The banner I saw on the Dragon’s Back fence in Unalakleet has now made it to Nome. Suspended from the Polaris Hotel, it greets the Norwegian mushers at the Burled Arch. There are nine altogether and they’ve done well in Iditarod 2016. Let’s take a look at the top 4 Norwegian finishers.
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Joar Leifseth Ulsom earned Rookie of the Year honors back in 2013. For his 4 Iditarod races, he knows nothing but the front of the pack. In 2013 he placed 7th, 2014 he captured 4th, 2015 he was 6th and yesterday he again earned 6th place. Every Iditarod he’s ever done has been a top seven finish. Undoubtedly, he has his eye on the gold. Information from his Iditarod bio says he holds the fastest rookie of the year run time of 9 days 12 hours and 34 minutes. Joar is a Yukon Quest veteran and has an impressive list of accomplishments in European races. He is a two-time Nadezhda Hope Champion and the 2012 Champion in the Chukotka Sprint Championship.
As a youngster in Norway Joar borrowed two house dogs from his neighbor to pull him around on skies. Watching Iditarod movies and ski-joring fueled his dreams of mushing. He began mushing and building his own kennel in 2007. Joar has a degree in agriculture. He worked as a cowboy while he ran the great races of Scandinavia adn has now relocated to Willow, Alaska. He is part of Team Racing Beringia. Joar finished the 2016 race in 8 days, 22 hours and 12 minutes. His personal best came in 2014, 8 days, 19 hours and 1 minute.
A very tough Ralph Johannessen returned for his second Iditarod. In 2014 he sustained some injuries while going down the Dalzell Gorge and sported an impressive pair of black eyes even at the finish in Nome. What wasn’t visible were his broken ribs. About that race, Ralph said he’d come too far to scratch. He altered his race strategy to see the whole trail and began planning a strategy for his return.
As he crested the summit of the Alaska Range at Rainey Pass he was dreading what was ahead on the way to Rohn. After all, it hadn’t been friendly two years earlier. Much to Ralph’s delight there was ample snow in the gorge and while the sled driving was technical it was very doable. He said the snowless Buffalo Tunnels and Farewell Burn were bone jarring but nothing like 2014. Ralph has seen the race routes of most major long distance races and he said, “Iditarod is the toughest race on earth.” When asked about returning, Ralph replied it was rather expensive but didn’t rule out the possibility. Ralph finished in 8th place with a time of 8 days, 23 hours and 50 minutes. He is the reigning Norwegian long distance Champion and has looked forward to returning to Iditarod to improve his finish. In 2014 he finished in 22 place with a time of 10 days, 3 hours and 45 minutes. Indeed he did improve placing 8th with a time of 8 days, 23 hours and 50 minutes.
Two time Iditarod Champion, Robert Sorlie has once again finished in the top ten of the Last Great Race®. With a time of 9 days, 3 hours and 4 minutes he captured 13th place. Robert began mushing in 1970 and became interested in the Iditarod after “winning” all the long distance races in Europe. Looking for additional challenge, Robert set his sights on Iditarod. He scouted the trail in 2002 placing ninth earning Rookie of the Year honors then returned in 2003 to capture Iditarod Gold (9 days, 15 hours and 47 minutes) and again in 2005 for his second gold (9 days, 18 hours, 39 minutes). He returned to the southern route again in 2007 placing 12th. In 2014 he placed 21st. His 2016 finish (9 days, 3 hours and 4 minutes) is his best overall time. In 2005 he dominated the race earning the Spirit of Alaska Award in McGrath, the Dorothy Page Halfway Award and the First to the Gold Coast in Unalakleet as well as the winner’s purse and the Dodge Truck.
Sigrid Ekran made Nome very early today in 23rd place with a time of 9 days, 10 hours and 37 minutes. For the race she ran an average speed of 4.25 miles and hour. For the sake of comparison, Champion Dallas Seavey averaged 4.74 miles per hour. Sigrid has raced in both the United States and in Europe. Ekran studied at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks from 2003 to 2008, earning a degree in Northern Studies. While in Alaska going to school, she took up mushing. She ran her first Iditarod in 2007 and placed 20th. In 2008 she placed 24th. She returned to Norway to compete in the La Grande Odyssey, the Femundløpet and the Finnmarksløpet. She is a champion of the later two races. Ekran returned to Iditarod in 2012 and placed 11th with a time of 9 days, 15 hours and 16 minutes. Her time posted in Iditarod 2016 is a new personal best by more than 5 hours. With the wins in Norway and her Iditarod experience, she has the credentials to break into the top ten of Iditarod in the future.
