As we witness the last finisher stand beneath the famous burled arch in Nome, it feels very much like the end of the 2024 Iditarod Trail Invitational. Still, it is far from over for some, athletes begin their long journey home, volunteers and staff start the arduous process of buttoning the race up, and we, the Dot Watchers, try to get back to normal life albeit with a little more inspiration under our belts. 

We wanted to send you off with a heartfelt thank you for coming on this journey with us, and gratitude to those who have spent the last 30 days writing our daily recaps.  On the back end we research, discuss, and exchange information literally all day long, and the reports usually take several hours to write. It is too much for one person to do, so six women whose priceless experience and insight joined up to tell the story of this adventure as it played out. Even though they need no introduction, they humbly acquiesced to answering three questions; about their winter experience, why the ITI is special to them, and what they enjoyed about writing our daily recaps. Enjoy!  

Jill Martindale:

I finished ITI in 2020 with Petr Ineman and Casey Fagerquist when everything was shutting down during the pandemic and the storm surge that broke the sea ice prohibited anyone else from finishing in Nome that year. Prior to that, I had raced the 350 mile to McGrath in 2018. I was the first woman to finish Jay P’s 200 mile Fat Pursuit, which they don’t offer any more (it is now a 200k). I have 3 Arrowhead 135 finishes (current women’s record), 3 Tuscobia 160 finishes, 2 Polar Roll Ultra finishes, 1 White Mountains 100 finish, and several multi-day winter bike-packing trips under my belt. I also have 3 Arrowhead 135 DNF’s and 1 Fat Pursuit 200 mile DNF - I learned more from not finishing those events than I have finishing them!

Alaska is sort of the great last frontier. The ruggedness, the raw and brutal wild, the beautiful snowy landscape that not many get to witness it’s all so alluring to me. The locals who live along the historic Iditarod trail are incredibly generous and make me feel so fortunate to be experiencing this little piece of the world. I can’t wait to make it back.

For me, reminiscing about my time on the trail is one thing that I enjoy whole-heartedly about writing the ITI recaps. I also really love that the daily recaps are written with female athletes in mind! So many times news articles or the media highlight the men, with the women feeling like an afterthought or like a lesser portion of the adventure. When I was interviewed after my ITI 1000 finish, some reporters thought it important to ask about my husband, while Petr and Casey were asked other questions and not what their spouses thought of them spending a month out in the cold. I love that Leah Gruhn began writing the WWW recaps with the motivation of bringing women to the forefront, and I’ve loved watching Leah traverse the trail and watching her dot each day. The community and kinship built out there is incredible and these recaps have helped to strengthen those bonds between the athletes on the trail and those who have experienced it in the past (or who will get out there in the future!)

Amber Crawford

My winter experience began with short bike races that got progressively longer including several finishes in 100 mile races like White Mountains 100 and Susitna 100. An injury prevented me from doing the ITI on bike in 2020 so I decided to do it on foot. During that race I hatched the idea to ski in 2021, and finally I biked it in 2022. I believe having experienced the trail in so many different ways gives me a unique perspective. 

Writing race recaps gives all of us the opportunity to nerd out on the ITI, and it’s a lot of fun to dig into different aspects of the ITI, and also winter endurance racing in general, winter survival, and many other unexpected side topics. We often don’t know where the next day of writing will take the story, which is a lot of fun! Scratching from a race is hard, and after scratching this year the updates were a great way to give back and stay involved with this community.

Carole Holley

My winter experience started doing the Little Su on a mountain bike in 2008. After pushing my bike for nearly 10 hours, I decided that if I was going to continue enjoying winter ultramarathons, I’d prefer to not do it hauling around an occasionally-rolling luggage rack. I then went on to enjoy the Susitna 100 several times, White Mountains 100, and finish two ITI 350s.

I first moved to Alaska in 2001 where to Galena on the Northern Route of the Iditarod Trail. I remember while I was volunteering for the sled dog event one year, seeing this person biking along the Yukon River and asking folks if I was imagining it. And the response was that there were these “crazy people” who would bike the Trail. When I moved to Anchorage in 2006, I was lucky enough to become friends with some of those crazy people who lured a Florida gal into a love for winter ultramarathons.

I enjoyed connecting with an awesome bunch of female athletes who love this race as much as I do.

Kori Marchowsky

Until a few years ago my winter experience was not race-related, but focused on multi-day trips traveling to remote places in the mountains on foot or skis. Then in 2015, winter biking came into my life. I have since completed the Homer Epic, the Susitna 100 twice and the ITI to McGrath in 2023, all on my bike.

The history of the trail, the idea of traveling through the Alaska Range and interior and northwest Alaska in winter, the communities along the trail, the race community itself…it all comes together in a very unique and special way to create a powerful experience not just for racers but for everyone involved.

I loved getting to dive into the details of this race and its people with some truly inspiring women. I only wrote a couple of recaps and was a rookie writer amongst some very experienced and talented people in this group. I thought this would be a way to give back to this community.

Jill Homer

When I moved to Homer, Alaska, in 2005, I was convinced I wouldn’t survive the long, dark winters unless I took up a winter sport. What I discovered was fat biking and endurance racing on the Iditarod Trail — such an enchanting and audacious idea that it more or less took over my life. I made it my goal to ride the ITI 350 and did so in 2008. I’ve since been back six more times. I’m a two-time finisher of the 350 on a bike, twice on foot, and in 2016 I rode my bike to Nome. I also have two DNFs.

My husband, Beat, also became enamored with the endeavor and just completed his eighth walk to Nome. There’s something magical about the Iditarod Trail — a place so relentlessly challenging and remote that you have to gaze deep into the darkness just to get through it. And yet it’s also a place of beauty, joy and kindness. Some of the most generous people I’ve met live in this harsh and unforgiving place. 

I was grateful for the opportunity to write recaps since I already obsessively follow the race and its little dots — specifically Beat’s. It was wonderful to get to know more about the folks out racing this year, as well as the other women participating in the recaps. The discussion threads were gold! It was a landmark year for the ITI and I was glad to be a small part of it. 

Kari Gibbons

Two time finisher of the ITI 350, the pandemic year and the Out and Back which was a true 350. A nice pile of finishes in our Midwest Winter Ultras but I learn more from the DNF’s, of which I have many, not to brag. Founder of the Wild Winter Women Facebook Group, join us we’re fun!  

ITI has a special place in my heart because of the remote beauty of Alaska. Additionally our interactions and connections with each other during the race are more acute, and that is very special to me. But I go out there to be alone in nature, and be pushed by nature, who may want to kill me but it’s nothing personal.

I learn so much much from each athlete, their story, what it took just to get here let alone a finish. We are all so different, and have different challenges and yet are so much the same. I absolutely love hyping women up and find it an easy task at ITI. Doing the recaps is important to me because I want to show how easy it is to have equal representation in sport, plus I love a good story, and we are never left wanting for a good story.

That is a wrap on ITI 2024!  Special thanks to Kyle for reaching out, seeing the value in what we did in 2023, and letting us take the reins in 2024.  Who will we be reporting on next year?  Will you answer the call?  Registration opens April 1st.

I don’t know about you, but it’s a little sad to look at the race tracker and not see any racers left. Today was another epic, history-making day in ITI history. Let’s back up though - what’s been happening out there? Since yesterday’s update a bevy of tired athletes found their way to the burled arch. 

Mark Hines left Topcock Cabin just after 1 am yesterday with 45 miles between the cabin and Nome. With only short breaks, he pushed straight through to arrive at the finish at 9:30pm. Hendra made a very similar push, leaving at about the same time and arriving in Nome at 10:30 pm. On skis, Petr also made a long push from Topcock, departing at 8:30 am and steadily making his way along the coast yesterday. Petr arrived in Nome this morning at about 7:30 am, apparently with a hankering for the local bakery. I suspect we’d all have a hankering for baked goods as well, after yet another 24 hour long ski. Brandon also made the push from Topcock to arrive just before 11am this morning. 

Taking a hard pass on a long 24-hour push, Sunny left Topcock around the same time as everyone else, but stopped for a nap at Safety before her final 22 mile ski into Nome. Sunny arrived in Nome at approximately 11:55 am today, plenty of time (3+ hours) to spare before the 30-day time cutoff. With her finish in 29 days, 23 hours and 6 minutes, she became the first female ever to ski the ITI to Nome. If we look back to Lars Danner’s blog about skiing on the route (http://larsdanner.blogspot.com/2020/07/skiers-who-have-skied-iditarod-to-nome.html), we see just two other women, and indeed only one that skied the full northern route. Let us all take a moment to commend Sunny on her monumental achievement; congratulations, Sunny! Hopefully she’s now taking in some well deserved rest and relaxation (and food, lots of food). 

Where to start with Sunny? She founded the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation, originally created by women in order to break down barriers for women in the big mountain realm. Gender equity is at the heart of their mission and they strive to empower all marginalized genders. Sunny also manages the Foundation’s sister organization, AWExpeditions, a for-profit mountaineering and adventure guiding business for women, by women. AWExpeditions plans and leads the all-female climbs and adventures that Summit Scholarship recipients participate in free of charge. 

She entered the ITI 350 in 2021 with the eventual goal of skiing to Nome, then on her freshly purchased not-yet-3 week old pair of mostly unused skis. Did we mention that this was her first pair of skis? I was also skiing in 2021 and crossed paths with Sunny several times. I was struck by how well she took care of herself despite the challenges, something I could learn a thing or two about. 

While recuperating in Nome today, Sunny shared these thoughts. “It’s all in the mind. The physical challenge is just the stage for facing the emotional and mental challenge of doing something like this. In the end, I was juuuuust fit enough and just stubborn enough to keep on keeping on day after day - and at the end of the day that’s all you have to do in an event like this. If I can do this, so can many others.” I was thrilled to see she donated her skis to a local at the finish, though perhaps this was as much of a gift to them as it was to her?

As we contemplate the last 30 days, there were highs, there were lows, there were certainly edge-of-the-seat moments of anticipation as we watched racers overcome extreme cold, wind storms, blizzard conditions, overflow, rain, and so much more. Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Starters represented 11 countries from across the globe, including Australia, Canada, and several European countries. 103 starting athletes ranged from age 27 to 68 and were 78% men and 22% women. 42 athletes or 41% scratched. 66 starters were on bike, 27 on foot, and 10 on skis. Mean age was 45.5 with an even distribution more heavily weighted towards 36 - 43 years old. Of the 61 finishers, they were 18% women and 82% men. 65 people started the race for McGrath, and 38 for Nome. 

Looking a little more closely at finishers, they had a similar age distribution to above, with age 36 to 53 seeing the most finishes. In the 350 and 1000 mean age was 43.  Winners tended - but inconsistently - towards the younger end of the age range.

Sunny was the youngest (38) and only female ski finisher this year (and the first ever ITI 1000 female ski finisher). Ski finishers were generally a young bunch, with a mean age of 41 years. Amazingly, there were only two McGrath ski finishes, and five Nome finishes. 

Amongst foot finishers we see a similar trend, just four 350 finishers and seven 1000 finishers. Mean age of Nome finishers was 46, mean age of McGrath finishers was 44. Ryan Fox is an outlier at only 26, without him the mean age of this group is 51. Mean age of Nome finishers was 46, again with the lone female finisher also in the youngest age bracket of 42.

Numbers in the bike category are more robust, with a much larger sample size. In the 350, the mean age was 43 with 32 finishers. In the 1000 distance there were 11 finishers, mean age 42. Females here tended to be younger, 30 and 43. Top finishers tended towards the younger end of the age range, but 3rd place bike finisher Peter Delamere is 53.

I could spend all night playing with the numbers, but after religiously following dots for 30 days, the Wild Winter Women update writers are tired, the athletes are tired, race volunteers and staff are tired. We heartily congratulate all the racers and all their supporters. We may be back tomorrow for one more recap, and we’ll definitely be back next year to bring you the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

Sign up starts April 1, will you be there?

Author: Amber Crawford

Photo Credit: Iditarod Trail Invitational

It’s been a busy day in Nome as fans welcomed five finishers, all within the looming deadline of the 30-day mark. Kudos to these enduring athletes for braving the most severe conditions and successfully concluding their Iditarod Trail adventures to Nome!

Mark Hines finished in 29 days, 7 hours and 39 minutes for his first successful ITI 1000.

Hendra finished in 29 days 9 hours and 37 minutes as the first Indonesian to complete the ITI 1000.

Peter finished in 29 days, 17 hours and 43 minutes as the first person to finish the ITI 1000 on bike and skis.

Brandon finished in 29 days, 21 hours and 6 minutes for his first successful ITI 1000.

Sunny finished in 29 days, 23 hours and 6 minutes as this year’s Red Lantern, the Women’s Ski Champion and the first woman to complete the ITI 1000 on skis.

Even though we are a small but mighty community of winter ultramarathoners, it feels like the whole world is watching our athletes traverse the last 30 miles of the 1,000 mile course.  Diligently refreshing the screen, hoping we can somehow will them on.  It all seems so doable, and yet, it is up to them to gear down and push through the last ultramarathon of the course.  

It was not strength alone but patience and presence of mind that got them all to this point.  Last night, Hendra, Joshua, and Mark were “stuck in the (Topcock) Cabin” trying to avoid the most brutal part of the weather, with the intention of leaving at midnight.  Even though it was frustrating for them, the wait definitely paid off. The infamous Blowhole still had enough to say with high winds but, according to Mark, it was “nowhere near as grim or dangerous as they would've been yesterday.”

Later, Sunny, Petr, and Brandon had a rest as well at Topcock Cabin totalling around eight hours.  The rest seemed to have done the trick for all of our athletes as all six have been moving consistently well throughout the day.  Petr, Sunny, and Brandon are less than 10 miles to Safety.  Mark and Hendra have passed through Safety and are on their way to Nome.  Remarkably, even though they all left Topcock together, Joshua Brown has put an incredible 13 miles in between him and his compatriots, and at the time of this writing, is two miles to the finish.  

This is not Joshua's first time to Nome.  He successfully completed the foot division race in 2022.  Once he finishes, he will become the third 1000-mile ski finisher in ITI history and the first person to finish the 1000 on foot and skis, even after having virtually no background in cross-country skiing until two years ago.  Completely new to skiing, Josh started researching what it would take to make it to Nome in 2022 and has been training ever since, including skiing for several hours in the morning before work and training with the Alaska Pacific University team in the evenings. When he wasn’t skiing, he was testing equipment and even creating his own out of raw materials. 

Known for his relentless determination and hard-working ethics, Josh is an active-duty Lieutenant Colonel who serves at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as a medical advisor in the Air Force’s Arctic Warrior program. He helps develop new techniques and technology for the military to sustain operations in cold weather.  He enlisted in the Army as a medic nearly 20 years ago and later transferred to the Air Force as an officer after attending nursing school. He, his wife and their three kids live in Eagle River and spend a good deal of their leisure time exploring the Alaskan wilderness. 

If you remember from an earlier report, Josh had GI issues almost immediately from the start of the race, and went over 30 hours before he was able to fuel properly.  A similar issue from 2022 occurred when he developed food poisoning and ate very little for over three days on the Yukon. His body rejected almost everything he put in his gut but Josh did not stop.  Being able to work hard under adverse conditions is one of his super powers.

It isn’t all about participating in the race for Josh.  Last year he took off from racing in the ITI because he felt that it was important to give back to the community. So, he spent nine days running the Nikolai checkpoint with Jon Richner, another ITI and military veteran he has known for 20 years.  Rounding out this incredible athlete, he is “a humble, relentless and dutiful example that we would all do well to emulate.”  As it has been implied before, completing the ITI is not just a physical endeavor.  And it is more than a race.  Because of that, it calls to many of its participants to give back, by way of volunteering or mentorship among other things.  

For Josh, he has done the work and the research. He has run through the gauntlet of all Alaska has to offer this year, and he will make history very soon.  As RD Kyle states, “He just gets the job done, regardless of the obstacles faced and never makes a sound about doing it.”  We will all be watching, and it may not be the whole world, but it is OUR whole world.   

Written by Kari Gibbons

Intel of the illusive Johua Brown by Kyle Durand

Photo credit Kyle Durand

As Josh Brown made his way across the finish line in Nome after 29 days, 2 hours and 2 minutes on the Iditarod Trail, he became the first person to complete the ITI 1000 on both foot and skis. This monumental accomplishment came less than 2 days after it appeared he might be trapped by flooded trails and 24 hours after being pinned down by 60 mph winds on the coast. Demonstrating his characteristic resilience, Josh overcame those adversities, just as he had with all previous challenges along his journey. Ultimately, under the Burled Arch, he embodied the spirit of unwavering determination.

For weeks now, the first thing I do in the morning is check to see where the racer's Dots are. Typically this is in the middle of the night for them, I document how long they have been tucked in and (try) to keep track of when they move. Yesterday and today however, there were no sleeping Dots, the last six athletes have consistently been on the move. Yesterday we saw increased speeds, racers in every division, foot, ski, and bike, were finally able to open up. We can actually feel the urgency they are experiencing. Collectively, they are moving when they can and pushing hard when they need to. Two full days and a few hours to the 30-day cutoff. 

This morning Hendra, Mark, and Joshua were 30 miles from Safety, currently they are all at Topcock Cabin 22 miles from Safety and 42 miles from Nome. Joshua arrived at the cabin first after a bivy of at least six hours today. Skiers often take the brunt of trail conditions because the margin of “good trail” is smaller, so I personally find it very satisfying that although everyone is finding improved conditions, skiers seem to be benefiting the most. 

Twelve miles further from the finish and on foot is Brandon, behind him, skiers Sunny and Petr. Sunny reported excellent conditions last night and a bit of “actual skiing”, they are all approximately 30 miles from Safety. These speeds and purposeful forward motion would be enough to secure a finish before the cutoff, but for the weather. Unfortunately another storm is imminent and they may need to hunker down. In the ITI Racers Facebook group Beat, eight times 1,000 mile finisher and literal opposite of the Boy Who Cried Wolf, sent out a warning for what’s to come. 

Once our athletes leave Topcock Cabin, even though the wind might seem manageable, they will soon be entering the infamous Blowhole, channels of cold air created by the mountains. Beat speculates what they will encounter will be severe. He noted “[c]urrently it looks like 40 mph gusting to 50 mph which isn't great. At least it's not super cold atm (14F) but there are probably near-whiteout conditions due to blowing snow.”

Athletes are fully unsupported now, previous towns and warm checkpoints are a distant memory. As the athletes have moved through this trail, they leave behind a massive effort of 38 volunteers and staff that have worked tirelessly to help their dreams become a reality. Whether it was serving one of the 1,200 meals that were prepared and served during the race, or monitoring the phone, email, and trackers 24 hours a day for 30 days, their jobs are nonstop until the race is over. 

As Race Director Kyle Durand states, “Organizing the ITI is like coordinating an athletic event while running an airline, a travel agency, a remote expedition and a B&B.”

Remember those delightful tents at Finger Lake and Rohn our athletes visited? Everything including food, tents, wood stove, sleeping gear, and more must be flown out to the checkpoint, set up, broken down, and flown back.  In 2021, flying everything back meant EVERYTHING including the multiple portaloos and their contents. It was all bagged, gathered, and packed into a plane. That might make the rest of the volunteer gig seem a little sweeter which consists of spending three days breaking trails, digging out the campsite and setting up the checkpoint.

There were six snow machines and 72 flights shuttling volunteers and gear, so when an athlete went over Rainy Pass, they were greeted by welcoming volunteers and a warm tent. They could crack open their drop bag and delight in the tube of Girl Scout Cookies packed weeks before (actual events). All told, for the duration of the race 17,500 pounds of material was moved across Alaska.

Everything needed is now in Nome, everything except our six remaining athletes. 

Two days and a little bit. 

Written by Kari Gibbons

Stats provided by Kyle Durand

Photo credit Kyle Durand

What makes the ITI “so groovy” is the community around this event.  It really is about “people getting together.” (https://youtu.be/RBjQhEME0LQ) That’s what resonated with me as I read recounts of athletes’ experiences and heard how community members from Elim to Nome have rallied around those who are still on the trail. This sense of community is found in something as simple as a Facebook message from Joanne Wassillie inviting her friends in Nome to cheer on the three amazing athletes in the home stretch last night and this morning.  And then that sense of togetherness - that “reach[ing]] out of the darkness” - was amplified by learning the mayor of  Elim heard our racers couldn't get to Golovin because of the 3+ feet of fresh snow that had fallen, so rode his snowmachine from Elim to the Golovin Bay and back so they had a trail.  Frank Amaktoolik Sr. in Golovin has been meeting racers coming off the ice and escorting them to the school. There are a number of reasons why the ITI is just a spectacular event from the landscapes, challenging conditions, our fellow athletes, but for me, what has really made it almost beyond comparison (“almost” because I just compared it to Barkley yesterday and I can’t be a complete hypocrite) are the people in the communities, at the roadhouses, all of the “trail angels” that we get to meet along the way. They “reach out of the darkness” and, as Ryan Wanless commented, even when “you feel like you’re all alone…in truth there are people all over the trail supporting and following your adventure. You are never truly alone. The support is enough to fill one’s heart.”

In that spirit of togetherness, let’s celebrate the three incredible athletes that ended their voyage from Knik to Nome since yesterday’s update. 

This morning under swirling rivers of greenish-blue light, Leah Gruhn finished her second ITI 1000 (26 days, 10 hours, 6 minutes) and was the second woman this year to complete the journey on bike.  The aurora, however, wasn’t her only escort to the fabled burled arch. Hearkening back to our amazing community, the mayor of Nome must have done a little dot watching of his own (you’re in good company, Mayor Handeland!) because he also accompanied Leah to the finish.  Leah reported that “the whole thing was brutally hard and took every last bit of willpower [she] could muster, plus the support and love from MANY.” Once again, congratulations Leah Gruhn! You are an inspiration.

Our winner of the women's foot division, Faye Norby, arrived in Nome after 26 days, 19 hours, and 6 minutes on the trail.  Just nine hours after her own finish, Leah Gruhn was out cheering on Faye and her partner, Jeff Leuwerke.  Faye is a consummate athlete.  She’s been competing in winter races for over ten years, with experience racing Tuscobia, Arrowhead 135, Actif Epica 100 miler, and the ITI 350.  What you may not know about Faye is that she is also an epidemiologist. So you won’t be surprised by her answer to the question of “what does the ITI mean to you?” For Faye, the ITI’s connection with the 1925 Serum Run is what made this race so special. For those who don’t know, the Serum Run was an incredible public health story that once again reiterates the power of community.  

A century ago there was a diphtheria outbreak on the west coast of Alaska.  Curtis Welch, who was the only doctor in the area, put out an urgent request for diphtheria antitoxin after he realized the region’s entire supply of serum had expired. A thousand miles away, there was a stockpile of serum in Anchorage, and a plan to transport it came together. A parcel containing the serum left Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad bound for the small town of Nenana, in central Alaska. From there, a relay made up of 20 mushers and around 150 dogs took over, and using established mail and freight routes, raced the serum westward 674 miles to Nome. These teams braved extreme cold and dangerous conditions to transport the serum in only 5.5 days. The epidemic was halted and lives were saved.  For Faye, once she arrived in Ruby on the Yukon River, she followed a similar route to Nome that the serum traveled 99 years ago. And so she was proud to have the privilege of traveling a leg of this same remarkable journey. Congratulations, Faye, for being more stubborn than the weather and the trail and being this year’s women’s foot champion!!

Faye was not alone on her journey.  Every step of the way, she traveled with her partner, Jeff Leuwerke.  He also is no slouch in the winter ultra realm, finishing the Tuscobia 160 six times, Arrowhead 135 twice, Actif Epica twice and the ITI 350 twice.  When asked to share a bit of wisdom when things are looking dark, Jeff said that it’s important to remember that “it’s almost always never going to get worse. More than likely, it’s just time to eat some food, maybe have some caffeine, or take a quick three-minute sled nap.”  I’m pretty sure Jeff had to follow that advice a number of times over the last 26-plus days.  Congratulations on your amazing finish, Jeff!

There are still six very motivated racers on the trail with less than three days to get to Nome.  Sunny reported this morning that the trail had set up well with the temperature drop.  Once they reached Golovin, Frank Amaktoolik Sr. made sure they all had breakfast. Hendra Wijaya is currently leading our merry (I may be overly optimistic) conga line of athletes at mile 892 with Joshua Brown not far behind.  Sometimes having a bike can be beneficial and today seems to have been one of those days.  Hendra reached speeds over 7 mph today crossing Golovin Lagoon and Joshua Brown wasn’t much slower.  

Mark Hines, on foot, did not reach a speed of 7 mph today.  But he did keep a pace well over 3 mph for a good part of the day.  He’s currently resting in White Mountain alone.  But not for long.  “People are getting together” with Sunny Stroeer, Brandon Lott, and Petr Ineman on their way to join Mark soon.  I hope they all get a good rest and enjoy the hospitality of some of the amazing trail angels because they’re going to need it.  There’s a winter advisory which goes into effect at 10PM tonight and remains in effect until 4AM on Monday with snow and blowing snow and (blech!) freezing rain possible.  Wind gusts as high as 40 mph are expected.  Hendra and Josh made the smart move to press on while they could.  Equally smart is for our remaining ski and foot athletes to get a good rest (but not “too” good) before they again venture out in the darkness.  Hopefully by now they know that they are not alone.  They just need to “reach out in the darkness” and they will “find a friend.”

Written by Carole Holley
Photo credential: Cynthia Durand

In a breathtaking display of endurance and tenacity, Faye Norby became the only woman to finish the Iditarod Trail Invitational on foot this year, clinching the Women's Foot Champion title. Her incredible journey of 1000 miles through some of the most unforgiving landscape on Earth concluded under the iconic Burled Arch, with a finish time of 26 days, 19 hours, and 6 minutes.

Faye's final moments on the trail were illuminated by the northern lights weaving across the sky and the full moon lighting her path, creating a scene of otherworldly beauty. As she crossed the finish line on a frosty morning, the sun rose over the Bering Sea, casting a radiant glow across the sky.

This victory is more than a testament to physical strength; it's a story of unparalleled mental fortitude. Being the sole female to complete the ITI on foot this year, Faye's accomplishment highlights her extraordinary resilience and the indomitable spirit required to face the challenges of the Alaskan wilderness.

Congratulations, Faye, on your remarkable achievement as the Women's Foot Champion and the only woman to conquer the ITI on foot this year! Your journey through the wilderness, guided by the northern lights and the moon, to that final, victorious moment under the Burled Arch, stands as a beacon of inspiration and courage.

Jeff Leuwerke triumphantly crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome after a grueling 26 days, 19 hours, and 6 minutes, marking his inaugural finish in Nome and his third successful ITI. Throughout the expedition, Jeff braved the extreme forces of nature, from gale-force winds and prolonged periods of sub-zero temperatures to rain, snow, and virtually every conceivable challenge the Alaskan winter could present. As he met the finish line on a chilly morning, the early sun painted the Bering Sea in a golden light, heralding his remarkable achievement.

Leah Gruhn finished her second consecutive ITI 1000 when she crossed the line in Nome in 26 days, 10 hours and 6 minutes. She arrived with an escort by the Northern Lights and the Mayor of Nome. Congratulations Leah on your massive accomplishment during a very challenging year on the Iditarod Trail!

One might not immediately draw the connection between a foot race in a Tennessee state park, which draws its origin story from a prison break, and a multi-modal race that covers nearly 1,000 miles of frozen Alaskan landscape based on a serum run by dogsled. But allow me to explain. First, both draw the attention of (at least in the beginning with Barkley) a quirky subset of the ultra community. Some part of us is drawn to the amount of suffering that must be overcome, the strength of will to keep pushing despite staggering obstacles, sheer awe for those who toe the line, and we are in complete agreement that the few finishers (26 since 1995 for Barkley (only one woman) and 148 (give or take) for the ITI since 2000 (only 14 women…so far) are 100% bada$$. Both require a measure of self-sufficiency and survival skills not often encountered in modern day North America and Europe, let alone during an endurance race. The elements are key factors in both races; favorable conditions can lead to substantially more finishers than a year when wind, hail, snow, rain, sleet, choose your own weather adventure, are pervasive. And, finally, they draw our collective attention, imagining every move of the athletes  without actually being able to observe them. 

Barkley finished this afternoon 60 hours after it began with five finishers, one being its first female finisher in the history of the race, Jasmin Paris. The ITI will conclude in four short days. I split my time this week between work, obsessively watching ITI dots and (since Wednesday) checking whatever obscure updates for the Barkley Marathon I could find through social media. Much like I experience joy when we have a finisher in Nome, I was emotionally invested in the Barkley finishers, most especially the “small European woman” as Jasmin was described in early reports (Barkley has a distinct culture much like we do). I celebrate all, l but it’s an even more profound sense of joy with our Wild Women finishers. Speaking of which, we should have another one soon!

Leah Gruhn, on her way to her second finish, is only 17 miles from Nome. She spent last night in Tommy Johnson cabin at mile 917. Reports from the Trail indicate the overflow was significant between Topkok and Tommy Johnson’s cabin with reports of knee-deep water along Taylor Lagoon. Joanne Wassillie reported that “the weather turned: got warmer, rained, wind, more wet snow. The trail is TERRIBLE…more wet snow and you can’t see the hills toward Nome.” So, a stay in a cabin - no matter how rugged - may be the wisest choice one can make to dry out a bit. Firewood is likely scarce with driftwood the only potential heating source. When we realized that Leah had been walking almost the entire time since she left White Mountain, we may have imagined a dream sequence that included Faye, Jeff, and Leah all crossing under the burled arch together hand in hand, perhaps singing Hobo Jim’s famed Iditarod Trail Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_ZbOqFRnxw)...that last part might just be me.

Faye Norby and Jeff Leuwerke rested at mile 896 last night. We heard they were unfortunately both soaked through. The weather deities have not been kind. Luckily, the weather may be improving with temperatures in Nome falling to the mid-20s this evening and a high of 22F tomorrow. This should help all those liquid elements to refreeze for the remaining athletes. Jill Homer calculated this morning that if Faye was able to average 3.03 mph from last night onward, she would be able to break the women’s record. Unfortunately, given the trail conditions, that’s highly unrealistic. And much like Faye barely missed beating the women’s record to McGrath in 2022, it seems as though this year might prove to be equally frustrating. Faye and Jeff are now moving at about 2.1 mph and are 13 miles from the Safety Roadhouse, which is unfortunately closed after the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. But they’ll be that much closer to Nome and Faye (while not the first woman on foot to finish ever, in contrast to Jasmin Paris), will be the first woman on foot to finish in a decade since Loreen Hewitt and Shawn McTaggert finished in 2014.

Joshua Brown and Brandon Lott seem to be resting at mile 845.3 and the Walla Walla shelter cabin. They both appeared to have at different times attempted to leave and then returned back to whatever relative safety the shelter cabin offers. The cabin is located eight miles south of Elim and a mile or two onshore. At Walla Walla, the trail turns inland and climbs over the Kwiktalik Mountains with a series of long, moderately hard grades. The final summit is 1,000 feet at Little McKinley, about eight miles past Walla Walla and ten miles from Golovin. This is considered the hardest climb on this part of the race.

Mark Hines reported that he spent 25 hours going 43 miles with persistent rain wiping out the trail. He rightly had safety concerns over bay crossings and eventually turned around and headed back to Elim after attempting to forge ahead in white-out conditions. He then seems to have gone back out on the ice. He’s currently only four miles from Walla Walla cabin going 1.1mph. That’s a slog. At least he will soon (or in four hours at that pace) have company.

Hendra Wijaya decided to spend some time post-holing his own path earlier today…a hillier trail that may have seemed worth the gamble when facing slushy conditions on the sea ice. Unfortunately, Hendra lost whatever trail there may have been and encountered deep snow in the woods. He thus had to backtrack with Mark Hines and headed back to the safety of Elim. He too has headed back out in an effort to get to Walla Walla. He’s about seven miles out, traveling at 1.7mph. If he can keep that pace, he won’t be too far behind Mark and crashing the party at Walla Walla cabin.

Petr Ineman and Sunny Stroeer round out our intrepid athletes. (After watching Sunny’s video from yesterday, some dot watchers felt like curling into a ball for self-preservation (and we’re in the comfort of our own living rooms.) Petr reported experiencing the same wet conditions as everyone else. Sunny confirms the reports, describing the trail conditions as “terrible - super saturated, unstable, [and] postholing even with skis on.”  Both are currently resting in Elim, hopefully commiserating, drying out, and eating before getting a nap and preparing for cooler weather and firmer conditions tomorrow when  Sunny and Petr hope to catch up with the others to form a wintry conga line (love me some Gloria Estefan…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ItEmCnP80) all the way to Nome.

Barkley may be over but we still have four more exciting days of ITI with what I am hoping includes three more Wild Winter Women finishers along with their male compadres of the trail.

Written by Carole Holley
Photos from Sunny Stroeer

Christof Teuscher crossed the finish line in Nome in 25 days, 3 hours and 16 minutes for his second successful ITI 1000 and third overall ITI finish. Shortly behind him, Beat Jegerlehner finished in 25 days, 4 hours and 6 minutes for his 8th successful trip to Nome. Well done!

Christof Teuscher

Beat Jegerlehner

Our 1,000 mile foot champion Gavan bivied last night for about 8 hours along the Klokerblok River, which flows in an easterly direction and joins Fish River in its delta mouth. It was exciting to wake up this morning to see Gavan and Ryan on the move, typically athletes are all tucked in and resting this early but it seems everyone is eager to get on their way! We have got to give a nod to this year’s ITI finish photos - we love seeing these athletes have so much zest and pep left in them after so many days on the side of the trail. We must say that Gavan looks incredibly happy to have finished!

Ryan Wanless has had his heart set on finishing on Friday so that he can watch basketball stress-free and cozy and warm.  Gavan reported a horrible last push overnight. Alaska delivered sleet, rain, and snow, and left our racer wearing a plastic garbage bag like a proper vagabond. To help make this difficult push, he devoured 600mg of caffeine to fight off the sleepies. We might not advise that technique in the cold to get to Nome, but in this specific scenario it appears to have been the right move! Finishing in time for breakfast and the sunrise sounds absolutely dreamy. Ryan Wanless’s basketball team is the Wisconsin Badgers, go Bucky!

Christof, Beat, and Jan were also up and at it after shorter, 3-6 hour breaks, at the cabin. Leah stopped to bivy roughly 10 miles from the Topcock hills cabin, electing to sleep in the wilderness before making a push in the morning to the shelter for lunch.

Jan updated late last night after arriving at the Topcock cabin and shared excitement that he had finally made it to the shelter! Yesterday there was heavy, deep snow, which required him to hike in the strong winds. He arrived at Topcock in the daylight and was pulled to continue, but knew that the Safety roadhouse would require him to sleep outside (which is nonsense, he says!) The temperatures climbed to zero and there is a lot of overflow along the trail. The wind was not subsiding, which he felt was Alaska’s own way of saying, “Goodbye” as he made his way closer to Nome. This evening we see these three finishing after a magnificent effort and it marks five finishers on day 25 on the trail. Congratulations!

Leah Gruhn is in her own words, was “Less than an Arrowhead 135 away from the finish” which speaks volumes about her as a winter ultra athlete, doesn’t it?! She is mentally one of the toughest humans we know and we cannot wait to celebrate with her once she makes it to Nome. Check out the podcast We Do This For Fun and listen to her episode if you’re interested in learning more about what life on this trail is composed of. With winter being a little bit of a dud in the Midwest this year, Leah is braving the elements and filling her cup with more winter than she knows what to do with out there. With a quick visit to the Topcock Hills cabin, she left as soon as she could to make her way towards Safety. 

This episode of the podcast is from her adventure on the trail last year so it’s a good time to brush up before hearing about her experiences once she finishes! In this episode replay, we hear what it takes for an athlete to finish the ITI: it is not primarily a solo mission. It takes the support from family, friends, and community to get ready to compete. Thanks to Leah’s support network, she is able to participate in this multi-week expedition. All of the athletes out racing Iditarod Trail Invitational have someone or a group of people that helps to get them to the starting line, and for that we want to mention our gratitude. Leah also speaks of serendipitous moments out on the Iditarod trail, sharing experiences with other Minnesotans while listening to Bob Dylan, meeting family friends out in the vast villages. How many calories does it take to get to Nome? That definitely depends on who you’ve asked, but for Leah Gruhn in 2023 she packed 88,000 calories in her drop boxes alone. Our friend is steadily moving forward and we cannot wait to cheer for her in Nome! Will she finish her push tonight or finish on day 26? The suspense! 

https://www.wedothisforfun.com/episodes

For the rest of our athletes, it has been a very damp day. From Koyuk to Elim, we’re seeing moderate winds and high humidity. It’s snowing in some spots, but a wintry mix in others. Gavin arrived in Nome wearing a garbage bag and we imagine our friends along the trail are wearing similar ensembles. A winter storm warning is issued for the Interior Seward Peninsula and remains in effect until 1pm on Friday. The National Weather Service has forecasted heavy snow, and accumulations up to 3 to 8 inches with wind gusts up to 45 mph. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility for all trail users. The Iditarod trail is technically more along the coast in this region and out of this zone but we can’t imagine that means blue skies and easy sailing for our bunch. They’re dealing with some wet damp stuff, and in the words of Petr Ineman, “This is how you get hypothermia.”

In addition to the winter storm warning, there is significant overflow along the course, especially in areas along the sea ice. Sunny shared a photo of the trudge through shin-deep water as she traveled through Norton Bay through the Koyuk Inlet. Faye mentioned yesterday that there was water coming up near Golovin Bay just before reaching White Mountain, and Leah noted that the section turning off of the Fish River after White Mountain was one of the worst stretches. There are 8 athletes who have not gone through these areas yet, and we hope that things dry out a little before they get too soaked.

Faye and Jeff are moving along after moose meals in White Mountain, in the area that Leah described as the worst. These two have been traveling together and have been sending updates when they can. They arrived in WM past 3am, and it was a looong day. The bay crossing from Golovin was rough and they decided to get it over with in case the ice got worse. There were already spots off of the trail that had water coming up. It snowed, rained, and sleeted on them the whole time but luckily the wind remained a tailwind, helping them through the tough conditions. Visibility was challenging for most of the trek, and they were absolutely soaked when they got to the village.

Faye did the 350 mile on foot in 2020 and in 2022, which were both vastly different experiences. Her first year saw very difficult and snowy weather which was very physically demanding. When she went back in 2022, it was a warm year with good weather, and the skills needed were very different, although the trail was much less physically demanding. Jeff also did the 350 in 2020 and in 2022, and described his first experience as a surreal experience of finishing and realizing the world was beginning to shut down due to the pandemic (and lots of moose). In 2022, he realized he missed much of the landscape on his first adventure, as he was able to see it because it wasn’t snowing!

Brandon Lott has spent nearly 12 hours in Elim, possibly drying all of his gear. Hendra arrived this afternoon and they are both in the village eating burgers and no doubt watching the weather. Joshua Brown is roughly 14 miles from these two as of 5pm. With a slowed pace due to overflow, we’re hoping he’s able to get to the village to warm up for a nice long rest. Mark stopped at the Kwik River for a brief moment before getting back on the trail. Behind him, we have Petr and Sunny on skis, astounding us with their tenacity and ability to keep moving forward. Sunny’s social media has been updating us on conditions out there and we can only describe them as, “No. No. No. That’s so scary.” We wish these athletes all the very best this evening as we wind down and get ready for bed. Our dreams will no doubt be full of blue ice, slushy waters, and sleet.

Written by Jill Martindale
Photos from Sunny Stroeer, Gavin Hennigan, and Jan Francke

Jan Francke's successful journey to Nome on skis ended today after 25 days and 38 minutes. As only the second person to ever achieve this feat on skis in the ITI, the significance of Jan's achievement cannot be overstated. In the race's two-plus decades, countless athletes have faced the harsh and unforgiving Alaskan wilderness, but none had succeeded on skis until this year.

Jan's final push to the finish line, through a complete white-out blizzard, exemplifies the extreme conditions under which his remarkable feat was accomplished. No journey to Nome on the Iditarod Trail is easy, but this year was especially tough as relentless weather hammered away at every athlete.

Jan's triumph on skis is a profound testament to his skill, preparation, and willpower. The daunting final miles, conquered under such challenging conditions, underscore the enormity of his achievement in the context of the race's storied history.

In a remarkable display of resilience and endurance, Gavan Hennigan has emerged victorious in the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000, claiming the title of Men’s Foot Champion. His journey across the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness culminated in Nome after 24 days, 18 hours, and 9 minutes of relentless effort, battling against nature's harshest conditions.

Gavan's arrival in Nome was a scene straight out of an adventure tale - soaked from the relentless rain that had accompanied him in the final leg of his journey, only to be greeted by a heavy snowfall that seemed to celebrate his monumental achievement. This victory is not just about crossing a physical finish line; it's a testament to his indomitable spirit and unwavering determination.

No stranger to the Iditarod Trail Invitational, Gavan previously won the ITI 350 in 2020. His return to the Alaskan wilderness to tackle the 1000-mile challenge was a journey fraught with obstacles. Alaska unleashed its full arsenal - blasting winds, weeks of bone-chilling cold, unpredictable rain and snow showers, and a trail that challenged every step. Yet, he persevered, turning each challenge into a stepping stone towards his ultimate goal.

As we congratulate Gavan on this monumental achievement, we're reminded of the power of the human spirit and the endless possibilities that await those who dare to challenge the status quo. His journey through the heart of Alaska's wilderness is a compelling testament to what lies within each of us - an unyielding drive to overcome the insurmountable.

Ryan Wanless finished the ITI 1000 today in 24 days, 17 hours and 37 minutes. This is Ryan’s third consecutive finish in Nome (two on bike, one on foot) and his fifth overall ITI finish. He pushed his bike from White Mountain to Cape Nome, over 70 miles, and arrived in Nome in wet, blizzard-like conditions. Ryan's arrival not only marks a personal achievement but also symbolizes the essence of the Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000. His dedication and perseverance, mirrored in his three consecutive finishes and five overall ITI completions, remind us that the boundaries of endurance are only as limited as one's will to push them.

We have our first official ski finisher ever in the Iditarod Trail Invitational! After reading yesterday on how few people have skied to Nome, it is such a joyous occasion to see this finish today. 24 days after the race start from Knik, Asbjørn was able to maintain speeds as high as 5.5mph on skis as he made his way towards Nome, apparently enjoying a tailwind. The ceremonial arch was carefully moved from the west end of Front Street yesterday, where it has sat since March 3rd to greet finishing dog teams and ITI racers as they made their way to the end of the trail. 

You can find the burled arch near Nome City Hall on 1st and Division for the remainder of the year, and Asbjørn had to travel just a little further for his finisher’s “trophy,” aka a photo at the arch - well worth the extra effort. The Iditarod Trail Invitational doesn’t have cash payouts or awards like other events, it’s a test of true grit and determination for those who want to test their personal limits. It was so exciting to watch another finisher on skis today, we hope you are all as excited as we are!

Today we see six athletes working their way through the Topcock hills towards the shelter cabin that sits at the bottom of the final Topcock hill. This shelter cabin is used by many trail users as they dry their gear, refuel, and prepare for the coastal winds as they make their way to Safety. Winds over 50  mph are common around this area, and in 2000 there was a ridiculous recorded 100mph wind that locked a wild 25 humans inside of the warm shelter for THREE days. 

In 2020, the shelter was updated thanks to the Nome Kennel Club. After a series of three phases of updates, the cabin is vastly different from when they took refuge within its shelter 24 years ago. Improvements included raising the shelter on supports because it was sinking, installing a new wood stove and handrail for the deck, and even LED lighting and an outhouse! The Topcock cabin provides a much needed place to rest, though we saw Asbjørn rest there for only 2 hours before continuing onwards to the finish. Our Danish friend is the first ski finisher in the current rendition of the ITI. Four other skiers are working their way to Nome. As of right now, there have been 8 finishers to Nome, with 15 athletes still on the course: a healthy mix of more skiers, foot, and fat bikes. 15 participants making the long trek to Nome have since scratched due to a magnitude of other reasons. 

Let’s take a moment to cheer Asbjørn on one more time before checking in with the rest of our racers! We are SO proud of this athlete!

Gavin Hennigan on foot from Ireland and Ryan Wanless on bike from North Dakota, are traveling at similar speeds after finding a good spot to hunker down. They slept in their bivies for a bit before continuing onwards, Gavin taking a shorter break at the Topcock cabin than Ryan. Weather is reported to be pretty horrible, surely part of the reason Asbjørn finished on skis ahead of those on foot or on those two-wheeled suitcase contraptions. Roughly 10 miles away from the shelter cabin as of 4:30pm, we see Jan Francke. Jan rested at White Mountain for about 4 hours before continuing down the trail. Jan reported that conditions were very tough, it seems like what was traversed today has been one of the worst parts of the trail recently. We’re hoping, especially after seeing Asbjørn’s speed on skis, that conditions improve further along for our pals! Jan is feeling good out there, and we’re excited to see how far he gets this evening.

Trail insight from Jan, “It was brutal, first breaking the track, then quite a steep hill and then the wind picked up, and it made me so angry that I couldn't stop and do anything, the sleds were rolling behind me and spinning until the skis broke on them, I stopped it with a hard fall, then one more fall, in the cabin I had some food, and then it was blowing in the back and it went, in Golovin the director surprised us and invited us to school and for soup, that was great, and then a mega flight to White Mtn, if it was going like this to the finish line it would be great.” We’ll keep our fingers crossed! Judging by how far he has made it from White Mountain (a bit less than 20 miles in about 6 hours) things are going well.

Beat and Christof are not far behind Jan, hopefully able to move swiftly through ski tracks if they still exist. Leah Gruhn follows those two, hopefully able to ride on the descents through the hills as she makes her way to the cabin. Leah left White Mountain early in the morning and has about 10 more miles before she gets to the warmth of the Topcock Hills safety cabin. We know after this long push that she’ll love having the ability to rest, and we can’t wait to see how far she gets tomorrow.

Nearing the McKinley safety cabin nearly 50 miles behind Leah are Faye Norbyand Jeff Leuwerke on foot. These two have both packed pillows with them for comfort, which has left us regretful that we didn’t ask the 1000 mile ITI athletes about their sleeping systems. Closed foam sleeping pads are dependable and can’t break or leak, but closed-cell pads can be bulky and not quite as warm as an insulator. Some racers will take both, or double up one over the other. We’re interested in who takes what and can’t wait to pick brains in the coming months as we look forward to next year’s ITI. 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here, we’re still only 24 days into this year’s event, and the racer’s have 30 days before the “cut-off” of the Iditarod Trail Invitational. One of the things that we love about this event is that, at this point, no one gets pulled from the course after the 30 day cut off. Participants are able to continue onwards so long as they are keeping their safety in mind, allowing them to finish what they started. One of the many unique and lovely things that brings us coming back year after year to the ITI.

Brandon on foot is steadily moving forward, after resting for a short amount of time at Kwik River he is making his way towards the Moses Point shelter cabin. The wind can blow hard in this area and the trail can drift over in many spots. There is an abandoned Federal Aviation Administration station in this area which feels eerie to pass. 

Hendra left Koyuk and has less than 20 miles to get to the creepy Moses Point shelter, after a 6+ hour rest in Koyuk. Mark rested a bit before heading to Koyuk in a “character building” storm, and it looks like Joshua Brown made it to the school after pushing through after a nice rest.

Working their way across the sound right now, we see Petr Ineman and Sunny Stroeer both on skis, enjoying a really nice tailwind! Sunny shared through her inreach mapshare page that she got a really great taste of glare ice with a strong tailwind through Shaktoolik. This is terrifying, both to Sunny, and to those who have never skied more than 10 miles before in their lives. She estimates that she may have hit 30 mph with minimal ability to steer and without brakes. 

As we move onward through the night and into day 25 on the trail, we’re incredibly happy for our first ski finisher Asbjørn, and looking forward to hearing tales from our athletes of the wind, snow, and scenery out on the Iditarod Trail. The burled arch has been moved, Nome has quieted, rookie Iditarod awarded musher Victoria Hardwick has been awarded her Red Lantern Award, which is given to the last musher to cross the finish line and to complete the Iditarod trail. The Red Lantern is a symbol of perseverance and determination and it was given 2 days ago, on Monday, March 18th. Cheers to our ITI athletes as they persevere along the trail! 

Written by Jill Martindale 

Photo credit Cynthia Durand

Asbjørn Bruun etched his name into the annals of endurance sports history as the first person to officially complete the ITI 1000 on skis, a monumental achievement marked when he crossed the finish line today after an arduous journey lasting 24 days and 53 minutes on the Iditarod Trail. This was not just a victory against the merciless conditions of the Iditarod Trail but a testament to Asbjørn’s unyielding determination, especially poignant as this marked his third attempt at conquering something that no one else has in the 23 prior editions of the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

Affectionately dubbed 'The Terminator' for his relentless pace and almost otherworldly focus, Asbjørn's multi-year journey to the finish line in Nome is a testament to the sheer force of his will and determination. His ability to maintain a relentless pace, despite the harsh conditions, speaks volumes about his extraordinary physical and mental endurance. Asbjørn's preparation for this grueling challenge was extensive, involving years of rigorous training, meticulous planning, and strategizing. He honed the necessary skills to perfection, adapted his body to withstand the extreme Alaskan cold, and mentally conditioned himself to face the solitude and psychological challenges of the trail.

The title of 'The Terminator' is not just a nod to his relentless pace but also a tribute to his ability to overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges that life and the Iditarod Trail have presented since he first focused his attention on conquering the journey to Nome in 2014. Asbjørn Bruun's finish in the ITI 1000 is not just a personal victory but an inspirational story of human determination and resilience, showcasing what is possible when one refuses to yield against the odds.

As Asbjørn Bruun is on the eve of finishing his cross country ski to Nome, let’s explore the history of skiing on the Iditarod Trail. Skiers to both McGrath and especially Nome are few, why you ask? Long distance, expedition style skiing is hard, especially for those of us who haven’t been skiing for most of our lives. It can be hard on your feet, pulling a sled jerks the skier around, carrying a pack can make balance more difficult, the skiers hands are always tied up with poles making it difficult to drink and eat while moving, maintaining kick via wax is challenging, and via other methods like waxless or skin skis are slower, the list of challenges goes on. 

There are few recorded ski attempts on either the Northern or Southern Iditarod routes to Nome, and indeed no official finishes in ITI history. In 2003 Christian Sterr and Barbara Schwarzmann (Germany) skied the ITI Serum Route in 30 days, this 800 mile route ran from Nenana to Nome. In 2000 three people skied the Northern Route as part of the Iditasport race. Dave Norona and Kevin Vallely completed the race in 33 days, while Andy Sterns completed it in 44 days. 

The most well documented account of skiing the Iditarod is recorded in Trails that Never End by Tim Kelley. In 1990 Tim Kelley and Bob Baker skied the Northern Route in a mere 23 days, an incredible time, especially considering that they started in Anchorage (to Eagle River, then drove to the start of Knik Goose Bay Road) and faced multiple days of snow covered with ash thanks to an ill-timed Alaskan volcanic eruption. The trip was called Nome Odyssey, and was a race between two skiers and two bikers, Roger Cowles and Bob Forney. You’ll have to read the book to find how Roger and Bob set up their bikes before fat tire bikes could be bought in a shop, and who won the race.

A handful of other independent expeditions occurred in the 80s and 90s. The earliest trip was in 1980 when Dolly Lafever and Mike Sallee skied the Northern Route to Nome in 40 days. In 1986 Jan Kralik skied from Nome to Knik in 42 days, again on the Northern Route. In 1991 Bob Fusco skied the southern route with a bonus 78-mile detour, and a 10-day stop to recover from food poisoning, all in 53 days.

Disclaimer - this summary is from limited research. If you wish to learn more about skiing on the Iditarod trail and remote skiing in Alaska and the Arctic, we suggest you check out Trails that Never End by Tim Kelley, and Canyons and Ice by Kaylene Johnson. I’m sure there are several other resources out there and we apologize in advance for missing them. Also see Lars Danner’s blog post. 

Soon Asbjorn Bruun will join these giants of expedition skiing legend, and he’s worked hard for this success. He first skied the ITI in 2019, reaching McGrath in 7 days, 11 hours. In 2020 he made it as far as Unalakleet where he became part of the Unalakleet 8, when eight athletes bound for Nome were all stopped because the sea ice in Norton Sound broke up. Asbjorn was back in 2022 when he made it just past Shaktoolik, before getting nabbed with frostbite on one finger. 

This year, less part of a finger, we’ve no doubt that Asbjorn’s incredible trail energy, positive attitude, and oatmeal will fuel him under the burled arch in Nome. For those of you that haven’t been lucky enough to cross paths with Asbjorn on the trail, his optimistic nature, smile and unstoppable steady stride have been a welcome sight for many an ITI athlete. Learn a little more about Asbjorn from this ITI athlete profile. If you’re watching Trackleaders, don’t look away for too long because he’s closing the gap to Nome in short order.

In a race where few skiers have ever made it to the waters of the Bering sea, we have five athletes who may make it to Nome. Other skiers with a few more miles to go include Jan Francke, Petr Ineman, Joshua Brown and Sunny Stroeer. Incredibly, they all push on despite struggles with cold injuries to the hands, destroyed boots, fatigue and sore feet.

Asbjorn is currently leading the charge into Nome, after crashing last night at McKinley Creek cabin, he’s through White Mountain and heading into the Topcock Hills. Today he’s making some of the fastest speeds of the entire race, and appears to have been averaging 4-6 mph most the day. Ryan and Gavan are resting in White Mountain, Gavan just arrived and Ryan has been there for a couple of hours. 

Leah is past Golovin and starting the crossing of Golovin Lagoon. We suspect everyone is trying to get across the lagoon as soon as possible, given the current storm warning (more on that later). Leah was hoping to make it to Golovin last night, continuing past Walla Walla cabin a short distance, but turned around pretty quickly. We’ve heard from Leah that she felt too tired to push into the storm last night, and woke up to a fresh blanket of snow this morning. Jan is approaching Golovin lagoon with moving speeds around 5 mph. There’s got to be a good tailwind out there that’s helping the skiers out! Jan reports that “the most important places in these villages are the schools and post offices.” 

Christof and Beat left Elim around 7am this morning and pushed hard all day, taking a break at McKinley Creek cabin, and just recently departing for the first part of the Golovin Bay ice crossing. They have recently pulled a significant distance away from Faye and Jeff, who may be feeling the fatigue of weeks on the trail. Faye reported that it was very warm today, that it felt crazy after so many weeks of cold, and that the trails are very soft now. Brandon arrived in Koyuk last night around 11pm, rested until 3pm today, and has 41 miles to reach Elim. Hendra should be arriving in Koyuk soon after a successful sea ice crossing. 

Joshua and Mark are currently crossing from Shaktoolik to Little Mountain cabin, where they’ll have to make the choice to hurry across right away, or get some rest and wait a bit. Petr has passed the Foothills cabin and is 17 miles from Shaktoolik. Sunny is only about 4 miles behind Petr. Both loaded up on pizza in Unalakleet and have hopefully been stuffed to overflowing. Sunny reported that her thumb is a bit worse, but she got some extra pizza and extra rest in Unalakleet. 

The following special weather statement is still in effect for all coastal areas where racers are present: Elevated Water Along the Southern Seward Peninsula Coast through Thursday. Strong southerly winds will result in elevated water levels along the southern Seward Peninsula coast through Thursday. This will cause water to rise up through cracks in the sea ice and push water on top of the ice in some areas. Some coastal trails on the ice or near the shore could become inundated with water. Ice shoves may be possible for vulnerable coasts along south-facing coastlines. Residents living along the coast are encouraged to monitor current conditions before venturing out on the sea ice.

The storm may have significant impacts on racers, but as Faye reported to us earlier, the locals say it doesn’t sound too bad. This interpretation from Jay Cable is helpful, where the trail is on ice it could be wet, for example Shaktoolil to Koyuk and around Golovin. The tailwind should be helping racers out, but if it snows it will not be good for the bikers. These conditions shouldn’t be dangerous as long as everyone is making good decisions. With luck, there will be no major impacts to racers crossing or attempting to cross the sea ice of Norton or Golovin Bays. I’m sure that they, like us, will be watching it closely. In the meantime, hopefully the winds that appear to generally be favorable, will stay that way.

Author: Amber Crawford

Photo credit: Sunny Stroeer

Thomas Miller finished the ITI 1000 today in 22 days, 5 hours and 41 minutes. Congratulations!