Nome 2013 – Jim Lanier, Jimmy and Anna Bondarenko with Beyond Ophir published in 2013

Jim Lanier is camped on the west end of the checkpoint.  He’s seventy-five years old and has done Iditarod in every decade of its existence.  The guy is a legend.  He’s written Beyond Ophir, an absolutely captivating collection of his personal mushing experiences.  Lanier has finished 16 Iditarod races without scratching.  In 2014 he was in for the 17th when a torn Achilles Tendon caused him to scratch.  The next year, 2015, it was pneumonia that shortened his race.  He’s back in the race and hopes to make it his 17th finish.  Lanier’s personal goal is to run in another decade of races, making it 6 decades of race participation.  Beyond that he says, “Health aside, it’s a matter of enjoyment of the dreaming, planning, scheming, training, support of family and friends and of going head-to-head with people half my age and younger.”  Jim’s wife, Anna Bondarenko, became the first Russian woman to enter and complete the race in 2000.   

1975 – Noah Pereira and Jim Lanier (photo by Rob Johnson)

Last night, Jim Lanier sat with Noah Pereira inside McGrath checkpoint.  Noah, is a very wise young man and knew he was in the company of an elder who could and would share his expertise.  Noah absorbed every word Lanier spoke.  One of the comms volunteers, Rob Johnson, took this photo of the two.  Rob is calling the photo of the youngest and oldest musher,1975.  Noah is nineteen and Jim is seventy-five.