They don't like running when the going gets tough in the last stretch. However, that was one of the reasons King ran the Quest. He wanted to train them up. I expect King to finish this year, and I wouldn't bet against him coming in first. He was set to do it last year. He can do it again. Just pray for no wind gusts in the last 77 miles to Nome.

Aliy Zirkle - This is her year. It has to be. Her team has come in second the last three years in the Iditarod, and just came in another close second on the Yukon Quest (husband Allen Moore ran that team). Quito will no doubt still be lead dog over the 1000 mile race, and with that knowledge the team can't fail. So long as those dang Seavey's don't take control of the race in the last leg... as long as she doesn't slow her team down... as long as this isn't another one of those insane races that is completely unpredictable. If there's a team in this race that I desperately want to see win this year - it's Aliy's. She more than deserves it, but she has to be able to take it.

Martin Buser - Buser and son got themselves in a bit of trouble in one of the season's earlier races. They "took the wrong turn" and ended up on a shortcut. Both of them did. Hmmm. Makes the spectators go hmmm. It ticked a certain other musher off who was lower in the standings because of it. It had people discussing issues of the Buser racing "strategies" over the year. Still - Martin is a 4 time Iditarod champion, and a crowd favorite. He made some pretty bold pushes in last year's race, but his team couldn't keep the pace they'd set. After their 24 hour layover they lost speed and ended up in a lower position than they'd planned. Martin's son Rohn is also running this year - and I'm  not sure they aren't splitting the A team in two again. Still, I wouldn't count Martin out. Especially on a trail that no one is familiar with.

Peter Kaiser - Another musher riding high after winning the Kusko in his hometown, Pete is looking good to make a move this year. The last couple of years he's been just outside of the top ten (13th both in 2014 and 2013), but those were warm weather years. While Alaska has been VERY warm this winter, with the race running further north this might help this Coastal team keep from overheating. And it COULD drop in temps like the Yukon Quest for the early part of the race, which should also help teams like Pete's.

Mitch Seavey - I'll be honest, I am completely out of the loop these days with Team Seavey. Last year was my last year with them, so I am not current on training reports, dog reports, etc... but this is Mitch. He's consistent, he knows how to drive dogs. I've no doubt he's got a solid schedule set for the new trail, and I expect his team to run well. He came in 3rd last year... and, oh yeah, his team WON the thing (second time for the musher) in 2013. I think leaving his team off this year would be a very stupid idea. And it's not just because I'm a biased fangirl.

Richie Diehl - I'm gonna give this guy some props, in just his second year he came in 14th, not too shabby. I don't expect him to win the darn thing, but I expect him to break the top 10 if all goes well. Basically he's my dark horse in this whole thing.

Aaron Burmeister - It was said that Dallas Seavey won his first Iditarod title thanks to Aaron Burmeister because Dallas's team consisted of many of Burmeister's A team. Aaron had decided to retire and sold off many of his dogs - Dallas snatched them up and the rest is history. Then Aaron decided to come back to the sport (shocking. most can't stay retired) and it's like he never left.He's stayed consistently in the top 10, coming very close to winning several times. With the trail being new to everyone for the first half, he may have the advantage on the coast - his home base. The dogs know where home is and know how to get there.

Ray Redington Jr - Ray's having a great year, even with his scratch from his rookie run on the Yukon Quest. He's another musher who's had a run of top 10 finishes, and his team seems to be really clicking this season. He's poised for a great race, and should be able to adapt to the new trail with the rest of the best. I'd love to see a Redington finally win the race. They're a strong mushing dynasty - and of course the Iditarod wouldn't even exist had Joe Redington Sr not gotten the crazy idea in his head. Look for Ray to make a move again this year, and don't be surprised if he goes all the way.




So there's my top 10. What's yours? Comment on this blog post and let me know if we agree, disagree, or what you'd like to see happen during Iditarod 43.