TRAIL UPDATE

Despite a foot of new snow reported in some places along the trail, the athletes are making good progress up the trail.

The lead is especially moving fast, with defending champion Tyson Flaharty, from Fairbanks progressing along the Trail with Clinton Hodges and Kurt Refsnider. 

ITI veteran Clinton, from Anchorage, has placed second and third in previous years. 
New to the ITI, Kurt Refsnider is an accomplished endurance cyclist in many other events.

They are followed by rookie Kate Coward and 6-time champ Peter Basinger.

The weather is challenging our athletes and we had a few scratches so far: Bob Ostrom, Steve Cannon, Mike Wallace, are currently riding back to Knik Lake, and both Brian Marang, Paul Schlagel, currently in Yentna Station.
No injuries.

Two athletes did not start: Donald Wood, Judd Rohwer
and Stefan Chmel is 2 hours from Yentna Station. His tracker was reset but is not working.

Our race co-director Kyle Durand is moving through the field reporting that the amount of snow is making it even hard progress on the snowmobile for him this morning.