2024 Knik 200 race preview

A full roster that saw a handful of changes nearly right up to bib draw, the Knik 200 will kick off at 10am on Saturday, January 6, 2024. It's a race that boasts a bunch of strong contenders and veterans, a couple of junior mushers, and a host of newer names fans will enjoy getting to know. The season's "opening qualifier" for the bigger races (like Iditarod and the two versions of the Yukon Quest) is always a popular one, and once again it looks to have perfect trail conditions for a race.

In the Twenty-Teens the Knik saw many postponed and canceled races due to lack of snow, this year, however, is another record breaking snow total for the area and earlier races have gone off without a hitch. The Knik 100 happened right before Christmas and was a huge success, and saw the Junior phenom Emily Robinson take the top prize. Emily is now on the roster for the 200 and the older more veteran mushers know better than to count her out. 

The race will leave from Knik Lake before traveling out to Deshka Landing (where there is not a checkpoint set up for teams to stop) before returning to Knik Lake for a six hour layover (plus time differential) before repeating the loop. The first team will leave the starting line at 10am, but teams must be at the starting chute no later than 8am as vet checks will happen at the start of the race. Each team needs to have one handler who can pick up any "return/drop dogs" at either Deshka Landing or the halfway point. They are also to assist the team coming into and leaving the midway point. 

Weather for this weekend looks to be just below freezing with Saturday seeing a high of 32F. Saturday afternoon is forecasted a "light snow" that will turn to heavy snow overnight and through Sunday. Along with the snow and warm temp, winds will steadily increase throughout the weekend. Sunday will see a high of 34F.

The mushers will get all of their race information, ask questions, and draw their bib numbers at the musher's meeting on Friday night at the Broken Boat Bar. This is also the host of the awards banquet on Sunday. 

The Knik 200 is a race run in Memory of longtime Knik community member and Father of the Iditarod Joe Redington Sr. The sport owes a lot to Redington for reigniting the love of dogs and the sport when it seemed mushing was going extinct thanks to the snow machine (snowmobile for you Cheechakos). He is well represented in this race both behind the scenes as well as on the trail as there are several teams of Redington dogs on the trail.

With (as of January 4 at 9pm) thirty nine teams getting ready to head down the trail, there's any number of scenarios that could happen, but let's take a stab at who may push for the top prize shall we? (We're going with an alphabetized list, this blogger isn't crazy enough to guess just who comes in what place.)

Who to Watch

Matthew Failor - The 2019 Kusko champion and new dad, Matt Failor has to be on anyone's top ten list. Matt learned from some of the sport's best and now boasts a very successful kennel full of happy dogs. Mentored by Martin Buser, you can see that influence in the way Matt is always a positive face on the trail. Look for Matt to have a strong run.
 
Brent Sass - The 2022 Iditarod Champion had a not so great end to his season last year when he was forced to scratch on the Yukon due to a dental emergency. The Quest and Iditarod Champion had signed up for several mid-distance races this season before making an announcement around Christmas that he had chosen to stay closer to home instead of traveling. Sass says the trails around his home in Eureka are prime training and so the Knik 200 is the only race not named Quest or Iditarod he plans to run this season. 

Amanda Otto - Remember when Amanda almost ran down Brent Sass on the final leg of the Yukon Quest Alaska last year? Yeah, she made a monster run look easy and gained a whole lot of respect from fans and mushers. While she's training young dogs don't expect her to not make things exciting this season. She could use the Knik as a way to stretch their legs, or she could be coming out of the gate ready to compete. Either way, you Otto count on Otto.

Wade Marrs - With no snow in the Midwest where Marrs now calls home with his wife and two kiddos and kennel of dogs, Wade traveled with Ryan Redington to Alaska this past week to run in the Knik 200. Marrs is reportedly running Redington's A-Team so that Ryan can focus on working with his puppy team. Marrs and Redington have both shared the excitement of getting to mush on a sled behind dogs and not use an ATV. Because Marrs has the reigning Iditarod Champ's A team in this race, we're looking for Marrs to have the better odds of pushing for a top finish.

Dave Turner - If you've followed this blog a while you know we can't have a race with Dave Turner on the roster and not have his name in the mix for the top dawg. Turner has a good track record in mid-distance races, and even a few wins. Turner could prove to be the spoiler once again.

Nicolas Petit - The "king of the mid-distance" will start off fast and hope he stays fast. Petit likes to let the dogs pick the pace and race schedule most of the time, which works well in the 200 and 300 mile races. The musher is well known for his quirky attitude - often aloof - as well as some of his mishaps (like his many wrong turns over the years). He calls himself dad and the dogs are his kids. Expect much the same this season.

Eddie Burke Jr. - Speaking of new dad, Eddie has a brand spankin' new daughter as of Friday morning. The reigning Knik 200 champion still plans to race this weekend saying "she gave me permission, but I have to win." No doubt he'll be riding high on the excitement of the new bundle, but that may prove a distraction. Burke has also gone from working with Aaron Burmeister's kennel to running a kennel of his own with dogs bought from several mushers. The Iditarod Rookie of the Year has won this weekend either way. 

Emily Robinson - The Junior Mushing Phenom is at it again this season already having won the Knik 100 race against some of these same teams just last month. Emily seems completely unfazed running with the big dogs, having done so several times last season along with winning junior race after junior race. This IS her "biggest race" to date, and with the tad longer trail length it could offer her a challenge. Look for Emily to once again make sure she is a force to reckon with. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle is one of the top female mushers in the sport, she was very competitive in last year's Knik 200 and there's no indication she won't be again this year. Look for Michelle to start out strong and challenge for the front and stay there.

Travis Beals - The third "new dad" on the list is also running on trails he's recently moved to (within the last year) so they are quickly becoming "home trails". He'll most likely use this as a training run, but if everything is working well he could easily contend for a top spot.

**Not ignoring Ryan Redington, but with his plan being to train the puppy team, it's safe to assume he won't be pushing for the win - look for Wade Marrs with Ryan's A team to try to pull the win off.

Be sure to check out the full roster and follow all of the teams along the way.

How to Watch

For those of us who cannot watch in person, there will be a lot of refreshing of internet pages, here's a run down on how you can follow along with this weekend's race.

Official Website
The race had to restructure their organization a couple of years ago and is now under the direction of the Knik Iditarod Trail Blazers, so they have just a page on their site for the race, but it has the rules and basic information. They also have a way to follow the times in and out LIVE via a spreadsheet (I know there's a group of my readers who LOVE a good spreadsheet).

GPS Tracker
What would we do without these little trackers that drive us crazy when they go haywire (I will always blame the aliens), trackleaders.com will once again keep us obsessively refreshing our screen with their wonderful GPS map. The 2024 map and trackers can be found here.

Social Media
The race is most active on Facebook. The race has not been active on Twitter in years. There's also no Instagram. 

For live feeds I'm told the hope is Kale Casey will be on Knik Lake - though he was due to fly to Alaska Friday. If he is there he'll go live on Facebook!

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 5, 2024
4:00pm-6:00pm Musher's Dinner and Bib Draw

Saturday, January 6, 2024
8:00am Mandatory Vet Check
10:00am Start
**Teams will start on Knik Lake**

Sunday, January 7, 2024
6:00pm Award Banquet

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.  

John Beargrease 40th run canceled due to lack of snow

As the Midwest continues to experience a historically whacky winter of no snow nor freezing temperatures, the mushing community has anxiously watched their season disappear. Most teams were still training teams with ATVs instead of the traditional sleds over the Christmas holiday. Races preparing for late January and Early February starts made statements warning that decisions would be announced after the new year.

Gunflint was first to announce a postponement of their race. With a race date of January 6, they had to announce a change of date as soon as possible. December 23 they announced that they would postpone the race until February 10, saying they took into account dates of other races so as not to take from anyone. Race officials say they need at least two feet of snow and frozen lakes to be able to pull off a race and will be watching weather reports obsessively.

Then today, January 2, the news broke with the release of the statement by the John Beargrease board that there would be no Beargrease in 2024. They could not find a future date that would not interfere with other races and so they've chosen to postpone the 40th running for a year citing the new date as January 26, 2025.

"For Immediate Press Release:

RE: John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2024 Race

January 2, 2024

After months of waiting for the weather to cooperate, the Board of Directors for the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon has made the decision to postpone the 40th running to January 26, 2025. This was not an easy decision. But, with concerns over the weather, safety of the dogs, mushers and volunteers it was the only decision that we felt comfortable with.

There have been many discussions about postponing to a later date this winter but the weather is unpredictable. Likewise, in the effort to find a postponement date and in the spirit of sportsmanship, there was not another date that didn’t impede on another established race.

The Beargrease will continue to have several fundraising events so stay tuned to our socials and website for how you can continue to support this amazing race that we all love so much."

Mushers in the region had already made alternate plans seeing the writing on the wall that their winter season was in jeopardy. Ryan Redington and Wade Marrs posted over the weekend that they were on the road with a full dog truck headed for Knik Alaska to run the Knik 200. Redington also announced he was on the roster for the Kusko 300 - replacing Brent Sass who has chosen to focus on training for bigger races this season. Any team from the Midwest facing no snow for the season who plan to run the Iditarod will no doubt have to make similar decisions to head north earlier than originally planned - with no Beargrease to run in January those moves could happen at any time.

With no winter weather in the forecast for the foreseeable future, races are now asking everyone to "think snow!"

Brent Sass sitting on a giant cushion

If you've been following along with the Yukon Quest Alaska 550, you are not at all surprised to know that Brent Sass has, essentially, run away with the competition. The experienced champion has over a four and a half hour lead ahead of the chase pack, and there seems to be no slowing him down. Sass prides himself on the "trot" strategy. The dogs never lope or run, they stay at a steady trot, and that's how they make it first to the finish. 

Sass and team ran into the Two Rivers Inbound checkpoint at 11:23am on Tuesday carrying two of his dogs. There is a mandatory four hour rest and vet check in this checkpoint, and Brent elected to stay almost a half hour more in the checkpoint knowing full well that he could afford to take his time. Sass does not typically rest in checkpoints unless mandated, so to see him take his time was a tad interesting - but his social media team assures fans this was all part of the plan. Brent left the two dogs he carried into the checkpoint in his handlers' capable hands and headed for Nenana at 4pm.

Just nine minutes later, Quest Rookie Wade Marrs and team pulled in. Marrs made up a lot of time on Petit, but lost it all and then some while climbing the infamous "Rosebud". While Marrs was second into the checkpoint, Petit was hot on his heels coming in fifteen minutes behind Marrs but with a run time 43 minutes faster than Marrs. Both took their mandatory and are now back out on the trail (at time of writing this we don't have official times out nor how many dogs they have on the line).

Riley Dyche will be out next to join the chase pack and could play spoiler for second or third place though he will have to make up at least and hour and a half time on Marrs and Petit - not impossible, but a lofty goal. Dyche will be able to leave at 10:01pm. 

Current red lantern for the 550 is Howling Ridge Kennel's Shaynee Traska after Lauro Eklund was withdrawn from the race by Race Marshal Mike McCowen sighting rule 22 - competitiveness. Rule 22 states: "The Race Marshal shall at any time withdraw or disqualify a Musher they feel is not making a true attempt at running a competitive race or is in a position to not keep up with the race thus endangering themselves, their dogs and/or causing undue burden upon the Yukon Quest Alaska organization. The Race Marshal shall make this call based upon the condition of the team, trail and weather conditions, attitude and skill level of the musher and the pace at which the team and other teams are traveling. Any musher whose conduct, lack of skills and/or conditioning of their team to meet trail conditions which would expose the team or musher to personal risk in the judgment of the Race Marshal, shall also be withdrawn or disqualified."

Eklund was seven hours behind the next slowest team (Traska) when he reached the checkpoint of Central (inbound). Traska left shortly after he arrived and his team was in need of a break. When Lauro made it to Central the race social media posts praised him for his dog care and his speed saying in any other year with a bigger roster he'd be middle of the pack. By morning the decision was made to pull the team with the basic explanation that the race marshal found Eklund to be not competitive. 

Fans and mushers alike have shared their displeasure since the decision. Requests for further explanation were met with the press statement of rule 22. 

Sass is currently 53 miles from the Nenana checkpoint. From there he will have a six hour mandatory layover before another 55 or so miles to the finish line. Yukon Quest personnel expect a "late afternoon" finish on Wednesday for the champion.

Wade Marrs releases statement on Iditarod withdrawal

Former Iditarod Finishers president and mushing fan favorite, Wade Marrs' name moved to the withdrawn list last month creating quite the buzz among armchair mushers. Marrs took the time to respond in a statement released today stating that yes he has withdrawn from this historic race year due to the vaccination requirements of all participants. Instead of quoting bits and pieces, his whole statement is posted here: 

In a week in sports marred by athletes dancing around the issue with inelegant word game tactics, Marrs stands out among those that acknowledged their decision and accepted any heat they may receive. Wade received support from many in the mushing community, including some of the races in the lower 48 he plans to participate in this coming season. 

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. 

Seven teams headed for Nikolai

Dallas may have a strong lead ahead of the chase pack, but he can't rest easy yet. With 250+ miles left in his race there's still enough time for one mistake to cost him the race. Behind him are some decent looking teams, some of which have admitted to holding back until the final third to be able to have the power and energy to run down the leader - whoever it is.

We're already seeing some who were in the front falter. Petit and Buser were the first two to be overtaken in the first few days of the race, and now it seens Ryan Redington's team is fading. While he did give his team 5 hours of rest in McGrath the dogs seemed a tad reluctant to stop napping and start running. By the time they headed down the trail, though, they perked up. But as of about 10:40pm Aaron Burmeister, who left 39 minutes after Ryan, had overtaken the team dressed in lime green. This could be the first of many passings Redington will endure in the next two days.

Sass is running in fourth at the moment and of the teams chasing has the strongest looking team to the minds of many analysts (why are they counting out Burmeister?). His team does look really good, and it seems he's learned a thing or two about team management. They looked good coming into McGrath and leaving.

Wade Marrs left McGrath an hour after Brent and it doesn't look like he's gaining anything on the Yukon Quest champion. And just a short while ago Travis Beals and Mille Porsild left McGrath just minutes apart. Mille is posting some of the fastest times against all of the front runners and she's really made it clear she wants to be not just top lady but top dog. 

Dallas is about 12 miles away from Nikolai. It'll be interesting to see what he does in that checkpoint. Will he drop his trailer? Will he stay long in the checkpoint?  

And will anyone really push to challenge the four-time champion?

Dallas Seavey leads out of McGrath

 Dallas Seavey left McGrath and headed towards Nikolai today at 5:32pm after taking his mandatory 8 hour rest in the checkpoint. Brent Sass, who was second into McGrath today, also declared his 8. Brent came in at 12:42pm and won't be able to leave until 8:42pm if he takes that full 8 (if he doesn't he'll have two more checkpoints to take it in). Dallas has just under 3 hours over Sass at this point. 

Third in was Wade Marrs. Wade's been sitting back in the chase pack for most of the race. According to his social media team on facebook, Wade's said that he planned to start pushing once he left the checkpoint of Iditarod, and clearly it's worked. He's caught up and managed to come into McGrath 59 minutes behind Sass. Marrs also needs to take his mandatory 8, so if that's what he does here, he'll be leaving McGrath at 9:41pm.

The former leader on paper Ryan Redington came in just under 2 hours after Marrs. Redington took his 8 fairly early in the race as well as his 24. When speaking with Iditarod Insider on his return to Ophir this morning Redington all but conceded the race stating that both Seavey and Sass had great looking teams and that his team can't catch them - he spent quite a bit of time resting in Ophir before giving chase. Redington is down to 9 dogs, which isn't too small a team, but it sounds like they're showing signs that they aren't up for the big push at the end. With his mandatory rest completed Ryan and team can leave whenever he feels they are ready.

As Dallas was pulling out of McGrath, Travis Beals was pulling in. Beals had already completed his 24 and his 8 and it was speculated he would try to blow through. Beals has -imo wisely- chosen to bed his dogs down for a rest in McGrath before giving chase. It will be interesting to see how long Beals and Redington stay in the checkpoint before challenging the leader.

In other news, Larry Daugherty's tracker has been glitching for over 24 hours and it's finally been replaced and he is once again shown as moving. So if you thought his name jumped significantly on the map, he was not perpetually in McGrath. It was the aliens, and they have finally released their hold on the signal. He currently sits in the checkpoint of Iditarod and will no doubt be headed back soon. Hal Hanson seems a solid Red Lantern at this point. I got curious last night and asked Dallas Seavey if a team of Seavey dogs had ever won the red lantern. He couldn't verify one did in Iditarod (he says it sounds right, though) but he did point out Dallas got the red lantern during the 2005 Knik 200. My how times change.

2021 Willow 300 Race Preview

Mushing fans are excited that, once again, we have a mushing weekend to celebrate. Covid-19 will not win against the sled dog season as  another race with a very healthy roster is set to get underway on Thursday. The Willow 300 in a relatively new race, but very popular among veteran and rookie mushers alike. The race came to be after several mid-distance races stopped running due to funding and lack of interest. They've had no problems filling their roster each season.

There were concerns the race would not run this year due to a lack of volunteers (a struggle this race has had since its inception), however an early season plea by the race saw a good number of people sign-up. With Covid-19 still a concern, the race adopted a similar mitigation plan to what the Copper Basin 300 implemented earlier in January. 

Because of construction at Willow Lake, teams will leave from Deshka Landing just a little way up the trail. With this change comes the change from starting with a Mass Start to the more traditional staggered start with teams leaving in two minute intervals with a mandatory rest with time differential. For a full look at the rules for this year's race you can read up at this link. 

As stated, the 2021 Willow 300 has a healthy (and FULL) roster of 45 teams. A good mix of veterans and rookies grace the list, so the Iditarod/Quest qualifier will be an exciting race to follow. As with most of the mid-distance races we can't be 100% sure who will show up on race day, but don't expect a lot of changes past today as they closed the window to switch out names at Noon. 

With so many teams, it makes it interesting for who will come in the top spots, but let's shake out a few of those teams that could easily take the top prize.

Aaron Burmeister - Burmeister is one of those solid teams who you can count to challenge for first place in many races. He's come close in the Iditarod several times in the last 10 years, and manages top ten finishes. Burmeister has a "puppy" team in this race as well so it's unsure if he'll hold back to keep an eye on his "rookie" musher or if he'll be racing, but I expect if things are going well Aaron will work to take the lead.

Cim Smyth - Never, ever, ever count out a Smyth. No one can close out a final leg like Cim (okay, except maybe his brother Ramey), it's been said he trades out his boots for running shoes. Cim is a five-time Tustumena 200 champion, so he's very capable of winning mid-distance races. Never, ever, leave him off of a prediction list. (I'm also wildly biased as I just think he's one of the really good ones all the way around.)

Dave Turner - Dave is also a former Tustumena 200 champion (winning the very last running of that race) and has steadily risen up the ranks of other mid-distance races. Expect him to run for the lead and stay there. He's run against and beaten several of the teams listed here, so it's anyone's guess how he'll do in this race.*

Julie Ahnen - It's not every day you want to put a rookie musher who's working on qualifying for the BIG race up as a team to watch to win, but she's proven that she has a team and the knowledge to be right up there with the big names. Running Jessie Holmes' team doesn't hurt either. Ahnen really challenged Nic Petit in the Copper Basin 300 and had the possibility of beating him if not for a mistake in calculating her differential (a classic rookie mistake). Do not expect her to make that mistake a second time.

Nicolas Petit - Another speed demon on the trail, Nic just won his fourth consecutive Copper Basin 300. He's almost always near the top when he's racing. Look for Nic to continue that streak in this race. There's not much more to say, he seems to be the king of mid-distance right now, and it's doubtful to change any time soon.

Travis Beals - Travis is part of that up and coming now they're here group of mushers proving time and again that you don't have to be an old dog to win these races. The musher from Seward named his kennel Turning Heads, and he certainly has over the years. Expect Travis to be near the top at the finish.

Wade Marrs - New Dad Wade Marrs is looking to start his season off strong in his backyard. Another solid front of the pack team, expect Wade to be there with the others and could easily take a win away from anyone who makes even the minor-est of mistakes. (Plus he has this super cute puppy named Stitch so he wins all the awards from me!)

How to Watch

Unlike the other races that have established media sources and big sponsorships that garner attention from outside media, the Willow 300 runs mainly by its volunteer staff to keep fans updated. Here are the links you need to know to be able to follow the race.

Official Website

Unlike the other races, the Willow 300 just has a web page as part of the Willow Dog Musher Association's website. It holds links to the official rules, the tracker map, the forms and applications for mushers, and ways to sponsor the race (including purchasing a mile of the trail for $30.)

GPS Tracker

Where would we be without our wonderful GPS trackers from TrackLeaders.com?

Social Media

For the Willow 300, Social Media is the race's life blood. They post mainly to their Facebook Page, but are also active on their Twitter account at race time. They also share a few photos and posts on their Instagram Page. Expect a live feed for the start and finish on their facebook page - though they have not announced that to be planned. 

Start begins at 11am (a one hour difference from years past) on Thursday, February 4, at Deshka Landing up in the Willow, Alaska area. As with all of the races during Covid all other festivities have been canceled and they ask that spectators keep away from all official checkpoints and staging areas.

So there's your 2021 rundown, hopefully this helps a little in choosing your Fantasy Mushing team. Who are you cheering for? Comment below with your favorites.

*Edited to acknowledge that Dave Turner has withdrawn from the race.

Iditarod 47 - Top Ten

As the clock winds down ever closer to the start of the 47th Iditarod, thoughts are turning to who will become the next champion. The pool is growing larger for potential champions. Knowing who is going to take the top prize is more difficult every year. In fact, this year's top ten is really a top fifteen since I just can't seem to narrow it down further. So, yeah, I have a few honorable mentions.

Top Ten

Aliy Zirkle - SPKennel's top dawg, Zirkle is the 2000 Yukon Quest Champion who has been so close to the Iditarod Championship she could taste it. Aliy is everyone's favorite. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone - fan or competitor - who could say a bad thing about her. But enough about why we all love Aliy. She is a true dog woman. Her dogs just ran the Quest with her husband Allen Moore and gave it a good go, but tapered off during the final push. Aliy's team struggled last year during the Iditarod when a storm blew in early on in the race and she finished out of the top ten. That being said, I'm not ready to count Aliy out yet, and last year's finish might be the push she needs to come back "with a vengence".

Jeff King - King is a four-time Iditarod champion who is still gunning for another. While his fellow four-timers seem to have conceded that the race has changed since they won their races, Jeff hasn't given up on the illusive number five. King was just hours away from number five in 2014 when a storm blew him off course and he was forced to scratch. Jeff has proven that he is willing to take chances, but not ones that will do wrong by his dogs. He's an old hat at this race, and that experience comes in handy. His dogs come from a long line of champions. Everything is there to come together, the problem is that a lot of other teams have grown up studying "the winningest musher" and now he has more teams threatening to dethrone him. I was *this close* in bumping him down, but you can't count out Mr. The King.

Jessie Holmes - Many counted out the rookie last year, chalking him up as nothing more than a reality TV star, but Holmes came to play. He not only won Rookie of the Year, he broke the top ten. Jessie's got speed on his side, and he has the right kind of ego to get him to the finish in first. He definitely believes in himself and his dogs. But ego is most definitely a two edged sword and it can cloud judgement. Push too soon and the dogs will slow on the coast. They did incredibly well last year, but a storm helped a lot keeping many of the veteran teams at a slower pace. It will be interesting to see what Jessie Holmes and team will be capable of this year.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - Can Joar repeat? Repeat wins are difficult. Even if every dog is the same, the elements and trail change from hour to hour and there is no guarantee that you will have even close to the race you had last time. Joar quickly climbed the standings in his Iditarod career, now he has to maintain. That's hard to do in any sport, and especially in dog mushing. Joar had the perfect storm blow in to help him advance to the number one spot. I don't expect Nicolas Petit to lose the trail on the Norton Sound again. If Joar wants to become a repeat champion he is going to have to stay within striking distance and have enough gas in the tank to jump out ahead when the time is right.

Matt Hall - It's kind of mind boggling that this will only be Matt's third Iditarod, but the 2017 Yukon Quest Champion has made sure to keep his name in the running for top ten. He nearly missed out on a top ten finish last year, and was on his way to a strong lead in this year's Yukon Quest when he was sidelined (by choice) waiting for a diagnosis of one of his dogs (doggie cancer sucks). Even with having to make up quite a bit of time, Hall managed a very respectable fifth place finish on one of the most difficult Quests in memory. It is completely within reason to see Matt make the top ten, and I wager he could very easily challenge for first.

Mitch Seavey - "Da Man" or "Old Man" Seavey, depending on who you talk to, has found the fountain of youth and has kept many of the young guns at bay in the last 7 years. The Three-Time Iditarod champion has proven time and again that you can teach the... once around the block... guy new tricks. Master strategist, dog man, and just all around expert - you just don't want to count him out. But, like Zirkle, Mitch can sometimes be the "weak link", but more recently he has worked to improve his athletic ability to be able to do more behind the sled than we're used to seeing. I don't expect him to pull out the tricks from Dallas's books and run sprints up mountains with the team, but don't be shocked to see Mitch not only keeping up but surpassing known fast teams. It's all about "building the monster" as they say.

Nicolas Petit - Someone is starting to gain somewhat of a comical reputation as one who is directionally challenged. Last year Petit was solidly in the lead when he took a wrong turn during the run across the Norton Sound, he lost not only valuable time, but the extra work the dogs ended up dealing with as they backtracked slowed his team. The misstep cost him the win. He's had a few misdirections in several of his mid-distance races this season. Whether it's a loss of focus, or flat out being asleep, or something else - who knows. But it doesn't take much guessing to know that Nicolas is going to run this Iditarod like he has something to prove. Expect Nicolas to get up in front early and fight hard to stay there.

Peter Kaiser - The four-time Kusko 300 champion missed out on a fifth title this season, but not for lack of trying. Kaiser managed a fifth place finish in last year's Iditarod which threw many curveballs at the teams crossing the thousand miles of Alaskan wilderness. One of the strongest Western Alaska teams, Kaiser has steadily climbed the rankings and is poised to do well yet again. It's not a matter of if Kaiser will be an Iditarod champion, it's when. His dogs have it in them, and so does he, but just like all the other champions that have gone before, everything has to go very right for them, and other teams have to have something go wrong. Kaiser has the tools.

Travis Beals - This is another pick that I went back and forth on. When Travis is on, he is very very good, other times he's middle of the pack. Beals had a decent season again this year, and looks to have a solid team. Travis did very well in last year's snowmageddon Iditarod, so one would expect it to go well again this year. He is determined, and it would not be a surprise to see him crack the top ten again.

Wade Marrs - After last year's disappointing race where he scratched on the coast, Marrs is back and should be a contender. The face of Stump Jumpin' Kennel and the former ITC Musher Board Representative, Wade is one of the most exciting "up and coming" (though after this many years, is he really still up and coming?) teams. Marrs trained with some of the best in the sport while in the junior ranks, and he's shown to be a pretty quick study when it comes to racing against some of the best in Iditarod. While using his own methods, Marrs has picked up a few tricks watching how Dallas Seavey races Iditarod, and it's no wonder his schedule seems to match up with those of the Seavey teams. It will be interesting to see how a healthy Wade matches up with the pack this go around.


Dark Horses

I couldn't stop at 10. Honestly there's at least 15 teams that could easily be top ten depending on circumstance. This is a highly competitive field and it's exciting to see. So I have been stressing all week trying to justify my picks, and I can't so I'm adding a few more who could easily make it into the top ten.

Aaron Burmeister - No stranger to Iditarod, Burmeister has knocked on the door to the title for many years now. His short-lived retirement(s) proved that he isn't quite able to give up the dogs or the lifestyle. For some, the race just gets inside them and they have to continue on. Each time Burmeister comes back, he reminds everyone just how good he is. Last year he came 12th, in 2015 he was third. He has a very good chance of breaking into the top ten again. He just has to play his cards right.

Jessie Royer - I really wanted to put her in my top ten, but something tells me this is not her year. Jessie ran the Yukon Quest earlier this month, and she had a rough go of it. Not sure if it was just the extreme negative temperatures (likely) or if this is a team rebuilding year. So I have her as a dark horse this year. I'd love for her to wreck my top ten and make a high placement (or a win), but I'm going to hedge my bets on her.

Matthew Failor - Mattew just beat out Pete Kaiser last month in the Kuskokwim 300, a race Pete pretty much owns. A former handler for four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser before striking out on his own with his own team of dogs. It hasn't taken him long to become a true contender. The Kusko is just the first stepping stone on the way to the top. His race this year will be fun to watch as it plays out.

Ramey Smyth - One of the best finishers in the business, you don't want to ever have a Smyth team running up behind you. Ramey has come close to beating out champions in the past, and is always knocking on the door. In so many ways it feels like he should have "Iditarod Champion" next to his name, but he hasn't quite found the magic for it to happen. Still, don't be surprised to see his name creep up the standings, especially once his team hits the coast. Then all bets are off.






Thoughts on who might take the prize this year? Who do you have in your top ten? Comment below!

Mushing News Round Up (Oct 15)

Another week has passed (and then some) and I am finally done with training at work... at least until March when we do it all again (yeah, don't ask me why I thought scheduling training to start the week after I get back from Nome was a good idea). Once again, I am sure I've missed a bit on the mushing news circuit - especially since there were a lot of races to sign up for - but here are some highlights I snagged while being completely distracted with work.

The Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race - that runs from Kasilof, AK to Homer, AK and back - announced tonight that registration will open on November 1, with the random drawing on November 3. They also announced that they will be posting updated rules soon, suggesting some changes were coming to the official race rules.

Mushers have been excited to announce which mid-distance races they have signed up for. This is especially exciting for teams that are trying to qualify for their first long distance races. One such musher, Eric Kelly, plans to run the Iditarod in 2020, and has signed up for - what he hopes are - his final two qualifiers.


Alaska and the Yukon aren't the only places that are seeing fall training in full swing. Northern Norway has also found cooler temperatures. The Finnmarkslopet race shared this beautiful training photo on their social media pages. The race opened registration earlier this fall, and so far no teams from North America have appeared on the roster. Last year, you may recall, four-time Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey ran the race and placed third. Seavey stated at the time that he would probably not be back to the race for several years as it was an expensive endeavor and he needed to build up the funds and team - however Seavey has yet to register for any race for next season... and he's been spending an awful lot of time in Europe.


SPKennel - home to Yukon Quest Champions Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore - is in winter prep mode. They shared a blog post a few days ago about how they prepare for freeze up... or, rather, fix the mess the dogs make during the summer months. Moore is once again signed up for the Quest, and Zirkle has signed up for the Iditarod, as well as a few other mid-distance races.

Jeff King's Husky Homestead social media crew are killing it these days with the puppy pic updates. I have to say that Zig's litter is probably the prettiest litter I've seen in a long time coming out of a very competitive Racing Kennel. Sled Dogs that race aren't typically chosen or bred for their looks, but their athleticism. It'll be a few years to see what these pups will do out on the trails, but for now they are breaking the internet.


In a somewhat surprising announcement this past week, the UP 200 race announced that they were increasing the purse winnings for the 11th-15th placed teams. The announcement gave credit to the mushers who suggested the change. Who knew there were races out there with boards willing to listen to the mushers?!


Okay, so, Jeff King doesn't have the monopoly on cute puppy picks. Ryne Olson's photo this week was a huge awwwwwww as well. Who DOESN'T want a basket full of puppies?!


And mushers continue to share photos of their training runs. Iditarod musher Misha Wiljes shared a photo of "on by" training yesterday. This is very important, not so much the head on kind that they were doing in the photo - but just passing in general. Sled Dogs need to be aggressive racers, but also polite. The last thing a musher wants is a tangle (with another team, or just within the team itself). Slower teams MUST give a faster team the right of way - unless they are in the final stretches of the race known as "No Man's Land" which begins one to two miles before the finish line. The slower team slows or even stops to let the other team pass. Typically the command the advancing team gets is "on by". That way the leaders know that they are to continue and not stop with the other team, and the team dogs know that they are to pass and not try to take a chunk out of one of the other team's dogs. This typically works with little incident, but just like with humans sometimes the dogs forget their manners. This is why training is so very important.


Lastly, Wade Marrs is jumping into the arena of winter sled dog tours. Until then he is opening his property up to kennel tours until the snow flies. Marrs is a competitive Iditarod musher who - until recently - served as the Iditarod Official Finishers' Club's (IOFC) spokesperson to the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC). This summer it was decided that the IOFC representative could not be a current racer, so Wade Marrs was forced to step aside. Marrs found himself in the middle of the Iditarod Doping Scandal last March when it was brought to his attention at the official start of the Iditarod that his dogs had tested positive for the same substance that Dallas Seavey's team had - just in smaller doses. Marrs' fiance took to social media after seeing Wade safely down the trail to call out the inappropriate communication by the ITC's Doping specialist and alleged that he threatened Marrs with outing the findings if Marrs did not stop his support of Dallas Seavey. Like Seavey, Wade Marrs has not signed up for Iditarod as of yet, and has not gone public with any plans he has for this season's biggest race.


And on that note I'm off to bed. Did I miss anything big in the mushing news scene? Let me know in the comments below.

Weekly Mushing News Round Up (Aug 31)

Aside from a sunny warm spell on the Kenai Peninsula - training season temps have hit Alaska, and teams are hooking up and running down their trails working to get into race form by December. The last litters of the year have been born, and in another couple of weeks the first litters will start learning about being "big dogs". Yearlings will be harness broken this fall, and will work to become sled dogs like their parents and grandparents. Mushers will pull away from the civilized world and become increasingly focused on dogs. It's the most wonderful time of the year for mushing!

If you're interested in taking part in it yourself, there are several teams still looking for a handler for at least part of the 2018-19 season. Squid Acres are looking for someone just for the fall months.


National Dog Day was celebrated by many mushers last week - though, really, when you're a dog person EVERY day is National Dog Day!



Training vids and pictures have been shared more than any other type of post this past week.








Until the snow flies, training is done hitched to atvs running in neutral or very low speeds. It allows mushers to run and control larger teams.

The end of touring season is still ongoing, with most every glacier tour closed for the season by September.


Seeing Double Kennel (run by twins Kristy and Anna Berginton) are expanding their training regimine to include bike-joring. Kristy's husband, who ran his rookie Iditarod this year, Andy Pohl has taken to using a few of the dogs to do some dryland runs with his bike. Pohl and Berington met when Kristy was running the Iditarod with dogs, and he was biking the trail (brrr).

Iditarod musher Rick Castillo works hard year round not only as a musher, but he works with combat veterans who suffer from PTSD and other issues as a result to their service for their country. Battle Dogs has been praised Nationwide for their work. And now they're being recognized by the Combat Veteran Motorcycle Group! Congratulations, Rick and team!

Several dog teams in Nome were let loose earlier this week. One dog died as a result, others injured, and another dog is still missing. Mike Owens, Chrystie Salesky, and Janet Balice all have dogs in a secure dog lot outside of town. There has been no information as to who or why the dogs were let loose, but it's caused a major stir in the community of Nome and the larger dog mushing community.
Sixty dogs were let loose, from three of the four kennels who park their dogs there. For some unknown reason, the fourth kennel's dogs were not bothered. Many speculate that the vandals responsible ran out of time to release all of the canines.


Iditarod roster is up to 32 name with a rookie from France joining the mix. The roster now stands at 32 names, tying the roster of the very first Iditarod with the smallest list of names in race history. Still no Marrs or Seavey on the list.

New voices added to Iditarod Board of Directors

The Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) announced the addition of four names to their board of directors Monday. After months of speculation as to who would be named - or even if the ITC would follow through with the promise to change up their roster - the cat is out of the bag. The Iditarod released the names Monday afternoon, with a brief description of each new member.

Depending on your familiarity with winter sport, Alaskan politics and business, you might recognize some of the names presented in today's press release. Still, the names listed have seemingly little experience or knowledge of the sport the Iditarod represents. This, however, is not as alarming as some make it out to be. The independent research done by the Foraker Group found that there was a need to change the board and its policies - starting with getting rid of those with a conflict of interest. Mushing is a small, tight-knit community. It's hard to find someone not related to those racing to be able to be part of the board of any race. Those listed today have experience in running large organizations successfully - something the ITC in the last two years has demonstrated they have very little success in doing.

The new members of the Iditarod Board are:

Nina Kemppel - a four time Winter Olympian for Team USA in cross-country skiing, Nina is a long time Alaskan who has many ties to the state; most noteably as the president and CEO of the Alaska Community Foundation which provides grants to non-profits statewide. She is also on the board of directors of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and sits on their Athlete Advisory Council. Kemppel brings an impressive resume to the table, and while not experienced in dog sports or mushing, she does understand the workings of a successful sports program as well as what it takes to keep a highly visible non-profit working. Her addition is an interesting and exciting move on the ITC's part. It will be interesting to see how they utilize her in the coming months.

Karen King - president and CEO of "Alaska's largest advertising company", Spawn Ideas, King's resume boasts helping companies reimagine themselves and reset their course within the public eye. She's worked with General Mills, Coke-a-Cola, and local entities like the University of Alaska and GCI (an Iditarod sponsor). One only needs to look so far as her company's website to have an idea of where Iditarod plans to use her. One of the biggest areas of improvement needed is how Iditarod is perceived by the public and fans - and that's where King will most likely step in. Spawn Ideas promotes a very positive work mantra: "Everyday, we challenge ourselves and our clients to create strategically smart, provocative, bold ideas." Perhaps it will transfer to Iditarod.

Mike Mills - a lawyer who apparently is on of "the Best Lawyers in America" since 2003. Considering the ITC has seen itself in a legal nightmare more times than not over the last few years with animal rights "activists" going after them, misuse of their name/logo, and of course the quagmire that allegedly started this mess: doping. It doesn't take too much imagination to know what Mills will be bringing to the board, but it is so desperately needed.

Ryan York - representing Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), York is the corporation's senior VP and chief director of Finance. One of the largest Native Corporations in the state, York understands the many working parts and personalities an Alaskan company/program has. While not native to Alaska, he has a love for the state and for the sport. BBNC has been very supportive of the race for years, and this no doubt will add to their enthusiasm as the Iditarod continues.

Some changes were announced weeks ago with the resignation of Wade Marrs as the Iditarod Official Finisher's Club (IOFC) representative to the board, and Aaron Burmeister. Both had to resign due to the restructured bylaws stating that no board member could be actively racing in Iditarod (this was a rule change at the recommendation of the Foraker Group conducted earlier in 2018). Also not returning is five-time Iditarod Champion and retired musher Rick Swenson who chose not to run for re-election.

Current Board President Andy Baker, brother to Iditarod Champion John Baker, is not stepping down as originally planned, stating that his brother is retired and so there is no longer any conflict of interest. Mushers and fans alike petitioned for Baker to resign well before the start of this year's Iditarod, but he said he would not step aside until after the race. Now, he is saying that he will not serve another term when his term expires next year. Time will tell.

Most talk of today's press release has been positive. The Anchorage Daily News (ADN) reached out to three-time Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey for his response and he, too, had only positive things to say. The ADN also reported that Seavey is still waiting to sign up until the Board reviews the new revisions to the "personal conduct rule."

The Iditarod also announced today that they plan to add one more name to the roster in the coming months.

Iditarod 46: If Danny Seavey were King of Iditarod

Below is Danny Seavey's latest "blog post" from Facebook about how he would solve the current woes of Iditarod.


He makes some interesting points.

Iditarod 46: My Top 10

I had so many goals for this season in making sure my blog kept going and had great insights into what we were seeing in the sport - I got massively sidetracked with vacation, work, and the Olympics. Oooo shiny! is my theme so far for this year it seems.

That being said, it IS time for me to make horrible guesses as to who has the best chance to be named champion of the 46th running of the race. I feel like the race should be two weeks out, not less than a week (Thursday is the Musher's banquet). So, this is what it is. I think I did fairly well... 8 of my picks made the top 10 and the who who didn't came in 11th and 12th. Go me! I expect I won't have quite the same success this year, but I'm hopeful that my picks are fairly accurate.

My list is once again alphabetical by first name as I don't want to try and talk percentages in who's most likely to take first.

Aaron Burmeister - Aaron last raced three years ago in 2015. Since then he's been key in some of the rule changes we've seen handed down by the ITC Board. I'll try to stay neutral about all of that, but Burmeister's team has seen action while he's been "retired". Aaron's team has been run in the Iditarod by his brother Noah (is my understanding, comment below if I am wrong). Aaron came in third in his last Iditarod race, and I don't expect him to be too far off the pack this time around either. It will be interesting to see just how he stacks up with this year's roster.

Aliy Zirkle - Her husband Allen Moore just won the Yukon Quest with essentially the team she will take to Nome. This is how they've done things for a while. He runs the A team in the Quest, Aliy runs it in the Iditarod. Zirkle typically runs the YQ300 with the B team that Moore then takes on Iditarod. Zirkle did not run the shorter Quest this year as she was unable to plan a race that would be fast enough for her to then head for Dawson to meet up with Allen and the Red Team. I've said it the last few times, but really, the weak link on this team seems to be Aliy. I hate saying that, but sometimes she gets too in her head and she plays it safe at just the wrong time. I do feel, though, that if the Red team is that much faster than the Black team that she may have a freight train heading to Nome.

Jeff King - The four-time Iditarod Champion is still looking for number five. He's come close in the last decade or so, but after his brief retirement he hasn't been able to make it happen. He's come close, but teams are starting to pass him. Is it age? Well, Mitch Seavey's proven old dogs can still win this thing. Is it strategy? It could be, what won races even 10 years ago doesn't work these days it seems. King was out of the top ten last year, but just barely (he came in eleventh). Whatever placement he gets, however, we're sure to have an entertaining time watching him run his team. I'm not so secretly hoping he can tie Swenson's record.

Jessie Royer - My girl Royer. What can I say? She came fifth last year, a year that saw a lot of women shaking up the racing scene. She's had a fairly good season again this year, and I don't expect that she plans to sit back and relax this year. Jessie's steadily gotten better, and she's a true veteran of this trail. I believe that Jessie should be the top ranked lady musher coming into the race. Yes, I said it. As I said last year: Should she pull off a win, it'd be an upset, but she'd also become the first non-Alaskan woman to win. She's got the goods, she could pull it off.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - I know, I fan girl over his face every year, but seriously. I feel like he is constantly posing when he's on those runners! All jokes aside, Joar is not a joke. He was fourth last year. Fourth. It was a fast race from Fairbanks to Nome in 2017. Joar came in to a roaring crowd in Nome (I missed it, how I don't know, but I did...I blame exhaustion). Joar is one of those "silent teams". He's got the goods, but very rarely does he really make the conversation by the folks "in the know". It's probably how he likes it, he can just sneak in. Maybe he'll sneak in first to Nome?

Mitch Seavey - The THREE-time and defending champion shows no signs of slowing down. Mitch won last year's race in record time with a team he says he could not slow down. They flew into Nome wowing everyone with their endurance and strength. Mitch had never seemed happier with a team, and I hear many of his team from last year were in the running to make this year's team. Seavey spent most of his time further north of his stomping grounds training, and he skipped the Tustumena 200 this year opting to keep with his training schedule. I never count Mitch out, but without Dallas Seavey in the race to compete against during training and the race, it will be interesting to see Mitch's style and strategy. Can this be a year for Mitch to hit a fourth win? I'm hoping if Jeff can't take it that Mitch can.

Nicolas Petit - The only races this guy hasn't won this season are the ones he didn't enter. Petit is hungry. He came in a controversial third place in last year's race (minutes behind Dallas Seavey who accidentally left his vet book at a previous checkpoint, but Nic brought it to the finish and allowed Dallas to stay in the race). I do not expect for Petit to accept anything but first, this could mean that he makes some risky decisions (risky race wise, not life threatening). I expect him to push his team hard, they've trained and raced that way for several years now. Petit will rise or he will fall hard. There doesn't seem to be an in between.

Pete Kaiser - Pete just won yet another Kusko 300. They had some issues with trail this year with warmer temps keeping a lot of the race from the river. From the sound of things, the race on the coast for Iditarod will be very similar. Kaiser is a solid team, and last year came 9th. He's always in the conversation, as he should be. He knows what it takes to win, he just has to put his team in a position to make a move.

Travis Beals - I have been sitting here for a few hours trying to decide if Travis should be on this list or if I should go with a Redington. I'm still not sure I chose correctly, but Travis does seem to have a strong team this year. Beals had to take some time off from Iditarod after he was banned from the race for domestic violence "issues" that he had to work through. Beals followed court orders, and jumped through all of the hoops, which satisfied the race officials to allow him to participate in this year's race. Travis comes from solid family tradition in mushing and turned heads early on his career (hence his kennel's name "Turning Heads"). Travis did not take time off from training dogs while satisfying court requirements, and I expect him to have a good showing in this year's race.

Wade Marrs - He set the pace last year and man, he almost had it. It was exciting to watch Wade race against the Seavey's with their own game! He's no doubt learned a lot from that and I expect him to not make the same "mistakes" twice. He's also had a really nice racing and training season, and seems very confident. Where he might have had some distraction was having to be the face and spokesperson for the Iditarod Finisher's Club in regards to the Doping ruling on Dallas Seavey and what all that drama entailed. In a week he'll be able to let go of distraction and just mush. He'll be pushing.




Honorable Mentions:

Gonna go with Ray Redington Jr on this one, he placed very well last year (in the top ten) and has been very hot on the racing circuit this season. I'll also give Ramey Smyth another chance, he should always be in the conversation. He was in my top 10 last season and came in 12th. Not bad.


Which mushers do YOU have in YOUR top 10? Who are you cheering for? Agree/Disagree with my picks? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and check back as I continue to blog about the 45th running of the Last Great Race!