The father-son Buser teams were the first mushers to make Front Street on Thursday morning. We’d hiked several blocks down to the snow ramp behind the Subway and Gold Coast Cinema that brings the teams off the sea ice. We stood with Quest champion and Iditarod veteran, Vern Halter, and watched the Busers run in from Cape Nome. Halter was impressed with their speed. In the pre-dawn light, the busers seemed to by flying low along the sea ice.  We were the first to welcome Rohn and Martin to Nome. Rohn was in the lead on the single file ramp but Martin hustled to make it a tight finish. Finishing his second Iditarod, Rohn edged the Master, Martin, by one second – finishing in 10d 18h 10m and 12s.

Then it was playtime for the dogs. The tugs were unhooked and the dogs trotted around the chute as if it were a large canine playpen. They enjoyed lots of love from fans and nice fatty snacks for their coaches.  Thinking that Martin and Rohn weren’t looking, three dogs with plenty of energy trotted a half block toward the open end of the chute.  Perhaps they wanted to see a little of Nome.  They’d just finished a trek of 1049 miles so now it was time to look around town.  As they made a left out of the chute to head up Division Street, Martin whistled.  The dogs hesitated only momentarily before returning to their master via the sidewalk.  Good dogs!  When it was time to head to the dog lot, Rohn herded all 20 of the happy athletes to where they’d be camping for the next day or two.  Rohn and Martin finished in 18^th and 19^th place respectively.  Martin, a four winner of Iditarod gold, has run and completed twenty-eight Iditarod Races since 1980.  Rohn’s second run to Nome proved to be a great improvement in place and time.  In 2008, as a high school senior he made Nome in 11d 6h 58m 2s for 37th place.