IDITAROD: Special Coverage from APRN

Bicknell puts out Iditarod lantern

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:19:51 +0000

Dog sled racing can trace its origin’s back to the Alaska gold rush era when dog sled teams played an important role in transporting freight and mail through the remote stretches of Alaska. Those mushers relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. Word was sent ahead to the roadhouses that a musher [...]

Ramey Smyth wins one for mom

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:35:36 +0000

Iditarod finisher Ramey Smyth has known dog sled racing his entire life thanks to his mushing parents Bud Smyth and the late Lolly Medley. Lolly became the second woman to cross the Iditarod finish line in Nome coming in 29 minutes after Mary Shields in the second running of the race in 1974. In addition [...]

Iditarod cash prizes official

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:24:02 +0000

The Iditarod Trail Committee officially released the cash prize list today, including the now complete list of top 30 finishers. Here’s the list: 01 - Lance Mackey $69,000 02 - Jeff King $65,100 03 - Ramey Smyth $61,400 04 - Ken Anderson $57,800 05 - Martin Buser $54,400 06 - Hans Gatt $51,100 07 - Mitch Seavey $48,000 08 - Paul Gebhardt $45,000 09 [...]

Top 31 Iditarod teams now into Nome

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:30:35 +0000

31 teams have made it to Nome in the Iditarod. All finishers take home $1,049 for their accomplishment, but the top 30 earn additional prize money. Number 30 is Melissa Owens, who arrived in Nome at 11:21 a.m. today. Owens lives in Nome, and was welcomed by a huge hometown crowd who turned out to [...]

Iditarod’s top 15 are into Nome following Mackey’s second championship

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:11:23 +0000

Teams continue to pour into Nome this evening, wrapping up their 1,100-mile run on the Iditarod trail. The latest to arrive was DeeDee Jonrowe, who finished at 4:07 p.m. this afternoon, in 15th place. Libby Casey, KUAC - Nome

Iditarod 2008 photo gallery

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:26:46 +0000

One of Hugh Neff’s dogs, hiding out in his sled in Unalakleet. Photo by Ellen Lockyer. We’ve finally posted a collection of Iditarod 2008 photos spanning from the ceremonial start in Anchorage down to the finish line in Nome, thanks to friends of APRN as well as our trail reporters. You can find our photo collection on Flickr, [...]

Mackey wins, King takes second and the top 10 are rolling in

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:00:06 +0000

Lance Mackey stayed ahead of Jeff King and won the Iditarod at 2:46 a.m. this morning. KUAC’s Libby Casey reports from Nome in the attached audio update. Meanwhile, it’s still a race for third between Ramey Smyth, Ken Anderson, Martin Buser and Hans Gatt, all coming off their 8-hour layovers in White Mountain within a half [...]

Lance Mackey: Iditarod 2008 Champion

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:12:49 +0000

Yet another Lance Mackey win in the Iditarod. This year he did it in 9 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes, 48 seconds (official time). We’ll have audio updates later this morning on APRN stations statewide. And check back here to the web site or subscribe to the podcast. We’ll have updates from Libby Casey in [...]

We’re in the last 30 minutes, tracking Mackey’s arrival

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:32:29 +0000

We’re still live Twittering, but Channel 2 has also gone live now, via satellite from Nome. Keep an eye out for Libby Casey around those parts — she’s covering the finish for APRN this year. She also covered the finish of the Yukon Quest this year for KUAC, where she greeted Lance Mackey as [...]

GPS reveals how Mackey does it

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:22:10 +0000

Well now we know how Lance Mackey keeps winning these races. It’s a sudden surge of speed right at the end, as evidenced here: Who can beat 162 MPH?

Live Twittering continues… Mackey passes Safety checkpoint

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:26:29 +0000

Join us on Twitter for live coverage right up to the end of the race! Lance Mackey has already passed the Safety checkpoint. So far, Jeff King has not poured on enough speed to make up the 1-hour difference in their starts from White Mountain. So it looks like Mackey’s race to lose at this point. You [...]

Will Elim checkpoint trick put Mackey into Nome first?

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:32:35 +0000

The race is literally on in the Iditarod as the two front-runners begin the final 77-mile run to Nome. A winner is expected early tomorrow morning. Lance Mackey left the White Mountain checkpoint at 4:53 p.m. this afternoon, and Jeff King will follow him out nearly an hour later at 5:50 p.m. The next group [...]

Follow the race conclusion on Twitter

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:15:06 +0000

Just a note for fans following the end of the race. We’re doing live online coverage of the last legs of the race online via Twitter. You can find our Iditarod tweets online here: http://twitter.com/iditarod Given such a close race with only 70-odd miles to go, this should be fun! Be sure to send us your thoughts [...]

Mackey looking over his shoulder again

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:25:13 +0000

Lance Mackey doesn’t have a sit down sled, but if he ever gets one, he might consider putting a swivel seat on it. After all he has been looking over his shoulder a lot lately. It happened last month he won the Yukon Quest 1000 mile sled dog race. “I think my heads on backwards. [...]

Mackey first to White Mountain

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:53:55 +0000

Mackey was first into White Mountain, beating King by 57 minutes. That’s a substantial lead for the last 77 miles. Incredible. Many of us race watchers thought King would eat away at Mackey’s lead prior to reaching this vital checkpoint. But King may not be holding the cards after all. Mackey only had a three minute [...]

Less than 24 hours to go in Iditarod 2008

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:56:38 +0000

Lance Mackey blasted through Golovin this morning with Jeff King apparently deliberately hanging behind him. When the two of them come into White Mountain for their mandatory 8-hour layovers this morning, there will be 77 miles left to Nome. Both teams will be rested for that final race. Jeff King has remained just minutes behind [...]

Owens on Iditarod home stretch

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:36:36 +0000

The dog team of 18 year old Melissa Owens naturally picked up speed as they crested the Kaltag portage looking down into Unalakleet. “The lights looked like Nome and I think they knew were getting closer,” she said. The Bering Sea coast should look familiar to Owen’s team. She lives and trains in Nome within [...]

Unalakleet hosts Iditarod rush hour

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:22:37 +0000

The Iditarod trail sled dog race is entering the final push as Lance Mackey checked into Koyuk at 1:19 p.m. this afternoon and Jeff King chased right in behind him 8 minutes later. Checked out of Shaktoolik and heading toward Koyuk now are Ken Anderson, Martin Buser, Ramey Smyth and Hans Gatt. Checked into Shaktoolik [...]

Families that mush together, stay together

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:22:06 +0000

Mushing the Iditarod is usually a solo journey between the team of musher and dogs. But some racers have family members out on the trail. KUAC’s Libby Casey has more about the unique relationships in this year’s race. Blake and Jen Freking work with their dogs in Takotna. The husband-wife team has a kennel of [...]

Iditarod sled dog killed in snowmachine collision

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:21:30 +0000

A dog in the team of Minnesotan Jen Freking was killed Sunday night by a snowmachine. Freking was on the trail between Galena and Nulato, near Koyukuk. Iditarod officials say her dog Lorne was killed and another was hurt when they were hit around 10:00 p.m. last night. They said Freking is devastated, but has [...]

Setting up for a photo finish

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:13:16 +0000

The closest Iditarod finish ever was in 1979 when Dick Mackey outlasted Rick Swenson by 1 second. The 2008 race has Dick’s son Lance pitted against Jeff King in perhaps the tightest race for the lead since that legendary finish. With the teams working their way up the Bering Sea coast to the mandatory 8 [...]

Fierce competition at the front of Iditarod pack

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:00:54 +0000

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 the ice of Norton Sound. Behind those two there were more than 12 teams jockeying for the top 10, as they came into Unalakleet through the night. Kjetil Backen led them [...]

Deja Vu for Mackey and King

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:49:48 +0000

As the leaders of the Iditarod dogsled race depart Unalakleet and head up the Bering Sea coast, 2007 Iditarod winner Lance Mackey and 2006 Iditarod winner Jeff King have distanced themselves from the pack and continue to swap places at the front. Mackey left the Kaltag checkpoint for the 90 mile jaunt over the pass [...]

Trail photos

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:34:09 +0000

Greetings, APRN Trail Reporter Libby Casey here. The race is certainly getting exciting as King and Mackey head for the Coast. We’ve got photos from Kaltag and additional stories over at Radio Icebox. DeeDee Jonrowe takes a break in Kaltag. She left the Yukon River checkpoint in 14th place Sunday afternoon.

And 40 miles separate top 14

webmaster@aprn.org (Alaska Public Radio Network) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:59:15 +0000

There is a new rabbit to chase. Jeff King has pulled ahead of Lance Mackey during the first half of the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet. This 80+ mile leg will take mushers a dozen or so hours and there are many still hungry for the win — whether it be their 6th, 5th, 2nd, [...]