2012 Iditarod Starting Order
This year's field features 66 mushers, with Ray Redington Jr. drawing the number two bib. Dave Olson is this year's honorary musher and will be wearing number one.
Read more to see the full field.
Early Trail Conditions Look Good For Mushers
Iditarod 2012 is set to start up this weekend, with the ceremonial start Saturday and the restart in Willow on Sunday, and mushers should see some pretty good conditions over the first couple days of the race.
Nicolas Petit Takes Early Iditarod Lead
Nicolas Petit was in to Finger Lake early this morning taking an early lead in the Iditarod. He was followed by Brent Sass of Eureka, Tom Thurston of Oak Creek, Co. and Ray Redington, Jr. of Two Rivers. Defending champion John Baker of Kotzebue was not far behind leaving Skwentna. This is Petit's second Iditarod. He lives in Girdwood.
Iditarod Leaders Make Rainy Pass
Leaders in the 40th Iditarod were in Rainy Pass late Monday morning, including Ray Redington, Jr., Hugh Neff, Aliy Zirkle, Paul Gebhardt, Jim Lanier and Cim Smyth. The group also included past champions Lance Mackey and rival Jeff King. Defending champion John Baker was out of Finger Lake and not far behind the leaders.
Iditarod Leaders Leave Rainy Pass
Hugh Neff is leading the Iditarod. The winner of this year’s Yukon Quest left Rainy Pass at 2:58 this afternoon. Ray Redington, Jr. left the checkpoint at 3:09, followed closely by Aaron Burmeister and Lance Mackey.
Zirkle, Baker, Mackey Lead Iditarod
Aliy Zirkle led a group of mushers towards Nikolai in the Iditarod Tuesday morning. She was followed closely by defending champion John Baker and past champion Lance Mackey. Hugh Neff was not far behind the trio.
Zirkle Leads Mushers Into Nikolai
Aliy Zirkle was the first musher to ride into Nikolai at 9:14 a.m., followed by reigning champion John Baker at 9:36 a.m.. Lance Mackey isn't far behind, making it into the checkpoint just before 10:00 a.m.
Mushers Reach Nikolai; Zirkle, Baker, Mackey, Neff Among Leaders
More than a dozen mushers had reached Nikolai by early afternoon Tuesday in their quest to win the Iditarod. Aliy Zirkle had during the morning, but a number of mushers, including past champions John Baker and Lance Mackey were following close behind. Hugh Neff, Ray Redington, Jr., Mitch Seavey, and Jeff King were among those who had reached Nikolai. Brent Sass was out of Rohn and leading the field of rookies.
Zirkle, Baker Lead Mushers Out Of Nikolai
Aliy Zirkle and John Baker are leading the Iditarod. The mushers left the Nikolai checkpoint at 1:50 this afternoon. Jeff King, Lance Mackey, Mitch Seavey and Hugh Neff followed out of Nikolai about an hour later.
Zirkle Leads Baker out of McGrath
Aliy Zirkle maintained her slight lead over defending Iditarod champion John Baker Tuesday night. Both arrived in McGrath about 30 minutes apart. The two leaders spent only a few minutes in McGrath and then headed back onto the trail. Zirkle is racing with 16 dogs. Baker had dropped two from his team.
Zirkle Maintains Lead; Mackey Drops Back
Aliy Zirkle maintained her lead in the 40th Iditarod last night pulling into Takotna about 11:30 pm. Defending champion John Baker was in pursuit, coming into the checkpoint just after midnight. Mitch Seavey was virtually tied with Baker. Jeff King and Dallas Seavey were following the leaders. About two dozen mushers were in Takotna Wednesday morning. Lance Mackey, according to the Iditarod tracking service, was still at the McGrath checkpoint.
Busers Bolt into Iditarod Lead
Martin Buser and his son, Rohn, stopped for only a few minutes in Takotna and bolted into the Iditarod lead Wednesday morning. Martin Buser arrived in Takotna about 8:30 am, stopped a few minutes and then headed towards the ghost town of Ophir. Rohn, who won the Kusko 300 earlier this year, reached Takotna about 9:45 am and left almost immediately. As of 11:30 Wednesday morning, Aliy Zirkle, who had led much of the race, was still in Takotna.
Aliy Zirkle First Musher Into Takotna
About 34 teams are taking their mandatory 24-hour break in Takotna during this year’s Iditarod sled dog race. The church and other buildings are filled with sleeping mushers. Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle was the first to reach the checkpoint late last night. She says so far, she hasn’t had any surprises.
Lanier Takes Iditarod Lead
Veteran musher Jim Lanier took the lead in the Iditarod late Wednesday night leaving Ophir just before midnight. He was being trailed by Trent Herbst. Lanier was racing with 13 dogs, Herbst with 15. Neither musher had taken a 24-hour required stop. Mitch Seavey, Aliy Zirkle and Dallas Seavey took their 24-hour stop in Ophir and were following the leaders Thursday morning. Past champion Jeff King and defending champion John Baker also had taken their long stop in Ophir and were trailing Dallas Seavey. Fan favorite Lance Mackey was out of Ophir about 6:30 this morning and was racing to catch up with the leaders.
Lanier, Herbst Nearing Cripple in Iditarod
Jim Lanier and Trent Herbst were nearing Cripple about noon on Thursday and leading the field in this year's Iditarod. Mitch Seavey was moving up rapidly in third place and gaining on Lanier and Herbst. Aliy Zirkle, who had led early on, was in fourth position. Chasing those four leaders were defending champion John Baker and Aaron Burmeister. Ray Redington, Jr., Paul Gebhardt and past champion Lance Mackey were running together and chasing the leaders. Cripple marks the official halfway point in the race. The first team to reach Cripple wins a trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets.
Mushers Reflect On Past Lessons Learned
Jim Lanier was the first Iditarod musher to reach the Cripple checkpoint at just before 2 this afternoon. He has not yet taken his 24-hour layover though, so Mitch Seavey – who arrived in Cripple 20 minutes later, is leading the race. Dallas Seavey is also in Cripple. According to GPS, John Baker, Lance Mackey, Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle are close behind.
Mitch Seavey First To Reach Ruby
This could be a Seavey year in the Iditarod. Mitch and Dallas Seavey have stayed out front, along with a few others, through the halfway point. Mitch Seavey was the first to reach the Yukon River at Ruby. Here is how it rolled out. Veteran musher Jim Lanier put off his mandatory 24 hour layover and collected the halfway gold nuggets at Cripple. Mitch Seavey nearly caught up with him. Aliy Zirkle decided not to rest in Cripple when she arrived four hours later and blasted on ahead, the first to leave Cripple. In between were Trent Herbst, not having taken his 24, Dallas Seavey, John Baker and Jeff King.
Zirkle Resumes Iditarod Lead
After giving up the lead position Friday morning, Aliy Zirkle was back in the lead position in the Iditarod by early Friday afternoon. She recaptured her lead by giving her team a rest 30 miles south of Ruby. She reached the Ruby checkpoint after the morning leader, Mitch Seavey, but she spent only a few minutes there. She dropped one dog in Ruby and is now racing with 14 dogs westward along the Yukon River.
Zirkle First Musher To Reach Galena
Aliy Zirkle is the first Iditarod musher to pull into Galena, arriving shortly before 4 this afternoon. She is followed by Mitch and Dallas Seavey, who are running around 8 miles apart between the Ruby and Galena checkpoints.