Lance Mackey, often referred to as the peoples champion, will be honored by the Iditarod Nation during the 11 mile Ceremonial run from 4th Avenue to Campbell Airstrip. A member of his family, wearing bib #1, will occupy the sled of Jr. Iditarod Champion, Emily Robinson gliding through the streets of Anchorage lined with thousands …
Race week is hectic or perhaps even chaotic but it’s organized and it’s exciting to be a part of. There is plenty to keep race fans busy during the week and it might include taking a turn on a Ferris wheel. For me, Iditarod begins on the last Saturday of February. Wait, wait you say! …
The final three rookie mushers you’ll meet in this segment have all called the lower 48 home. Jennifer LaBar grew up in Tennesse while Greg and Bailey Vitello currently reside in Milan, New Hampshire. LaBar has since moved to Healy, Alaska. Jennifer LaBar has hiked 1,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail and is now ready …
The three Iditarod rookies introduced in this segment of Rookie Review include Jed Stephensen who lives in Idaho, Eddie Burke Jr. who grew up in anchorage and Hunter Keefe from Michigan. all live in the lower 48. Jed Stephensen who lives with his wife and twin sons in Sandpoint, Idaho, grew up in Germany where …
The three mushers featured in this part of Rookie review were also rookies in 2022. KattiJo Deeter, Gerhart Thiart and Bridgett Watkins were three of the six mushers who were forced to scratch due to the infamous Blow Hole storm. But they are back to attend to unfished business and achieve their goal of standing …
The Sunday night Finisher’s Banquet marked the 4th time in the past three days when all the Jr. Iditarod mushers were gathered together. The first being for the musher meeting on Friday, then at the start Saturday morning, next as they camped at Yentna on the shore of the river and gathered around the campfire …
SIXTEEN!!! Yes, sixteen mushers are on the trail heading to Yentna Station. That’s the largest Jr. Iditarod field since 2009. How incredible that while Iditarod numbers are dwindling, Jr. Iditarod numbers are growing. The race began at 10:00 Saturday February 25th on Knik Lake when Bib #1, Honorary Musher Lance Mackey was called to the …
Jr. Iditarod and Iditarod have named Lance Mackey as the 2023 Honorary Musher. Mackey participated in the Jr. Iditarod from 1985-1988. He is the winner of eight 1,000 mile races – 4 Yukon Quests and 4 Iditarods. If there were a musher Mt. Rushmore carved into the towering rock walls that guide the Yukon River, …
It’s the day before Jr. Iditarod. Out on the trail, at Iditarod Headquarters and at kennels it’s evident that race organizers and racers are hard at work going down the list of tasks reserved for the day before the event. Very much the opposite of what happens on the night before Christmas when all through …
Four mushers return to the Junior Iditarod for the third year. That doesn’t mean they’ve had three runs to Yentna Station Roadhouse. In 2021 these teens ran the route from Knik Lake out to Yentna Station and then finished in Willow, a distance of 150 miles. Overflow in the Willow area in 2022 prompted the …
