Jr. Iditarod
The 1st chapter of the 2024 Iditarod and Jr. Iditarod was recorded on Saturday June 24th at the Musher Sign-up and Volunteer Picnic at Headquarters in Wasilla. The weather cooperated as mushers, race fans and volunteers gathered to enjoy friendship, conversation and the usual delicious fare of grilled burgers and salmon. Mushers could register for …
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 …
With the 2022 Jr. Iditarod being run as a stage race on the Denali Highway, veterans of that race will be more experienced as mushers for the 2023 race but the trail between Knik and Yentna will be a new experience. Five teens come to the 2023 race with a year of Jr. Iditarod experience …
Kids come to mushing through many different trails. Sometimes it’s a family affair and other times it’s purely coincidence. Whatever brought them to dogs, these are dedicated conscientious young people who have worked extremely hard at becoming good at driving sleds, camping in the winter and caring for their beloved athletes. Meet the seven rookies …
Close, tight, side by side, neck and neck, nose to nose or nip and tuck – all are perfect descriptors of the Jr. Iditarod stage event. A mere 6 seconds separated first and second place and five minutes lapsed between second and third place in Jr. Iditarod XLV. At times there were multiple teams under …
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls! We have a race, a tight race – neck and neck – side by side – nose to nose – nip and tuck. Whatever you call it, clearly after Stage I this can be anybody’s race! The weather on the Denali Highway looks rather exceptional for the race today. …
