Jill Martindale is leading the charge tonight. The race leaders are currently reaching Nulato.

Finnish athlete Jussi Karjalainen is at Galena checkpoint.

Skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, bike racers George Adams, Graham Muir, Roberto Gazzoli, Willy Mulonia and Toni Lund have all reached Galena.

Foot athlete Beat Jegerlehner is expected to join them soon.

Some of the group bivied last night on the long stretch to Galena.

Klaus Schneiderberger is currently 25 miles out of Cripple.

Our athletes are in good spirit and have enjoyed the life and traffic on the Trail as mushers and dogs pass by.

ITI Family,

Throughout the past several weeks, the Iditarod Trail Invitational has been closely monitoring the events stemming from the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak in order to ensure the well-being of the entire ITI community. We have been collaborating with local government agencies and individuals across Alaska to monitor the effects of COVID-19 and to prevent its spread but were notified today that many public facilities in the villages have been closed.

The well-being and safety of our athletes always has been and always will be our number one priority. As a result, the ITI staff has been working around the clock to ensure that shelter and access to supply drops will be available to athletes competing in the ITI 1000. Athletes are being notified of the revised procedures, and we continue to closely monitor the situation. A massive thank you is warranted to the ITI Trail Angels for stepping up to the challenge and taking proactive steps to care for the athletes who are still on the Iditarod Trail. The Trail Angels have retrieved supply boxes from the post offices, provided accommodations and have cooked meals for the athletes, all in service of ensuring their safety. 

The Iditarod Trail Invitational has a 19 year legacy to uphold — one that rests on adapting and overcoming challenges and doing what is right to build trusting relationships. We are grateful for your continued support and will continue to keep you updated as the situation develops.

• Kathi and Kyle
  Directors of the Iditarod Trail Invitational

Another fast day on the Trail today.

Casey Fagerquist secured a lead over Jill Martindale and Petr Ineman.

All athletes have now reached Galena and covered 532 miles of the race.

Casey had a close encounter with wolves on his way. Listen to him tell the story in the video below when KTUU caught up with him in Ruby.

“Trail was slow from Ruby, but rideable”, says Casey. “There are so many awesome things that happen each day. This is so cool”, our race leader adds.

Petr Ineman had issues with his bike but it didn’t slow him down much on his race to the next checkpoint.

Next bike racer expected to arrive at Galena is Finnish athlete Jussi Karjalainen, who is currently following the Yukon river.

His fellow countryman, bike racer Toni Lund is closing in on Ruby. Toni has maintained his advance over New Zealand bike racers Graham Muir and George Adams with a gap of 20 miles.

Right behind the Kiwi athletes is skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, who is the first skier since 2003 to go to Nome and the first to do the 1000-mile route since 2000. Asbjørn is closely followed by Italian bike racers Roberto Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia. The group has been moving steadily together up the Trail.

Also on his way to Ruby is foot racer Beat Jegerlehner who has been averaging over 2.6mph with long, strong strides all the way. His fellow foot athlete Klaus Schweinberger who is 49 miles out of Cripple is showing an equally steady race pace.

The Trail has been busy with the Iditarod mushers heading to Nome as well.

Fresh from the Trail pictures are courtesy of our race leader Casey Fagerquist - yes, the guy can really do it all, race, take pictures, do TV interviews and avoid wolves.

Petr Ineman

Jill Martindale arriving in Takotna

The first bike athletes to make it to Nome

The cosy Ophir checkpoint

Mushers on their way to Nome

Highway to Nome

Our lead pack has reached Ruby with Casey Fagerquist arriving a few hours ahead of Petr Ineman and a very determined Jill Martindale, who's had a spectacular race this year.

Behind them is Finnish bike athlete Jussi Karjalainen, who is progressing steadily towards Ruby.

His countryman, and fellow bike racer Toni Lund has arrived in Cripple where he is expected to be joined by Kiwi racers George Adams and Graham Muir, the strong Italian cyclists Roberto Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia as well as foot racer Beat Jegerlehner, who has been moving very fast on the ITI1000 course, and strong Danish skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun.

Most of the athletes have been racing together from Ophir and will reach the checkpoint shortly.

Behind them, closing in on Ophir is foot racer Klaus Schweinberger.

The dogs have been passing our racers today so traffic has been high on the Trail and Cripple is busy tonight.

Pictured below is athlete Jill Martindale, seen Pre-Race. Jill, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the only woman left in the ITI race.

Go Jill! #WildWinterWomen

The “Finish Meal” at the Schneiderheinzes’ residence is an ITI race tradition.

After spending gruelling hours on the Trail, the warm hospitality of Peter and Tracy Schneiderheinze is a welcome respite for all athletes. Many are even said to go faster on the last mile just thinking about those legendary “mancakes”.

Peter and Tracy have hosted ITI racers in their home since the beginning of the race and their energy is as boundless today as it was back then. The happy Trail chatter that animates their lounge for hours seems to keep going on no matter the hour of the day.

While the ITI350 racers celebrate the end of the race with a beer from local brewery Denali Brewing, the ITI1000 athletes perk up with a fresh cup of coffee before for their long trip to Nome.

A warm home away from home for the exhausted racers and the social heart of McGrath during the race, there’s a constant flow of visitors dropping in to hear the latest ITI news or to report on Trail conditions further north.

A generous spread is always ready for new arrivals and Peter and Tracy have long stopped counting how many eggs they have cracked to prepare their hearty “mancakes” - the food order reveals that 500 eggs are needed to feed hungry athletes every season.

Thank you Peter and Tracy for your generous hospitality and for making the end of the ITI350 race extra special.

One of the many questions fans of the ITI race ask is how the racers keep motivated when the weather is tough, the Trail feels hostile and exhaustion stops limbs from moving forward.

The answer is complex because everyone is different.

But having a bigger purpose than the race is definitely something that helps athletes pushing harder when their bodies are failing them and the mind calls for quitting.

A bigger purpose is what is on George Adams and Graham Muir’s minds.

The two athletes, known as Lefto & Bush, are childhood friends from Turangi, New Zealand.

Growing up together in a tight knit Māori community, they understand the value of helping each other and have a deep respect for the land they get to ride on.

This is why they are giving back to the communities they travel through, along the Iditarod Trail.

“We decided to raise funds for the children of these villages as part of giving back to the communities as we travel their lands”, says Graham.

The racers met with Nikolai’s school teacher when they stopped for a rest to discuss some of the challenges that the community faces and give him a generous donation for the school (see pictures below).

They were joined by volunteer George Grigonis (of famed “Nikolai Hotel Grill”) who has been involved in Nikolai in the past two years.

What better driver than empowering young people when the next checkpoint seems so far?

Well done Graham and George for racing with generosity.

KIA KAHA!

ITI350 - IT'S A WRAP

Race athletes Robert Sullivan and Keith Eckert finished the race at 20:00.

This concludes the 2020 edition of ITI350.

Thank you to all our volunteers for helping out on the Trail and at checkpoints.

As racers finish the race with a meal at Tracy and Peter Scheinderheinze’s house, we would like to thank them both for the warm welcome they offer to our ITI community every year. More on Tracy and Peter as they deserve more column inches.

ITI1000

Casey Fagerquist has taken the lead of course, riding out of Cripple to secure a gap between him and his fellow racers.

Behind him is Jill Martindale who has just arrived in Cripple.

Close behind her and riding together are Petr Ineman and Jussi Karjalainen, followed by Finnish bike athlete Toni Lund.

Leading foot racer Beat Jegerlehner and Danish skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun are progressing fast together towards Cripple.

Just behind them are Kiwi racers George Adams aka Lefto and Graham Muir aka Bush who are catching up fast.

Italian bike athletes Willy Mulonia and Roberto Gazzoli are currently resting in Ophir.

Austrian fan favourite and foot athlete Klaus Schweinberger is our red lantern.

ITI Veteran and foot athlete Jill Homer is ending the race in McGrath. Jill considered carefully going forward but decided to keep safe as the next section of the race is very demanding.

Another foot racer to end the race is UK athlete Mark Hines. Mark has been suffering from a chest infection and has chosen it was safer to finish in McGrath.

Both athletes have shown great tenacity over the many challenges the Trail has thrown at them this year.

Well done Jill and Mark for a great race until McGrath!

New Zealand can be proud of Kiwi bike athlete Nina Stupples who completed her first ITI350 today at 04:23. Nina was new to ITI last year and she has mastered a longer distance this year in much more challenging conditions. Her unwavering willpower carried her though the tough patches and at no point during the race did Nina let hard challenges deter her.

Another great racer finishing ITI350 today is Minnesota foot athlete Kari Gibbons, who crossed the finish line at 05:19.

Kari’s tenacity along the Trail is a testament to her solid experience as an ultra athlete. The ultimate “Trail Sister”, Kari is a fantastic team player and when not on the ITI, she can be found braving other ultra with racing partner Kate Coward, this year’s ITI350 Bike Champion.

Minnesota breeds strong talent with two women winning ITI350 Champion titles this year. The “Wild Winter Women” group the women are part of has some celebrating to do after such great results on the ITI Trail.

Completing this year’s tough edition is certainly a great achievement for all our athletes.

Well done Nina and Kari!

ITI1000

The lead pack,  Petr Ineman, Casey Fagerquist and Jill Martindale have stopped for a rest just 20 miles out of Cripple. They’re closely followed by Finnish bike racer Jussi Karjalainen.

Skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, foot racer Beat Jegerlehner and bike athlete Toni Lund have all stopped in Ophir for a well-earned break.

Kiwi bike racers George Adams and Graham Muir are resting in Takotna.

Mark Hines reached McGrath tonight at 23:43 after a long day on the Trail.

Roberto Gazzoli, Willy Mulonia, Jill Homer, Troy Szczurkowski are all in McGrath.

Klaus Schweinberger is arriving in McGrath shortly.

Donald Kane and Loreen Hewitt have both scratched.

ITI350

Foot athlete Kari Gibbons is expected to cross the finish line shortly.

She is closely followed by New Zealand athlete Nina Stupples.

Behind the women are ITI rookies Robert Sullivan and Keith Eckert expected to complete the race tomorrow.

Currently one of ITI1000 lead athletes, Petr Ineman is seen here getting ready to go out on the Trail earlier in the race.

Anchorage skier Lars Danner has crossed the finish line in McGrath today at 17:28.

By finishing the ITI350 Ski Race, Lars starts an elite ITI club: he is the first racer to finish the ITI350 in the three different categories.

Lars completed the ITI350 Bike Race in both 2015 and 2016, then finished the ITI350 Foot Race in 2018.

But, as many athletes can appreciate, the ITI ski race may be an even tougher race and there were only 5 skiers crossing the start line across both distances this year.

Why so little racers braving the ITI?
Lars gives a very good insight into why the ITI Trail presents many challenges for skiers:

http://larsdanner.blogspot.com/2019/01/

After reading this, or if you have ever attempted to ski on the Trail before, you will probably look at ITI Veteran Lars Danner with renewed admiration.

We sure do.

Congratulations Lars on a fantastic race again this year and on breaking a brand new record too as the first Multi-Discipline ITI350 Finisher.

Two athletes who we did not report on finishing due to faulty trackers are foot racer Ryan Wanless and bike athlete Beth Shaner.

Both racers crossed the finish line on March 9th at, respectively, 13:45 for Ryan Wanless and 13:50 for Beth Shaner.

Two accomplished athletes, Ryan and Beth had a strong race and braved challenges on the Trail with great tenacity.

To the friends and families worrying about those dots not moving, we apologise for the failed tech.

And to Ryan and Beth, thank you for honouring the ITI Trail and being such great members of our ITI community!

A lot of our athletes endorse a good cause for which they raise awareness during the race.

This year, two of our ITI350 foot racers currently on the Trail are SEALs raising awareness and support for the SEALs For Future and their Warrior Health Program, which offers SEALs assistance with health protocols.

Robert Sullivan and Keith Eckert, both from Coronado, California, are SEALs who have accepted to take on the challenge to help others facing long-term health issues ranging from Traumatic Brain Injury to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and from physical disability to severe depression.

You can find out more about the purpose of their mission and SEALs For Future and how to support this good cause here:

https://sealff.org/iditarod-trail-invitational/

Well done Robert, Keith and all SEALs involved!

Another beautiful day on the Trail with sunshine and light winds for our athletes today.

ITI1000

There are 17 racers left in the race on this tough edition of ITI after early scratches. Here’s the update on the racing athletes:

BIKE RACE

The lead pack is making fast progress towards Cripple with Casey Fagerquist ahead, very closely followed by strong female athlete Jill Martindale, Illinois bike racer Petr Ineman and Finnish athlete Jussi Karjalainen. Jill Martindale is showing no sign of fatigue and will be the one to watch on the way to Nome.

Back in McGrath are Toni Lund, Troy Szczurkowski, Graham Muir, George Adams. Roberto Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia.

A real team player, Troy Szczurkowski decided not to chase the lead pack and instead stay back in McGrath to help fellow cyclist George Adams whose bike needed rebuilding. A tough decision for our competitive racer but a great display of camaraderie.

FOOT RACE

Beat Lederjehner left McGrath in the night and has now passed Takotna.

Jill Homer arrived in McGrath this morning after a strong race from Nikolai.

Next athlete expected in McGrath today is Brit Mark Hines.

Klaus Schweinberger has been steadily progressing towards McGrath.

Scotsman Donald Kane is in Nikolai where Loreen Hewitt will join him later today.

SKI

After a good rest, Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun has left McGrath and is progressing fast towards Takotna. Asbjørn is the only skier left in the race.

ITI350

FINISHERS

Tiziano Mulonia completed the race at 23:28 after a long day on the Trail.

Robert Youngren crossed the ITI350 finish line in the night at 02:18.

Skier Greg Mills arrived in McGrath at 04:02am.

Foor racer Amber Bethe finished the race at 09:21 this morning.

Norwegian foot athlete Frode Lein completed ITI350 at 10:11am.

RACERS

Skier Lars Danner is expected to finish in McGrath in the next couple of hours.

Foot racer Kari Gibbons and bike athlete Nina Stupples are on the stretch home now, with finish in sight for both athletes, who have shown great stamina along the Trail. Nina lost her race companion after Cheryl Wallace had to end her race last night but she is going strong and shows no sign of slowing down until the finish line.

Foot racers Robert Sullivan and Keith Eckert have left Nikolai and are on the last part of the race now.

Below pictured are Amber Bethe enjoying a well-earned finish meal in McGrath (thanks Champion Faye Norby for the snap); the racers waiting to go out to conquer Nome with a very happy George Adams opening a package from his Kiwi motherland (Ryan Wanless is on pap duty); Troy Szczurkowski earlier in the race; and happy ITI350 finishers Chris Moroch, Steve Hayes and ITI350 Foot Champion Gavan Hennigan with happy dog Bronwyn (thanks Claire for the pic). Last photograph is Italian athlete Tiziano Mulonia.

Congratulations / Félicitations à Mathieu Bonnier who won the ITI350 Ski Race today when crossing the finish line today at 11:28am.

The multi-discipline, 63 year-old athlete from France has steadily pushed through difficult weather and trail conditions from the start of the race, never without slowing down or losing focus.

This tenacity earned him his ITI Champion title.

Bravo Mathieu!

No challenge is too extreme for multi-discipline athlete Mathieu Bonnier.

ITI1000

The leading pack is resting in Ophir after a fast day on the Trail.

Kiwi bike athletes Graham Muir and George Adams have arrived in McGrath tonight at 20:37. They have moved fast today and are catching up quickly.

Another fast athlete today is skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun who is approaching McGrath.

He is followed by Willy Mulonia who is pushing his brother Tizanio to his ITI350 finish. Willy will then carry on to Nome.

Jill Homer is steadily progressing towards McGrath.

UK foot racer Mark Hines has left Nikolai and is moving fast along the Trail towards the next checkpoint.

Austrian athlete Klaus Schweinberger is currently resting in Nikolai and Scotsman Donald Kane is expected to reach the checkpoint in the night.

Loreen Hewitt has passed Bear Creek and is on her way to Nikolai.

ITI350

Moving towards a second place behind ITI350 Ski Champion Mathieu Bonnier is skier Greg Mills and behind him on the Trail is multi-discipline ITI Finisher Lars Danner.

Foot athlete Robert Yongren, from Alabama is currently 18 miles out from the finishing line.

Anchorage foot athlete Amber Bethe is gearing for a morning finish, she is racing with ITI1000 Jill Homer.

Foot racer Frode Lein is expected in McGrath in the morning.

Nina Stupples, from Westport, New Zealand, has reached Nikolai for the night for a well-earned break.

Moving steadily is SEALs and foot athlete Robert Sullivan who is getting closer to Nikolai, his race companion and fellow SEALs Keith Eckert’s tracker is faulty.

Cheryl Wallace has been progressing slowly after suffering a bad back from a moose incident a few days ago today and no longer able to carry on unfortunately. She is currently being rescued and brought into Nikolai.

A clear night for the athletes out on the Trail tonight and clear blue skies, light winds and highs of 4°F.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ATHLETES FOR ANOTHER GREAT DAY ON THE ITI TRAIL.

Foot athlete Faye Norby from St Paul, Minnesota is this year’s ITI350 Foot Champion - Women.

Faye has had a strong race despite the challenges thrown at her.

She has not let extreme weather and difficult trail conditions deter her. Her drive and stamina have pushed her forward when it would have been easier to struggle and slow down.

Faye Norby arrived with race companion and ITI350 finisher Jeff Leuwerke at 12:12pm.

Well done Faye, you deserve your Champion’s title.

After Kate Coward winning the ITI350 Bike Race - Women, Faye is the second Minnesotan woman to win this year. Go Minnesota!

The confident smile of a champion.

The sunshine welcomes ITI350 Foot Champion - Women - Faye and her race companion Jeff Leuwerke.

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.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FINISHERS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL RACERS TODAY.

Power athlete couple Rebecca Rusch and Greg Martin had decided they would ride the Trail together and finish the race together in McGrath.

They sure did and arrived tonight at 21:20.

Another great race for Rebecca who won last year’s edition of the women’s ITI350 bike race.

Well done to Rebecca and Greg for a formidable team spirit on the Trail!

Also arriving in McGrath tonight at 22:05 was Finnish bike athlete and ITI Veteran Toni Lund. However McGrath is only a checkpoint for Toni as the finish line is at Nome for the racer.

Couple in real life, racing team on the Trail.

Beat Jederlehner and Beth Shaner are moving towards McGrath together. Beth's tracker is not working properly but we are monitoring them.

They had company on the Trail as they were followed by 3 dogs 15 miles out of Nikolai.

Mathieu Bonnier's tracker is also playing up. He is also moving towards McGrath.

Greg Martin and Rebecca Rusch are crossing the line in McGrath as we publish. Toni Lund is also arriving in McGrath, a checkpoint to Nome for him.

The stretch Nikolai - McGrath is busy tonight and Nikolai's checkpoint is expecting another steady flow of arrivals tonight.

Race Director Kyle Durand is following the back of the race up to Nikolai.

Foot racer Hendra Wijaya has now ended his race and will be flying back to Anchorage tomorrow, weather allowing. He took 5 snowmachines and about 6-7 hours to break trail in whiteout conditions to get to Hells Gate (aptly named) and back - see pictures of the rescue mission led by ITI crew Kyle and Adrian. Thank you to everyone involved in getting Hendra back to Puntilla.

Captured on video below when arriving at the last checkpoint on his race, is Italian athlete Tiziano Mulonia who can’t wait to see the finish line in McGrath and go home after battling snow and cold temperatures all night and day. Tiziano will eat and rest in Nikolai before tackling the last stretch home tomorrow.

ITI1000 skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun has also arrived in Nikolai tonight.

Well done everyone on another good day!

Mathieu Bonnier, the lead skier in the 350 race arrived late last night in Nikolai. He ate well and rested for his final push up to McGrath. 
We caught up with him as he left Nikolai this morning.

To put it into context, Mathieu who is 62, has a few extreme racing events under his belt.
He has finished the ITI ski race in 1998 and 2000, he's competed in the Arrowhead Ultra, Tuscobia Winter Ultra 160, White Mountains 100 and MYAU2015 430 to name few.

And if that was not enough, the Frenchman from the Alpine Isère area is also an experienced rower who crossed both the Atlantic and the Nortwest Passage solo.

Awe-inspiring? You bet.

Allez Mathieu!