Joe Runyan
Tues 10AM—Zirkle accelerates in lead to NIKOLAI—Finger Lake Tent comes Down by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod Champ Aliy Zirkle’s push to the front into Nikolai has given my pundits new found fodder, a virtual plethora of possibilities, for rumination. Personally, I love this part of the race, the posturing that is required to be placed …
Tuesday Morning 7am—Dan Seavey leaves Finger—-Zirkle and Baker lead pack to Salmon River Race Roundup Outside our tent of sleeping, snoring, rolling, tossing volunteers packaged in neat rows on the floor, Dan Seavey unhooks his team at first light in direction Rainy Pass, the last in a train of mushers marching up and over the …
9PM—Looking at the times into rohn—Monday evening Like so many fans, I just can’t help looking at the gps little dots and the checkpoint times at my Insider account. Trying to wring some meaning from the thrusts and parries of front runners Hugh, Lance Mackey, Baker, and the presently unknown intentions of Aliy Zirkle (did …
4 PM—Finger Lake—Monday March 5 by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod Champ Positioned in the back of the pack, I get a chance to meet mushers with a goal to finish in Nome. The hurried frenzy we saw at the front of the pack early this morning is replaced by a decompressed zen. These mushers are …
Finger Lake—9 AM by Joe Runyan
9 AM Monday—Finger Lake Checkpoint by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod champ The excitement of this early morning of mushers into Finger Lake has now waned, especially as we hear that Ray Redington is into Rainy, closely followed by Yukon Quest Champ Hugh Neff. Discussing his dramatic run in a blistering 3:15, insiders here in Finger …
4 am—Finger Lake—Nicholas Petit first in by Joe Runyan, 1989 Iditarod Champ Nicholas Petit leads a tight pack of front runners into Finger Lake at about 4am (please check the wonderful resources for exact times and gps location at the Insider). Temperatures hang around -11F with a slight breeze putting an accent on the cold. …
Sunday ——–Late Evening—-Waiting for Mushers to Arrive in Finger Lake We launch at 5PM, Willow airport, for Finger Lake Checkpoint. Bruce Lee, Insider commentator is sitting front seat, and we immediately request an overfly of the the Skwetna River to intercept mushers. On schedule, we view the front pack travelling at a trot within a …
Race Crowd Swell in early Afternoon As the 2PM start time nears, the crowds swell to the border fences on the starting chute. Luckily I had a press pass to get through the security gates into the mushers parking lot. Sun was intense, and I found myself absolutely sweltering in parka and insulated pants. All …
Start of the Race—-Early morning arrivals anticipate 2PM start Technically, the exit of Iditarod mushers from Willow Alaska is known as the Restart. But, to race aficionados it really is the start of the race. The clock starts, the rules are clear that no more help or assistance for the musher is allowed. From Willow …
The Mandatory Musher Meeting—Don’t Miss It 9AM—Musher Meeting With the ebb and flow of traffic like a train station, all seemed chaos at the Millenium Hotel headquarters of Iditarod this morning. Gradually, however, one could discern a more concentrated stream of humanity walking out of the breakfast lounge or through the revolving front doors winding …
