Iditarod

ll news stories about the Iditarod or mushing in general are categorized “Iditarod.”

Iditapod: Making it to the Yukon River

Top teams in the 2019 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race are reaching the Yukon River on Friday as the race enters its fifth day, with snow and more warm temperatures in the forecast. Girdwood's Nicolas Petit and Norwegian-by-way-of-Willow musher Joar Leifseth Ulsom have continued to leapfrog each other, with Nic winning a five-course meal in Anvik. We hear more about the different strategies as they came into focus earlier in the race and take a listener question about team positions for dogs.

Iditarod mushers send trail mix, lasagna and frozen pork to race checkpoints

The food and gear drop is part of the massive web of logistics to prepare for the annual 1,000-mile sled dog race.

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.
two dogs stand and sit upright as a person prepares to feed them

Iditapod: Halfway there, fully committed

Iditarod mushers and their dog teams are now either in the middle of their mandatory 24-hour layovers or back out on the trail, if they opted to do that earlier. We've got the frontrunners at the Cripple checkpoint, as well as a chat with the folks who 24ed in McGrath, now making up the chase pack. There's also an old-timer for our Dog of the Day, a couple listener questions about how to get into dog mushing and, related, what it means to be a handler.

Fierce competition at the front of Iditarod pack

The competition is fierce in this year's Iditarod. Jeff King and Lance Mackey left Shaktoolik within minutes of each other last night, headed across...

New Mushing Magazine Owners Plan to Grow Coverage

Robert and Michele Forto will continue to publish the print magazine while expanding online offerings.
a musher with a microphone under the Iditarod burled arch

Two Alaska reporters explain the sexual assault allegations against Iditarod musher Brent Sass

The Iditarod's decision came nearly four months after the race received a letter accusing Sass of sexual assault.
A musher seen in profile going down a river

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.

Iditapod: Nicolas Petit leads mushers to the Yukon

In Episode 8, we talk about Nicolas Petit being the first to the Yukon, Martin Buser's recovery from last year's injury, Yukon Quest v. Iditarod, and veteran dog teams.

Dallas Seavey Wins The 2015 Iditarod

Dallas Seavey crossed under the burled arch in Nome at 4:13 a..m. Wednesday, securing his second-consecutive Iditarod win, and his third four years. He made the 22 mile run from Safety, the Iditarod's final stop before the finish line in Nome, in three hours. Download Audio
two dogs and a musher

Sven and Ghost, the Iditarod champions

Sven and Ghost led Ryan Redington to his first Iditarod victory on Tuesday.

Iditapod: Race day 3, and tricky mushing out of Rainy Pass

Things get pretty technical for Iditarod mushers heading out of the Rainy Pass checkpoint and into the Dalzell Gorge before Rohn and Nikolai. Plus, we hear from animal-rights activist and documentary filmmaker Fern Levitt, and we get four-time Iditarod Jeff King's take on criticism of dog mushing.

Dallas Seavey First to White Mountain, Maintains Iditarod Lead

Dallas Seavey was the first musher to arrive in White Mountain Tuesday morning. It’s the second to last stop along the Iditarod trail. Teams will take an eight-hour mandatory rest there, before the make the final push for Nome.

Allen Moore Wins 2014 Yukon Quest

Allen Moore has won the Yukon Quest International Sled dog Race for the second consecutive year.  Moore’s team is known for its petite stature, perky ears and wagging tails and they didn’t disappoint.  They jumped in harness and yelped after arriving at Takhini Hot Springs 30 miles outside of Whitehorse. Listen Now

Old guard content to watch new generation of mushers take reins of sport

Currently, the top of the Iditarod leader-board is filled out with younger mushers, most of them in their 20s and 30s — the race’s up-and-comers. Many esteemed members of mushing’s old guard are content to watch a new generation inherit the mantel. Listen now
a musher applies foot ointment to a dog

Iditarod dream rekindled: Wally Robinson returns to the race after nearly a quarter-century

Robinson was a rookie in 2001, finishing 40th. It was his one and only attempt, until now.
A musher gets his nose swabbed for COVID-19.

Iditarod to require daily COVID testing for race officials and volunteers

Mushers will also have to get COVID tested three times before the start of the 1,000-mile race to Nome, and once in the checkpoint of McGrath.

Trail Mix: At an Iditarod checkpoint, the snowbank is the studio

Trail Mix is Alaska Public Media's trail reporters inside look at covering the Iditarod sled dog race. Emily Schwing knows a lot more than I...
A man in a fur-ruffed parka

When this Iditarod rookie lost his dog team, his top competitor helped him out

Eddie Burke Jr. said he dozed off on his sled along the Yukon River and lost his team 18 miles from the nearest checkpoint. His closest competitor for rookie of the year gave him a lift.