Those who have never been tested should be pitied, because they don’t know what they’re capable of.

- Seneca

The Iditarod Trail Invitational always serves up a healthy dose of adventure, and this year’s revised course will present athletes with a variety of new challenges. But those who want to take their ITI experience to the next level will be able to choose from two new adventure categories in the 20th Anniversary Iditarod Trail Invitational.

Self-Supported Category

• To qualify for the self-supported category, athletes must not enter any building or tent (other than a tent carried by the athlete) and must not accept food, lodging, or other assistance from a checkpoint, a commercial establishment or a private citizen during the race.

• Athletes may send drop bags and resupply from their own supplies at Finger Lake and Rohn.

Bivy Category

• To qualify for the bivy category, athletes must not sleep in any building or tent (other than a tent carried by the athlete).

• Athletes may use checkpoints and commercial establishments for all other purposes.

Every athlete who completes the 2021 ITI in either of these categories will be recognized in the final standings. Additional details can be found in the 2021 Athlete Guide.

Rainy Pass awaits

Since the 2020 race ended, the ITI organizers have remained committed to holding the 20th anniversary Iditarod Trail Invitational in a manner that would not compromise the health of our athletes, the communities of Alaska, the volunteers or our staff members. We have continually adjusted our operational plans over the past eight months as the COVID-19 situation has evolved and in accordance with guidance from medical professionals. In short, we have focused on the things we can control.

Alaska, like many places in the world, has recently experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases. The spike in cases has prompted government institutions at all levels to implement more stringent COVID-19 mitigation measures. Particularly impactful for the ITI, the remote communities of Alaska have justifiably asked that travel to their areas be curtailed. Historically, pandemics have created disastrous consequences for those remote settlements, so those communities are rightfully wary of outside visitors - even if those visitors have been subjected to the rigorous testing and quarantine requirements the ITI will be implementing in 2021.

Without question, the ITI would not be possible without an informed, engaged and supportive public. The long-term viability of the ITI depends on local partnerships that are based on trust and respect. And, even though the 2021 ITI operational plan was designed to avoid dependence on remote communities, we cannot avoid the potentially destructive message that would be conveyed by sending athletes into territories adjacent to those communities without their approval. On the other hand, the private lodges along the ITI 350 route are looking forward to welcoming ITI athletes and volunteers and have been working closely with our staff to establish processes that will ensure everyone stays healthy.

So, to meet the goals of holding the ITI in a COVID-safe manner while reducing its footprint and strengthening critical relationships along the Iditarod Trail, the plan for the 20th anniversary Iditarod Trail Invitational is as follows:

• The ITI 1000 is suspended for 2021. All athletes who are signed up for the 1000 will be contacted directly and given the opportunity to withdraw from the ITI, defer to 2022 or switch to the 350.

• The ITI 350 will be run as an out-and-back to Rohn in order to avoid travel near the remote villages of Nikolai and McGrath. Specifics will be released shortly, but athletes can plan on traveling from the start at Knik Lake to Rohn and back to this year’s finish on Big Lake.

We are excited about the challenges this revised route will offer and continuing the ITI’s 20-year tradition of showcasing the power of the human spirit.

- Kyle Durand, Race Director

The past eight months have certainly provided its share of challenges. But, aren't we are a group that prides itself on maintaining perspective in the face of adversity, perseverance in the face of failure and purpose through action? We are outliers who don't follow the well-worn path, who think for themselves and who work together to support each other and our communities.

Sure, the easy route would have been to cancel the ITI months ago. Instead, the ITI team has spent countless hours working to develop solutions to the problems COVID-19 introduces with the help of professional advisors, has invested heavily in people, equipment and assets that will increase the event's self-sufficiency and has been constantly adapting to the ambiguous future that February 28, 2021 presents.

Why?

Because this community means everything to us. We believe in you and in the power of the human spirit. We believe that tough, empathetic and responsible people are those who will carry us forward through this challenging time and the challenging times we will face in the future.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a new trial, the ITI has adapted to many challenges over the last 20 years with a sense of responsibility towards everyone involved, including the communities of Alaska, who not only depend on the financial support that you and the ITI sponsors provide, but also the inspiration that you impart by overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds.

So where does that leave us? It leaves us to focus on the things we can control. We can't control the weather or the conditions on the Iditarod Trail. We only control how we respond. We don’t control what government will do over the next 3 months. What we control is what we do in response. We can't control how the coronavirus will impact the ITI, but we can control how we adapt to those impacts.

Specifically:

• Everyone who travels to Alaska must arrive with a negative COVID-19 test or must test negative upon arrival in the state.

• All athletes, staff and volunteers will be tested for COVID-19 the morning of their departure on the Iditarod Trail, and those tests must be negative before they are allowed to proceed.

• Checkpoints to McGrath will adhere to strict mask mandates and maximum occupancy limits.

• ITI trail teams (again, who have been certified to be COVID-19 negative) will establish remote checkpoints beyond McGrath as required.

To put it in more succinct terms, please join us if you are prepared to spend a lot of quality time outside in the glorious Alaskan wilderness and are ready to be adaptable to those things we can control.

- Kyle Durand, ITI Director

The world is a very different place than it was when we kicked off the 2020 ITI on March 1st. What hasn’t changed, though, is the character of the people that make up the ITI family. The athletes, volunteers, residents on the Iditarod Trail, family members and countless people behind the scenes are still the caring, adaptable, and resilient people they were on March 1st.

Society today is full of volatility, complexity and ambiguity these days. But, highly adaptable and resilient people, like the members of the ITI family, do not freeze in their tracks when confronted with uncertain situations. Instead, we take a deep breath, thoughtfully analyze the circumstance and harness the creative energy it takes to overcome the challenges that face us. Now, more than ever, we need people with unbreakable character and a strong predisposition for action to step up to the challenges in the world, to encourage those around them to act and to do the hard work needed to get our communities back on their feet.

To support these extraordinary people, the ITI staff has toiled non-stop for months preparing for the 2021 event with the goal of creating a COVID-19-safe environment for everyone involved. More information will be forthcoming, but those preparations include:

• coordination with the CDC;

• hiring a medical consultant;

• collaborating with local government agencies;

• re-designing checkpoints; and

• formulating processes and procedures to detect and limit disease transmission, including COVID-19 testing prior to the start.

Thank you for your trust and confidence during these tumultuous times. It is an honor to work with all of you and the communities of Alaska in a combined effort designed to demonstrate the power of the human spirit.

- Kyle Durand, Race Director

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of Kathi Merchant from the Iditarod Trail Invitational after 18 years. Kathi will be moving on to pursue other adventures, and she will be sorely missed.

Kathi’s devotion to all that the ITI stands for has been invaluable and has helped make the ITI one of the world’s premier endurance events. In addition to her incredible competence and skill, she has been a friend to all with her thoughtfulness and encouragement. We invite you to join us in showing Kathi our tremendous appreciation and to wish her a wonderful retirement.

In her own words:

“This is my announcement that I have retired from the ITI as of May 2020. It has been a great run for 18 years and I appreciate the support and friendship from all of you for so many years. The memories and stories of the Iditarod Trail will stay with me for my lifetime. It has been a big part of my life in Alaska carving a great path with many athletic and professional accomplishments. I am moving on to new things and I wish everyone that I met in the past and new participants all the best with their run, bike or ski on the Iditarod Trail.
All the Best and Happy Trails!”

— Katharina Merchant

Following the close of the 2020 Iditarod Trail Invitational a few weeks ago, the ITI team recognized the need for novel measures to remedy an unprecedented situation during the race caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

On the evening of March 19th, a large storm surge in the Norton Sound disrupted the sea ice and caused widespread flooding. In response to the incident, search and rescue personnel were dispatched to retrieve Jussi Karjalainen and Toni Lund, the athletes closest to the Norton Sound, while the ITI team investigated the extent of the damage to the Iditarod Trail. All other athletes were asked to shelter in place once they reached a checkpoint and until the close of the safety investigation.

The investigation revealed that the storm surge had made all routes over the Sound from Shaktoolik to Koyuk impassable due to open water or overflow. Faced with no consistent overland trails between the villages and the urgency of reacting to the effects of the pandemic, the ITI leadership decided to stop the race for the eight athletes who had not crossed the Norton Sound and to evacuate them immediately from Unalakleet.

Had the athletes encountered a similar situation with the sea ice in a normal year, they would have been provided an opportunity to investigate and consider their options before withdrawing from the race. But, faced with the gravity of responding quickly to the coronavirus pandemic, the 8 athletes were not afforded that opportunity. Given that they were directed to stop in Unalakleet by the ITI, we believe that their results should not reflect that they scratched, or withdrew, from the race. Instead, each of those athletes will be listed as “Finished in Unalakleet” in the 2020 ITI 1000 results.

Congratulations to the Unalakleet Eight on their perseverance and composure during an extraordinarily challenging year.

The Unalakleet Eight (from left to right): Willy Mulonia, Roberto Gazzoli, Jussi Karjalainen, Toni Lund, Asbjorn Bruun, Beat Jegerlehner. Graham Muir, George Adams.

Congratulations to Casey Fagerquist, Jill Martindale and Petr Ineman for finishing the ITI 1000 in 22 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes!

Casey, Jill and Petr John and Petr persevered together for over 400 of the 1000 miles, conquering overwhelming challenges during every day of their journey, and, in the end, they crossed the finish line in Nome at the same time as the champions, and the only finishers, of the 2020 ITI 1000.

The trio of Casey, Jill and Petr put forth a 19-hour, massive effort yesterday in their relentless journey towards Nome. The three athletes left Golovin around 8:30am and were met again with soft, wet trails and falling snow as they followed an overland route to White Mountain. They took the longer overland route, which was followed by the dog teams, to avoid open water in the lagoon between Golovin and White Mountain.

Pushing their bicycles for most of the trek to White Mountain, the trio arrived around 5:30pm in freezing fog and temperatures around 30F. They were met on the outskirts of the village by Jack Wassillie, who, along with Joanna and the rest of the Wassillie family, are long-time supporters of ITI athletes and who were profiled in a recent story. Jack did not have direct interaction with the athletes amid COVID-19 concerns but instead led the athletes by snowmachine to shelter at a public safety building, which was graciously provided by the White Mountain city council. Once inside the building, the athletes found that the Wassillie family had left a picnic of hearty moose burger chili and fresh-baked bread to warm their bodies and spirits.

The trio left White Mountain around 7:30pm and were able to ride their bikes for nearly three hours. At that point, they reached the Topcock Hills and their progress was slowed by a combination of soft, unbroken trails, wind and steep inclines. The three athletes spent the next five hours on and off their bikes, pushing up the inclines and attempting to ride the declines, arriving at the Topcock shelter cabin around 3am. Exhausted, they spent 9 hours at the cabin sleeping, eating and recovering before striking out at 12:10pm today.

Casey, Jill and Petr are currently about 20 miles from the next checkpoint at Safety and are working through a tough combination of falling snow and temperatures hovering around 30F, creating slow, wet trail conditions.

The trio arriving in White Mountain

The youngest member of the Wassillie family preparing a moose burger chili for the athletes

Joanna knows how to warm ITI athletes’ spirits, as well as their bodies

The trio rolling out towards the Topcock Hills in freezing fog

Casey, Jill and Petr left Elim yesterday morning around 8:30am, following the final 11 Iditarod dog teams. Trails were soft as they climbed into the foothills around Mount Kwiniuk, also known as Little McKinley. The three encountered strong winds and white-out conditions as they circumnavigated the mountain.

Once around Little McKinley, they took on a series of hills with more soft trails and blowing snow, which relegated the athletes to pushing their bikes for most of the day. The trio were eventually able to ride their bicycles again as they descended from the hills and rode across the bay, arriving in the Village of Golovin around 8:30pm. They were tired but in good spirits upon their arrival and rested for the evening in the village.

The three athletes left Golovin around 7:30am this morning and are following an overland route to White Mountain to avoid flooding and unstable ice conditions in the lagoon between Golovin and White Mountain.

The push around Little McKinley

Asbjørn Bruun and Beat Jegerlehner arrived in Unalakleet last night and learned that the sea ice had become impassable on foot or skis. Both men will end their races in Unalakleet and will return to Anchorage with the other six athletes affected by the storm surge.

We deeply respect the months of effort and sacrifice that each of these athletes invested into preparing for the journey and the herculean efforts it took to make it to the Bering Sea in a very difficult year on the Iditarod Trail. These resilient and determined athletes endured countless challenges during their journeys, including massive snow storms, blasting winds, mechanical failures, animal attacks and ever-present frigid temperatures before being ultimately trapped by Mother Nature.

Thank you Willy, Roberto, Jussi, Toni, Asbjørn, Beat, Graham and George for showing us the true power of human will.

---

Casey Fagerquest, Petr Ineman and Jill Martindale, the three remaining athletes in the ITI 1000, departed Elim this morning, following the last 11 Iditarod dog teams.

Today’s investigation revealed that last night’s winter storm caused water levels to surge 3 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line in the Norton Sound, depending on location. Those surges created cracks in the sea ice, pushed water on top of the ice through those cracks and broke shorefast ice loose on the coast. As a result, all routes over the Norton Bay from Shaktoolik to Koyuk are impassable due to open water or overflow and no consistent overland trails between the villages have been created this winter.

Toni Lund and Jussi Karjalainen, who were both brought back to Shaktoolik last night by search and rescue personnel, were flown to Unalakleet this afternoon to await flights back to Anchorage with the other six athletes who have not yet crossed Norton Bay - George Adams, Graham Muir, Roberto Gazzoli, Willy Mulonia, Asbjørn Bruun and Beat Jegerlehner.

As the result of a large storm surge in the Norton Sound that disrupted the sea ice and created flooding, combined with the closure of most villages to outsiders due to COVID-19 concerns, all athletes have been personally contacted and asked to shelter in place once they reach a checkpoint.

The ITI team has been actively examining the safety of further travel and will release further details as the investigation unfolds.

With a little over 100 miles to go to reach Nome, Jill Martindale is showing everyone why women athletes have their place at the top.

If you’ve followed Jill’s fast-moving dot over the past few weeks, you will have noticed she’s been on a mission: winning the ITI1000 Bike Race.

Although not surprising for those who know her, Jill’s performance in this year’s particularly tough edition merits special attention. Jill has been consistently at the top of the race, keeping up but also challenging ITI1000 veterans when needed.

What may surprise Jill’s new fans - and believe us, there are many - is that although an accomplished athlete now, Jill was never a teen who’s busy riding mountain bikes. She actually thought people only did it to show off the gear. The young woman only started riding trails when she began working at Grand Rapids Bicycle Company, a bike shop in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Move forward a few years and Jill has an impressive list of bicycle racing accomplishments to her name. From finishes of the Dirty Kanza 200, to Coast To Coast gravel races and Marji Gesick 100 mountain bike race, she’s proven that she can easily master gravel, MTB, and fat bike racing.

Jill is also a multiple-time finisher and former champion of both the Arrowhead Ultra 135 and Tuscobia 160 winter races. 2018 was a successful year for Jill. Aside from being honoured with induction into the Michigan Mountain Biking Hall of Fame, she was also a finisher of JayP’s Fat Pursuit 200 and scooped a second place in the ITI350 Bike Race- her first foray into ITI racing. Not bad for someone who thought people riding mountain bikes were silly a few years earlier.

Since that big year, she’s not rested on her laurels and this past winter, she and her husband Dan - aka Teddy - have set up and run a training camp called Winter Shakedown. The objective of the camp is to educate people on winter riding and teach them the necessary skills to develop for racing safely. Looking at Jill’s stellar ride across Alaska in the past few weeks, it is clear that she’s applied her own teaching principles to her racing on the Trail.

There are many reasons why her fellow top racers Casey Fagerquist and last year’s ITI1000 Champion Petr Ineman, both equally deserving of an admiring accolade, have been racing with Jill. Apart from challenging them, it may be her uplifting, sparkling, ever enthusiastic personality that keeps the lead pack together. Out of all our racers, only one broke into a cheeky, winning grin at our Pre-Race photo call - guess who that was?

Her friendliness and optimistic persona make Jill a great role model and inspiration to both experienced and aspiring athletes. Which is why she is a perfect ambassador for her sponsor, the manufacturer of top adventure bikes Salsa Cycles, but also for her lucky employer, Velocity USA.

Jill often credits group riding for her accrued confidence and bravery in life, as well as a better health. This may explain how, very naturally, Jill ended up leading women’s group rides and cycling clinics. Which eventually snowballed into promoting cycling through the Skirts in the Dirt race. A women’s race that Jill helped setting up and that has turned many non-riders into keen athletes over the last few years.

Jill Martindale is what the world needs right now: a selfless, community-driven, highly performant athlete who inspires others to quit the “I’m-not-an-athlete-mentality” and just have fun with cycling.

So as she is busy pushing towards Nome, trading Snickers bars for moose sausages with mushers on her way, let’s cheer on this exceptional athlete who reminds us that being positive, focused and human is an incredible power on the Trail, but also off the Trail.

Always smiling, always pushing. Jill Martindale earlier in the race.

With only two more checkpoints to reach before the finish line, our top racers ITI1000 Veteran Petr Ineman, Casey Fagerquist and Jill Martindale are taking a well-earned break in Elim.

Jussi Karjalainen is clearly in a racing mood, having left Shaktoolik and now moving fast, aided by a strong tailwind of nearly 40mph.

Behind the Finn is fellow countryman Toni Lund, who is surely rejoicing at this year’s tailwind advantage after a gruelling crossing of the sea ice in 21 hours back in 2018. Toni is currently stationed at Foothills cabin.

Italian bike racers Roberto Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia are savouring a taste of home away from home at Peace on Earth Pizza, in Unalakleet, where Kiwi athletes Graham Muir and George Adams are also restoring.

Danish top skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun is making headway towards Old Woman’s cabin.

Top foot racer Beat Jegerlehner is currently at Tripod Flats.

Foot athlete and ITI1000 Veteran Klaus Schweinberger has now arrived in Galena.

Snowfall, highs of 36°F and strong winds are forecast for racers on the Bering Sea coastline, who if careful could progress faster than most years on the sea ice crossing.

Pictured below is Finnish bike athlete Jussi Karjalainen, at the ITI Pre-Race meeting - he’s too fast right now to get an action snap of him.

There has several storms passing the Bering Sea coastline.

Top racers Jill Martindale, Petr Ineman and Casey Fagerquist have decided to take advantage of a gap between storms to cross the sea ice rather than having to wait it out.

A firm Trail and a tailwind helped them traverse this potentially difficult part of the race in only 3.5 hours. For context, the same journey last year took 12 hours.

They are still pushing hard with minimal rest, which is widening the gap with the next racers.

Jussi Karjalainen is currently in Unalakleet where fellow countryman athlete Toni Lund has now joined him after a great push overnight and during the day.

Bike athletes Willy Mulonia, Roberto Gazzoli, George Adams and Graham Muir are still making great progress and are currently at Old Woman’s cabin.

Previous foot champion and ITI1000 5-time finisher Beat Jegerlehner and top skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun are in Kaltag.

Foot athlete Klaus Schweinberger has now left Ruby and is pushing on after a painful trek on soft, slow trail to Ruby yesterday.

A special thank you to Larry Hausmann in Galena to helping out our racers.; to Brother Bob in Nulato for opening his garage to the racers and giving them soup, and Peace on Earth Pizza in Unalakleet for good food and a space to rest. As you are aware, a lot of villages are isolating, which means new arrangements had to be made for racers along the way so these Trail Angels’ gestures are deeply appreciated.

Pictured are: Little Mountain cabin, the last shelter before the sea ice crossing; Toni Lund’s bike on the way to Unalakleet; Toni Lund; Peace on Earth Pizza in Unalakleet.

There’s a good reason why not many skiers attempt the ITI race.

The dynamic, unpredictable terrain and conditions make it a very tough race to ski.

While the challenges on the Trail deter many, this year, an exceptional skier has his mind set on becoming the first skier since 2000 to race the full 1,000 miles on the Trail.

Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun is giving us a masterclass on how to ski to Nome.

The 35 year-old Danish skier has been powering through the miles, going faster every day no matter the weather or the Trail conditions. His skiing style is flawless and his endurance, a benchmark for excellence. But it’s not just his skiing abilities that are admirable.

A friendly athlete with a good sense of humour and a real team player, Asbjørn is a real asset to the race. His generosity in sharing survival and extreme cold knowledge with others has been a trait that many racers have come to deeply appreciate on the Trail. Many of his fellow racers have learnt useful survival tricks from his experience has a member of the Sledge Patrol Sirius, Denmark’s elite naval unit.

His time in special unit Sirius may also explain his natural ease on the Trail.

When joining the elite Sirius unit as a sergeant in the Danish army in 2007, Asbjørn committed to a two-year service in the hostile Arctic wilderness of Northern and Eastern Greenland.

An unforgiving area known as Tunu, “the Back”, by Greenlanders, the region is four times the size of the UK and is populated by less 30 people, 12 of which are the members of the Sirius military unit. It tells a lot about Asbjørn’s ability to survive in temperatures plummeting to -40°F and lower.

When Arctic winds, dangerous glaciers, polar bears and frostbites are your regular day at the office for two years, skiing 1,000 miles on the Iditarod Trail is no longer an unachievable goal. Especially when you have the willpower to rise at any challenges thrown your way.

The skier’s enviable drive is rooted in an early passion for wilderness and adventure.

As a young boy, Asbjørn would spent every summer hiking with his father in the Norwegian mountains. As he grew older, the hikes became survival trips. And when he was 20, his interest for Arctic wilderness was ignited when he set out to travel 1,800 miles up to the top of Greenland, close to the North Pole.

While many Scandis learn to ski as toddlers, for Asbjørn, joining Sirius also marked his first experience on a pair of skis.

With determination to boot, the Dane quickly became a proficient extreme skier. After his two-year service, he has competed in many races in his spare time, including Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet in North Sweden, Yukon Arctic Ultra 2018 and ITI350 to name few.

Asbjørn has also completed the Arctic Circle Race around Sisimiut on Greenland’s West coast with the Danish Crown Prince. The three-day race takes skiers through the ever-changing, harsh Greenlandic terrain, which has clearly proven to be the perfect training ground for ITI1000.

The athlete credits his stamina to a special Danish tradition: “Asterix has his magic drink, Popeye has his spinach, if you come to West Denmark, you have oatmeal”. Ask his fellow racers about his oatmeal obsession.

Every racer on ITI is an exceptional athlete with their own human story.

That story is often what drives them to the finish line when they are ready to give up.

For Asbjørn, it’s honouring a special family memory. As a grown man, Asbjørn used to smoke the cigar with his grandfather on occasions. It was a special moment the men shared.

To honour the memory of their elder who passed away 2 years ago, Asbjørn’s father Jorgen will wait for his son in Nome with his grandfather’s favourite cigar.

Jorgen has made the trip to Alaska to support his son. He’s ended up supporting the ITI family, rooting for all athletes.

But Jorgen is on a special mission and the goal is fast approaching.

Asbjørn has planned to enjoy his special cigar under the famous burled arch in Nome, after crossing the finish line.

That cigar will no doubt be deeply appreciated.

And, why not, “The Asbjørn Cigar” could even become a tradition for the next generation of ITI skiers…

A good day on the Trail with bright blue skies after some early snow.

Casey Fagerquist, Jill Martindale and Petr Ineman have reached Unalakleet where they’ve enjoyed a restorative pizza from Peace on Earth Pizza courtesy of ITI racer Steve Cannon who had anticipated their hungry arrival.

They dutifully left a food offering to ward off the wandering spirits at Old Woman cabin. Old Woman is the transition point between the protective inland and the gusty, harsh Bering Sea coastline.

The top racers had a good speed until 10 miles from town where 4 snowmachines passed them and they lost 8mph.

Jussi Karjalainen has left Kaltag and is on his way to Unalakleet tonight.

Toni Lund has left Nulato to ride at night as daytime temperatures have been higher in the past two days.

He now has the lead over Italian racers Robert Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia as well as Kiwi athletes Graham Muir and George Adams who are all in Nulato.

Resting in Galena is foot racer Beat Jegerlehner who is on his way to a sixth finish in Nome.

An ITI1000 Veteran with many race credentials, Beat has three finishes on the Southern route in 2013, 2018 and 2019. He also has completed two ITI1000 on the Northern route, respectively in 2014 and 2016.

Also taking a much deserved break in Galena is Danish skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun. The skier has been going fast despite soft snow. He is restoring before a big day towards Nulato on the Trail tomorrow.

ITI1000 Veteran and foot racer Klaus Schweinberger is currently halfway to Ruby.

Pictured below from top to bottom, Kaltag, (1&2), a hazy morning on the Trail (3, 4 & 5), Tripod Flat cabin, Casey and Jill, Old Woman cabin where a food donation is always left for good fortune, the Trail and the Bering Sea coastline, Peace on Earth Pizza in Unalakleet.

Thank you Casey Fagerquist for the pictures.

The racers have had a slow race due to very wet snow. Temperatures have increased dramatically, making the miles slow and physically demanding today.

Despite the conditions, the athletes are enjoying the Trail and are in top spirits.

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race have been very accommodating with our racers in Nulato.

Currently in Kaltag are Casey Fagerquist, Jill Martindale and Petr Ineman. The top three racers have been inseparable. Misery loves company. Or is it just a race tactic that will keep us all entertained closer to Nome?

Jussi Karjalainen is about to arrive in Nulato.

Top skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, bike athletes Toni Lund, Graham Muir, George Adams, Roberto Gazzoli and Willy Mulonia are all in Galena. Toni reported a very slow Trail from Ruby with a bit of pushing, surprisingly improving the last half to Galena. The Finnish racer is also reporting a great welcome in Galena.

Foot athlete Beat Jegerlehner is progressing towards Galena and fellow foot racer Klaus Schweinberger is currently in Cripple.

An important milestone for our ITI1000 racers is the village of White Mountain, 77 miles East from Nome. The last checkpoint before Safety and its final stretch of the race, it is a restorative stop that matters for competitive athletes.

For many of our racers, it is also a special checkpoint because of Trail Angel Joanna Wassillie.

Joanna has been hosting racers at her house in White Mountain for well over 10 years, after she found Italian runner Marco Berni limping in the Blueberry Hills, not too far from her home on the Bering Coast in White Mountain, back in 2006. She invited him into her home to recover.

From that year on, Joanna has welcomed racers with an open heart, baking bread at 10pm so there’s good food ready for nocturnal racers arriving, and regaling them with hearty caribou soup.

You will often find Joanna standing on the hills above White Mountain scanning the horizon with binoculars, looking for racers approaching on the Iditarod Trail.

Joanna treats everyone like family, taking pictures of the racers at her house and as they depart to reassure families who have been following the moving dots anxiously for weeks.

Her generosity means a lot to our ITI family, and racers from all over the world have been the recipient of her kindness and caring nature.

Her welcome extends to all adventurers passing by White Mountain and it is immortalised in a book called Little Run Around the World by the revered British author, extreme adventurer and ultra athlete Rosie Swale-Pope, MBE.

The author, who met Joanna on her famous run around the world in December 2005, captured the words of encouragement that Joanna gave her as the ultra runner was leaving White Mountain:

“ Rosie, when you look at the stars, just think that these stars are the same ones that we see, and that we think of you. That way, you will always know that you are never alone”.

Those words sum up the kindness of our Trail Angel, who, despite the challenging events unravelling this week is maintaining her house open to our racers.

Joanna, your welcome has never meant more to the entire ITI family than this week and we are truly grateful for your generosity.

Trail Angel Joanna Wassillie, looking out for the racers.