Musher Details

2009 Iditarod » Mushers » Ed Iten

Ed Iten

Bib Number: 4
Hometown: Kotzebue, Alaska
Website:


Biography

Born in Alaska in 1953 and raised in Minnesota, Ed Iten's childhood dream was to return to Alaska. He returned to Alaska in 1973 to finish college and enjoy Alaska's wilderness. After graduating from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks with a major in art and minor in biology, Ed lived on the upper Kobuk River with Inupiaq Joseph Harvey. It was a sparse but rewarding time learning the ways of survival in the arctic. Ed's years have evolved into working carpentry in the summers in Kotzebue and spending his winters on the Maniilaq River. It was during a trip to Kotzebue for work that a friend talked Ed into running his team in the Kobuk 220 mile sled dog race. In 1986 Ed's rookie team finished minutes behind champion Herbie Nayukpuk. From then on the two racers shared a special relationship and "I was hooked," Ed says. That same year Ed met his wife Ruth who shares his love for the country and the dogs. They spent the next ten years living "up river", raising their two children, Katie, 18 and Quinn, 16, and sending Ed off to the races. He has won the Kobuk 440 seven times and the Kuskokwim 300 in 2004. His highest finish in the Iditarod was second in 2005 and he is the proud recipient of the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award in 2007.  In 1996 Ed and his family built their home twenty-five miles from Kotzebue on Kobuk Lake. No roads lead to their kennel, they travel winter trails by dog team and cross the lake in the summer by boat. From their home they work on breeding and training a team that has what it takes to become Iditarod champions. He lists his hobby as anything outdoors.

Sponsors

Lynden Air Cargo
H.Watt and Scott Contractors
Dr. R. Maurer, DDS
Arctic Transportation Services
7-UP Alaska, WY

Momentum Dog Food, MI
Drake Construction
FBX
UIC
Northwest Arctic Borough


2009 Standings

Checkpoint Time In Dogs In Time Out Dogs Out Rest Time Previous Layover Status Distance
Enroute Time Speed (mph) 8hr 24hr
Anchorage 3/07 10:06:00 12
Willow 3/08 14:04:00 16
Yentna 3/08 17:55:00 16 3/08 18:00:00 16 0h 5m 3h 51m 17.14 66
Skwentna 3/08 21:14:00 16 3/09 02:22:00 16 5h 8m 3h 14m 10.52 34
Finger Lake 3/09 07:28:00 16 3/09 07:30:00 16 0h 2m 5h 6m 8.82 45
Rainy Pass 3/09 16:40:00 16 3/09 16:46:00 16 0h 6m 9h 10m 3.27 30
Rohn 3/09 21:20:00 16 3/10 03:50:00 16 6h 30m 4h 34m 10.51 48
Nikolai 3/10 13:40:00 16 3/10 19:32:00 15 5h 52m 9h 50m 7.63 75
McGrath 3/11 03:00:00 15 3/12 05:13:00 15 26h 13m 7h 28m 7.23 ✔ 54
Takotna 3/12 06:44:00 15 3/12 06:49:00 14 0h 5m 1h 31m 11.87 ✔ 18
Ophir 3/12 10:45:00 14 3/12 16:00:00 14 5h 15m 3h 56m 6.36 ✔ 25
Iditarod 3/13 08:25:00 14 3/13 13:15:00 14 4h 50m 16h 25m 5.48 ✔ 90
Shageluk 3/13 21:04:00 14 3/14 05:04:00 14 8h 0m 7h 49m 8.32 ✔ ✔ 65
Anvik 3/14 08:29:00 14 3/14 08:32:00 14 0h 3m 3h 25m 7.32 ✔ ✔ 25
Grayling 3/14 10:52:00 14 3/14 17:49:00 14 6h 57m 2h 20m 7.71 ✔ ✔ 18
Eagle Island 3/15 02:39:00 14 3/15 08:42:00 14 6h 3m 8h 50m 6.79 ✔ ✔ 60
Kaltag 3/15 18:00:00 14 3/16 03:24:00 14 9h 24m 9h 18m 7.53 ✔ ✔ 70
Unalakleet 3/16 14:10:00 14 3/16 20:58:00 14 6h 48m 10h 46m 8.36 ✔ ✔ 90
Shaktoolik 3/17 02:58:00 14 3/17 16:40:00 13 13h 42m 6h 0m 6.67 ✔ ✔ 40
Koyuk 3/17 23:20:00 13 3/18 01:32:00 13 2h 12m 6h 40m 8.70 ✔ ✔ 58
Elim 3/18 08:29:00 13 3/18 11:20:00 10 2h 51m 6h 57m 6.91 ✔ ✔ Scratched 48