Iditarod kicks off with festive ceremonial start
Musher Mitch Seavey leaves the Ruby, Alaska, checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2012. The worlds most famous sled dog race kicks off Saturday, March 2, 2013, with an 11-mile-long trot through Alaskas largest city, Anchorage. The competition begins Sunday in Willow. (AP Photo/The Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, file)
Mushers and their dogs are taking a leisurely jaunt through Anchorage in the ceremonial start of Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
The 1,000-mile race kicked off Saturday in a festive mood as 66 teams posed with fans and sailed their sleds 11 miles on streets covered with trucked-in snow.
The event comes ahead of the real, competitive start of the race Sunday in Willow 50 miles to the north.
From there, the 66-dog teams will begin making their way through unforgiving wilderness toward the finish line in Nome on Alaska’s western coast.
The winner will get a new truck and $50,400. The rest of the $600,000 purse will be split between the next 29 mushers to cross the finish line.
Here’s a look at the starting order for the race.
- Jan Newton, Honorary musher
- Martin Buser, Big Lake
- Scott Janssen, Anchorage
- Jodi Bailey, Chatanika
- Lance Mackey, Fairbanks
- Ken Anderson, Fairbanks
- Michelle Phillips, Tagish, Yukon, Canada
- Newton Marshall, St. Ann, Jamaica
- Kelley Griffin, Wasilla
- Peter Kaiser, Bethel
- Paul Gebhardt, Kasilof
- Jason Mackey, Wasilla
- John Baker, Kotzebue
- Paige Drobny, Fairbanks
- Charley Bejna, Addison, Ill.
- Nicolas Petit, Girdwood
- Cindy Gallea, Wykoff, Minn.
- 18. Jeff King, Denali
- Dallas Seavey, Willow
- Kristy Berington, Kasilof
- Gerry Willomitzer, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Travis Beals, Seward
- Robert Bundtzen, Anchorage
- Aaron Burmeister, Nome
- Kelly Maixner, Big Lake
- Jan Steves, Edmonds, Wash.
- Aliy Zirkle, Two Rivers
- DeeDee Jonrowe, Willow
- Karin Hendrickson, Wasilla
- Jessie Royer, Darby, Mont.
- Anna Berington, Kasilof
- Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Roros, Norway
- Michael Suprenant, Chugiak
- Justin Savidis, Willow
- Mike Williams, Sr., Akiak
- Mitch Seavey, Seward
- Christine Roalofs, Anchorage
- Ramey Smyth, Willow
- Rudy Demoski, Sr., Wasilla
- Angie Taggart, Ketchikan
- Ed Stielstra, McMillan, Mich.
- Linwood Fiedler, Willow
- Bob Chlupach, Willow
- Jake Berkowitz, Big Lake
- Curt Perano, Queenstown, New Zealand
- Michael Williams, Jr., Akiak
- Luan R. Marques, Macae, Brazil
- Allen Moore, Two Rivers
- Gerald Sousa, Talkeetna
- Mike Ellis, Two Rivers
- Cim Smyth, Big Lake
- Ray Redington, Jr., Wasilla
- Louie Ambrose, St. Michael
- Jessica Hendricks, Two Rivers
- Josh Cadzow, Fort Yukon
- David Sawatzky, Healy
- Wade Marrs, Wasilla
- Aaron Peck, Bezanson, Alberta, Canada
- Jim Lanier, Chugiak
- Cindy Abbott, Irvine, Calif.
- Matt Failor, Big Lake
- Brent Sass, Manley Hot Springs
- Mikhail Telpin, Yanrakkynot, Chukotka, Russia
- Matt Giblin, Sterling
- Richie Diehl, Aniak
- James Volek, Big Lake
- Sonny Lindner, Two Rivers
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Reported by RACHEL D’ORO of the Associated Press from ANCHORAGE, Alaska. Follow Rachel D’Oro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rdoro
Additional information(c)2013 the Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, Alaska)
Visit the Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, Alaska) at www.adn.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Karin Hendrickson embraces her team leader, Hatchet in Takotna, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2012. The worlds most famous sled dog race kicks off Saturday, March 2, 2013, with an 11-mile-long trot through Anchorage. The real competition begins Sunday in Willow. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Marc Lester, file)
