If you’re trying to figure out who has the strongest team and the best run/rest schedule of the top teams in this race you’re not alone.  For the first time in quite a few years there are a number of teams right at the front of the race rather than one or two teams duking it out for the lead.  Six strong teams, Aliy Zirkle, John Baker, Mitch Seavey, Aaron Burmeister, Dallas Seavey and Jeff King all have the teams and knowledge to win this race.

Aliy made some nice moves on the run over to Ruby that now have her leading the race to the coast.  She still has a very nice happy team that seems to be eating well and keeping their energy level up.  Aliy herself seems really focused and has her head solidly in the game.  When I talked with her today at Kaltag she mentioned more than once that she is out to win this race.  

Behind her is a field of strong teams that are about to put the pressure on.  I took a snow machine down the Yukon River to Kaltag today so that I could see the dogs moving down the trail.  Judging from what I saw on the trail today and also in the checkpoint I would say that the strongest teams coming up behind Aliy are Dallas Seavey’s and Aaron Burmeister’s.  Both of these teams appear to be full of energy, eating everything put in front of them and poised to start pushing the pace.  Dallas himself seems really confident, is carefully weighing each detail of the race and is giving his dogs impeccable care.

Another team that seems strong at this point in the race is last year’s champion John Baker.  John has moved solidy to the front and the race is now moving out to the Bering Sea Coast where John is most at home and always does well.  John and his dogs are known for running at a steady pace for long periods of time.  It would be foolish to ignore the depth of his team.

Each of these teams has their own area of expertise and it will be interesting to watch how this all shakes out as they head up the Bering Sea Coast.  It is also interesting that each of these teams ran a slightly different run/rest schedule through the interior of Alaska but at Kaltag all of the teams merged back together.  Now it comes down to a race of only the strongest of those teams.   Anything can happen.  Teams cycle up and down but from what I observed today the strongest are, Zirkle’s, Dallas Seavey’s, Baker’s and Burmeister’s.

Weather along the coast seems perfect for a dog race, clear, calm and 15 below to 15 above.