Musher Details

2008 Iditarod » Mushers » Joe Runyan

Joe Runyan

Bib Number: 83
Hometown: Cliff, NM


Biography

Joe Runyan, 57, was born in Oregon. He was raised in Idaho and moved to Alaska in 1969, where he lived for 25 years. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1970 with a degree in zoology. In Alaska, he commercially fished and ran a kennel of sled dogs. During his 25 years in Alaska, he lived either on the Yukon River or on the Tanana River. He began mushing in 1971 and became interested in the Iditarod while trapping on the Yukon and listening the news of the ’73 Race on a portable radio. He won the Yukon Quest in 1985 and then the Iditarod in 1989, becoming the first musher to have won both the long distance races. He says, “But some of my best experiences may have been expeditions on the Yukon River trapping with legendary woodsman Freddie Jordan by dog team.” Joe says that his current occupation is “self-unemployed business ventures.”  “After a fifteen year hiatus from dog mushing, I have been unbelievable lucky. Rachael Scdoris and Timmy Osmar asked me to be a part of their team in 2008. I just could not say ‘no’ to this wonderful opportunity. As many in the mushing community already know, Timmy is recovering from a very serious ankle and leg injury. Therefore, I will be running Timmy’s beautiful Iditarod team and acting as Rachael’s visual interpreter. Rachael and Timmy have dusted me off, got me back on the runners, helped prepare the dog team, organized strategy, and to them I owe a ‘huge thank you.'” He is the father of Zac, 32, Seneca, 28, Zetdi, 21 and Zabeth, 18. He says his hobby is animals of all kinds. He’s had fish farms, mules, sled dogs, homing pigeons, hounds, cattle and bird dogs. “My present business venture is to consume TNT bombing range contaminated plants with special microbe inoculated sheep. So.. new hobby is sheep.


2008 Standings

Checkpoint Time In Dogs In Time Out Dogs Out Rest Time Previous Layover Status Distance
Enroute Time Speed (mph) 8hr 24hr
Anchorage 3/01 13:00:00 12
Willow 3/02 16:42:00 16
Yentna 3/02 21:35:00 16 3/03 03:17:00 16 5h 42m 4h 53m 8.60 42
Skwentna 3/03 06:28:00 16 3/03 13:35:00 16 7h 7m 3h 11m 10.68 34
Finger Lake 3/03 19:05:00 16 3/04 02:17:00 16 7h 12m 5h 30m 8.18 45
Rainy Pass 3/04 06:08:00 16 3/04 12:30:00 16 6h 22m 3h 51m 7.79 30
Rohn 3/04 18:03:00 16 3/04 21:58:00 16 3h 55m 5h 33m 8.65 48
Nikolai 3/05 15:28:00 16 3/06 00:14:00 16 8h 46m 17h 30m 4.29 75
McGrath 3/06 06:26:00 16 3/07 08:00:00 16 25h 34m 6h 12m 8.71 ✔ 54
Takotna 3/07 10:08:00 16 3/07 10:28:00 16 0h 20m 2h 8m 8.44 ✔ 18
Ophir 3/07 12:51:00 16 3/07 19:06:00 16 6h 15m 2h 23m 10.49 ✔ 25
Cripple 3/08 10:40:00 16 3/08 19:15:00 16 8h 35m 15h 34m 3.79 ✔ 59
Ruby 3/09 11:22:00 16 3/09 19:47:00 15 8h 25m 15h 7m 7.41 ✔ ✔ 112
Galena 3/10 02:20:00 15 3/10 10:00:00 15 7h 40m 6h 33m 7.94 ✔ ✔ 52
Nulato 3/10 17:36:00 15 3/11 02:21:00 15 8h 45m 7h 36m 6.84 ✔ ✔ 52
Kaltag 3/11 07:15:00 15 3/11 12:50:00 15 5h 35m 4h 54m 8.57 ✔ ✔ 42
Unalakleet 3/12 07:09:00 15 3/12 15:16:00 14 8h 7m 18h 19m 4.91 ✔ ✔ 90
Shaktoolik 3/12 21:10:00 14 3/13 09:24:00 14 12h 14m 5h 54m 7.12 ✔ ✔ 42
Koyuk 3/13 16:08:00 14 3/14 00:54:00 14 8h 46m 6h 44m 7.13 ✔ ✔ 48
Elim 3/14 07:28:00 14 3/14 12:56:00 14 5h 28m 6h 34m 7.31 ✔ ✔ 48
White Mountain 3/14 18:04:00 14 3/15 07:01:00 14 12h 57m 5h 8m 8.96 ✔ ✔ 46
Safety 3/15 12:52:00 14 3/15 12:53:00 14 0h 1m 5h 51m 9.40 ✔ ✔ 55
Nome 3/15 15:52:04 14 2h 59m 7.37 ✔ ✔ 22