TRAIL UPDATE

ITI350

FOOT RACE FINISHERS

More finishers for the ITI350 overnight with Christof Teuscher crossing the line at 12:15am and taking the second place in the foot race.

Completing ITI350 this morning were Jersey, UK, foot racer Steve Hayes at 07:11am and Chris Moroch, from Statesville, North Carolina, at 10:35am.

Other foot athletes finishing the race in McGrath today are Minnesotan racers Jeff Leuwerke and Faye Norby at 12:12, Australian athlete Daniel Cooper at 12:57, as well as Ryan Wanless, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 13:45.

Faye Norby is this year’s ITI350 Foot Race Champion - Women.

SKI RACE FINISHERS

Matthieu Bonnier arrived in McGrath today at 11:28am, which earns him the title of ITI350 Ski Race Champion.

RACING ATHLETES

Italian bike racer Tiziano Mulonia is clearly feeling the end is getting close and is progressing fast towards McGrath. He is travelling with his brother, ITI1000 bike athlete Willy Mulonia.

Skier Greg Mills and foot athlete Robert Youngren are heading towards McGrath together.

The lead for the women’s foot race is currently St Paul, Minnesota athlete Faye Norby who has been strong throughout the race and she is closely followed by Anchorage athlete Amber Bethe. Faye Norby’s tracker is playing up.

Skier Lars Danner is progressing well on the last stretch home. The athlete will be a finisher in the three ITI disciplines when he reaches McGrath.

Foot racer Kari Gibbons has arrived in Nikolai for a well-earned break and foot athlete Frode Lein from Hakadal, Norway has now left the checkpoint after a good rest (check out the photographs below to see how the strong Norwegian racer sleeps when he needs some efficient recuperating rest).

Behind Gibbons on their way to Nikolai are Klaus Schweinberger, Donald Kane, Nina Stupples, Robert Sullivan, Cheryl Wallace, and Keith Eckert, who is nearing Bear Creek. We are currently checking on Cheryl Wallace and will report back in due course.

Some athletes’s trackers have flat batteries and their position is not accurate, notably Beth Shaner’s, Mathieu Bonnier’s, Ryan Wanless’. We will report back on the athletes.

ITI1000

Leading ITI1000 athletes Casey Fagerquist, Petr Ineman, Jill Martindale and Jussi Karjalainen have left McGrath this morning and have already passed Takotna. Next stop is Ophir. There has been a lot of snowmachine traffic up the Trail north of McGrath and the racers have been progressing well along the Trail so far.

ITI1000 bike racer Roberto Gazzoli arrived in McGrath at 12:48 am. Both Beat Jegerlehner and Troy Szczurkowski are also in McGrath today where they join Finnish athlete Toni Lund.

Skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun is moving fast towards McGrath after a good rest and some equipment maintenance in Nikolai (see pictures).

Italian bike racer Wily Mulonia is closely followed by New Zealand racing duo Graham Muir and George Adams. They all left Nikolai in the night and have been progressing well towards the next checkpoint.

Brit foot athlete Mark Hines has arrived in Nikolai for a well-earned break after a long stretch to the checkpoint.

Jill Homer had a good rest in Nikolai and is heading towards McGrath. She’s currently pushing forward behind ITI350 athlete Amber Bethe .

ITI Veteran and foot athlete Loreen Hewitt is currently in Bear Creek.

A good day on the Trail, mostly sunny weather, currently 0°F with highs around 8°F above and north winds to 10 mph.