Iditapod: Bringin’ it home to Nome
Since the Iditapod left off, after Brent Sass's epic first Iditarod victory, teams have continued to arrive in Nome, including a fun race for 3rd and 4th place, two Yukon-Kuskokwim mushers in 5th and 6th, an impressive 7th place finish for a second-year musher and a Nome local coming home to finish in 8th before stepping away. We're also going to step away, but not before we answer another listener question and bring you one last Dog of the Day.
Iditapod bonus: Brent Sass interview in Nome
In this hour-long interview, we hear more from 2022 Iditarod champion Brent Sass about how he’s forged a unique bond with his dog team, how he draws inspiration from his idols like Susan Butcher, and how his life in his remote homestead has made him the musher he is. Alaska Public Media’s Lex Treinen sat down with Sass, along with a group of other reporters, and Sass’s dad Mark at the Nome Nugget newspaper in downtown Nome.
Iditapod bonus: Aaron Burmeister interview in Nome
Veteran Iditarod musher Aaron Burmeister talked to Alaska Public Media’s Jeff Chen at the Nome radio station, KNOM, roughly a day after Burmeister finished his 21st Iditarod. Burmeister talks about stepping away from the Iditarod, about how his race went this year, and how much dog mushing has changed over the many years he’s been a competitive musher.
Two Iditarod mushers rescued from trail
Gerhardt Thiart and Bridgett Watkins were rescued and flown to Nome.
Aaron Burmeister is stepping away from competitive mushing
Burmeister has been competing in the Iditarod since his rookie run in 1994, when he was rookie of the year.
Iditarod punishes 3 mushers for sheltering dogs in windstorm
Mille Porsild of Denmark, Michelle Phillips of Canada and Riley Dyche of Fairbanks were penalized for taking dogs inside shelter cabins to ride out the storm with winds so strong, they whipped up white-out conditions.
Penalty partially reversed for 2 Iditarod mushers who sheltered dogs inside during storm
Mille Porsild and Michelle Phillips were the top female finishers in this year’s race. On one of the final runs they moved their dogs indoors to get out of a severe windstorm.
Iditarod dog found months after disappearing from checkpoint
An Iditarod sled dog was found safe after disappearing from a checkpoint in the race three months ago and covering nearly 150 miles.
Legendary Alaska musher Lance Mackey dies at age 52
The four-time Iditarod victor's kennel said he died Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer, following his re-diagnosis last year.
Iditarod’s last-minute entrants include Australian making unexpected return
Christian Turner is an unlikely entrant in the 1,000-mile sled dog race, but not for lack of experience: He’s a two-time finisher, placing his highest at 15th in 2015, his last Iditarod.
This year’s Iditarod sign-ups matched the all-time low. Here’s what’s behind it.
Some legendary careers are winding down. Other mushers are taking a break. All are grappling with higher costs in an already-expensive sport.
Iditarod’s smallest field in race history begs the question: Why so few?
As the Iditarod has become more competitive, the middle- to back-of-the pack mushers who made it more of a cultural event have struggled with rising costs.
Iditarod veteran Hugh Neff denied entry for 2023 race
Hugh Neff has finished the Iditarod 13 times, placing as high as 5th in 2011. But over the past few years, he has had trouble in both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
Kwethluk’s Raymond Alexie wins the first race of the Kuskokwim mushing season
Alexie beat the second place finisher, veteran Pete Kaiser of Bethel, by 14 minutes.
Yukon Quest is rerouted off Yukon River due to unsafe ice conditions
All race checkpoints will now be road accessible, a change that could increase entries before a sign up deadline that’s been extended until Friday.
Five Indigenous mushers set to compete in 2023 Iditarod despite rising costs
First climate change and now financial worries are forcing some competitors to stay off the trail this year.
Yukon Quest sled dog race faces an uncertain future
The once-iconic 1,000-mile race has splintered into separate, shorter races on the Alaska and Canadian sides of the border.
Our 24 favorite photos from this year’s Yukon Quest Alaska sled dog race
From frosty dogs to frosty mushers.
Fur Rondy’s sled dog sprint races draw a large crowd to downtown Anchorage
The three-day sprint mushing event brought veterans and rookies alike, all competing for the glory and prize money in front of a packed crowd.
All eyes on reigning Iditarod champ Brent Sass in small, yet competitive field
Nearly all of last year’s top dog teams are returning to the Iditarod, though some of the mushers have changed.