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!

Yesterday was a big day, and here at ITI update HQ, we’re pretty good at celebrating the big days. Meanwhile Thomas has been quietly making his way north, under the radar but getting the job done. Thomas currently lives in Edmonton, Canada, but is from Salt Lake City, Utah. When asked by his father what he’d like for his 50th birthday, Thomas pondered it for a few months and set his sights on the Fat Pursuit (FP). 

“The Fat Pursuit is a 60k or 200k human-powered winter race on a network of groomed snowmobile trails in Island Park, Idaho.” Sound a little tame to you? It did to me, groomed trails, bah, easy peasy right? That was where I, and many others attempting the FP, tend to go wrong. It’s actually a difficult race, on trails that aren’t always freshly groomed, with heaps of climbing, surprisingly cold temperatures and few checkpoints. Locals tag the ITI as a qualifier for FP. They’re not wrong, I watched a lot of former ITI finishers, including myself, scratch from FP this year.

Thomas went to Fat Camp - a winter camp put on by the Fat Pursuit - in January 2020. Camp went well so he started the 200 mile race just a few days later. There was a huge snow storm and 12 of 13 starters did not finish. Do you need to guess who did finish? With a time of 65 hours Thomas was the only 200 mile finisher that year. This began a love affair with a difficult race in which he has never scratched. This year he was one of only five finishers in the 200k FP, another year with an unusually high scratch rate. Sound familiar? It should, he’s also never scratched from the ITI. Thomas completed the 350 in 2022 and 2023, this year is his first time to Nome. After riding with him a little bit at FP I’m not surprised that 22 days after the start he's now just a few miles from Nome. 

We reached out to Janice Tower, Thomas’s coach, and she had this to say. “...his nickname is Thomas the Tank. He’s not fast, but nothing stops him. He relentlessly keeps moving forward and doesn’t let bad weather get to him.” As I’m writing this he’s left Safety and will be in Nome in just a few hours.

The trail has been busy today between Koyuk and Golovin. Leah, Ryan, Asbjoern and Gavan have all spent the day along the Norton Bay coast. From what we can tell the going hasn’t been easy for this group, Leah’s description of the ice crossing was “Day 1 the only work I have is apocalyptic. Super windy and cold, almost all walking. Little Mountain cabin was a welcome respite but not anywhere you’d want to stay long…” She describes heating up the cabin to freezing temperatures using white gas stoves and by burning trash in the woodstove. 

Jan, Beat and Christof have been traversing the shoreline of Kwiniuk Inlet, Moses Point cabin is not too far ahead of them. Jan reported that when “he got back to the shore, the wind came so strong that he cried with happiness when he got to the checkpoint”. According to Jill Homer, beyond Shaktoolik, the cabins are all privately owned by native villages. They are not as well maintained as the BLM cabins, but she believes most have working stoves now (not the case in 2016). In these cabins there’s often no wood, which comes only if a previous visitor leaves some, or if lucky enough to find driftwood from along the coast.

Faye and Jeff made the crossing from Shaktoolik today and now sit safely in Koyuk, while Brandon is more than ½ way across. Thanks to staying at Foothills cabin, which was just okay, they’ve missed some of the poor weather others have encountered. We received some messages from both of them, and understand that they had the “best crossing weather”. Faye had some things to say about Little Mountain that were similar to Leah, not great but better than outside. 

Approaching Shaktoolik are Hendra, Mark and Joshua. Mark reports that the trail and weather are getting harder now, “almost too perilous to describe”, he’s concerned about 30 day time cutoff. Joshua was waiting in Unalakleet for a replacement pair of boots to arrive, but alas they did not make in time. He described his existing boots as “duct taped/damaged”. 

Petr is having pizza (we hope) in Unalakleet, and Sunny should be joining him soon, she’s nine miles out. Sunny reported that the Tripod Flats cabin, where she stayed last night, had been freshly stocked with wood!

Author: Amber Crawford

Photo Credit Thomas Miller

The excitement continues on the 21’st day of the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Kinsey Loan is the 2024 Women’s Bike Champion! She and her fiance, third place Men’s finisher Mark Moeller, pushed hard for the finish. At 5am they were more than 50 miles from the finish, reporting mixed conditions with a tailwind and other times a “wicked cross and headwind.” 

Foregoing White Mountain, they did stop shortly after to eat and plan next steps. Their plan to stop at the Topcock Cabin last night abruptly changed when snow machiners provided intel about a closer cabin that was still warm, which was an easy enough decision. Steady as they went the rest of the day and that is a podium finish for the couple, congratulations!  

The finish line was busy today with two more bike finishers. Tiziano and Ben had been closing the gap on Kinsey and Mark all day, beginning the day with a 9 mile gap, you could really feel the excitement and pull of the finish for these four. The pair did stop at White Mountain, and when Tiziano reached White Mountain he reported when the wind was favorable, it blew the trail out, and when it was a headwind he had “no break, with 70 km of suffering (over) 11 hours.” No stranger to the finish, this is Tiziano’s third time under the burled arch. His advice to anyone that is ITI curious: “Calm reigns supreme” Congratulations Tiziano and Ben! 

Thomas Miller is steadily making his way to White Mountain. After a solo push across Norton Sound, men’s foot leader Gavan made it to Koyuk, rested for several hours, and amazingly is on the move again. 

Across Norton Sound, Leah and Ryan were at the Little Mountain cabin for 10 hours waiting for weather to improve. Leah reported “brutal conditions, super windy right in the face, too windy for riding.” The wait seems to have paid off as they are 13 miles out of Koyuk. Asbjoern took a longer rest but has now passed them both on the ice, conditions must be great for skiing. There has never been a finish on skis for the 1,000, keep your eyes on him, he looks strong. 

After a 6 hour rest in Shaktoolik, Beat and Christof have also started the sea ice crossing, making their push to Koyuk, steady at around 3 mph. At the time of this writing Jan is just about to step onto the ice as well. Earlier he wrote: "I am the happiest person in the world, it was a massacre.”  It sounds like he is enjoying it, we might have more than one ski finisher this year. 

Lone women’s foot athlete Faye Norby and her partner had a solid push from Unalakleet, it must have been the pizza, and they made it to Foothills without a hitch. They rested for 6 hours and left around 7:30am. They have been resting for more than three hours in Shaktoolik. Brandon Lott is also on his way to Shaktoolik after a four hour rest in Unalakleet. Further down the trail, Hendra, Joshua, and Mark rested at the Old Woman cabin earlier today. They are achingly close to a pizza party reprieve in Unalakleet and the COAST. 

Sunny made it to Kaltag at abut 7pm, and spent several hours recovering and warming up. This morning around 7am she left Kaltag for the Tripod flats cabin 25 miles away. She is now just a few miles out, for Sunny, the most important thing is to be able to keep her thumb from refreezing and potentially causing permanent damage. An upcoming cabin may seem like a warm and safe space, however there is no guarantee that there will be wood for her to burn, and if there isn’t, she would need to gather firewood or cut some. There are options to gather wood, but most of the easy-pickings have been scoured. If you don't have a saw, it can be extremely difficult. 

From 1,000 mile finisher Jill Homer, “Typically, the Iditarod trailbreakers and sometimes the BLM  (Bureau of Land Management, around the same time) take the time to stock the cabins before Unalakleet. This wood pile is usually diminished during the sled dog race and the first part of the ITI. Although it's the usual ethic, racers don't typically take the time to restock the wood. My experience in 2016 was no wood at most of the cabins. I often just slept in the cold cabin.”

Hopefully for Sunny and her hands she will have good luck in the next couple hours. If you remember in previous days, Faye had reported little to no wood at the Old Woman cabin. She will continue to have a cold night or two, but warmer temps are coming, and with that, some more comfortable miles and a little less risk. 

Author: Kari Gibbons

Photo credit: Kyle Durand

Ben Pysto and Tiziano Mulonia finish the ITI 1000 in 21 days and 41 minutes. This is Ben’s first finish in the 1000 and Tiziano’s 3rd consecutive successful trip to Nome.

Congratulations to Kinsey Loan and Mark Moeller for finishing the ITI 1000 in 20 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes!

Kinsey clinched the title of the ITI 1000 Women's Bike Champion this year, following her impressive victory in the 350-mile category last year. Her back-to-back victories in the ITI signify not just personal achievement but also an inspiring story of determination and perseverance. As she continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, her journey encourages others to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles.

The ITI will soon have its first female finisher in the race to Nome, Kinsey Loan is currently about 71 miles from the finish. Kinsey’s racing career began early, competing in nordic skiing and bike races since elementary school. As a youth she trained with Alaska Nordic Racing, medaling in Junior Nationals and racing at Junior Worlds, winning the coveted Skimeister award in 2009 and sharing the podium with Jessie Diggins at the Junior Olympic Sprint Competition in 2011. Later she skied with Alaska Pacific University for 5 years. 

She participated in a local Anchorage youth mountain biking program called Mighty Bikes, local bike races, a few national bike competitions, and Sea Otter Classic in California. She hasn’t started to knock off her mother’s Arctic Bicycle Club bike records just yet, but she’s got plenty of time! More recently she has competed in longer local races like the Soggy Bottom 100, Kenai 250 and the Frosty Bottom, holding the course record in the Soggy Bottom 100 for several years. In 2022 she won both the Gold Nugget Triathlon and Bike for Women.

Fun fact about Kinsey, she likes her furred and feathered friends. Kinsey has four dogs, three cats, nine parakeets, and two tarantulas. Adding her own canines and felines to the mix, Kinsey’s mother Sheryl Loan is currently watching seven dogs and six cats, along with the parakeets and tarantulas. 

Kinsey’s first ITI was fraught with a few more hiccups than this year. Perhaps you’ll remember last year when she walked for 10 hours to reach Yentna Station with two flat tires. In a year where 44/96 starters scratched, Kinsey came back from the flat tire fiasco to finish the race as the first woman and 12th overall, all with a broken metacarpal bone in her hand from a fall in the Farewell burn.

This morning found Kinsey and Mark at McKinley Creek cabin. They put in an enormous day yesterday, leaving Koyuk at 5:30am, taking a 3 hour stop in Elim and pushing on all the way to the cabin for a total mileage of 69 miles over 18 hours. They started  today at 9:45am and are currently on their way across Golovin Bay, followed by Tiziano and Ben. Thomas is traveling solo today, after leaving Koyuk at 7am, he is now between the Moses Point cabin and Elim.

Gavan left Shaktoolik at 4:30am this morning, and arrived at the Little Mountain cabin just after 10am. He’s been there for about 3 hours now, perhaps contemplating strong winds and certainly hoping for a good weather window to make the Norton Sound crossing. Gavan will soon be joined by Leah and Ryan.

Leah arrived in Shaktoolik last night at 11pm and stayed there until 9:30 this morning. She has steadily made her way across the peninsula between Shaktoolik and Little Mountain Cabin. Ryan Wanless is in the same area and both of them are traveling at a walking pace of 1.5 to 2.5 miles per hour, which doesn’t suggest good trail conditions. They’ll soon need to decide whether to cross Norton Sound today or wait for morning. Asbjoern appears to be taking a rest day in Unalakleet. 

Christof and Beat took a rest at Foothills cabin, after making the trek from Unalakleet starting just after 4am this morning. They left the cabin recently and are now headed towards Shaktoolik. Jan is approaching Foothills after leaving Unalakleet at 7:30am. Typical of foot athletes, Jeff and Faye have been traveling quite a bit at night and odd hours, likely in an effort to rest in cabins or communities as much as possible. They left the Old Woman cabin yesterday at 11am, took few breaks and pushed steadily throughout the day. They arrived in Unalakleet just after midnight. 

Thanks to Allison Carolan in WWW for noticing that Faye’s pace is as steady as a metronome. If you look at her speed plot in TrackLeaders you’ll see that she’s been averaging about 2.5 - 3.5 mph the whole race, and since about mile 150 her speed has been incredibly consistent 2.5 - 3 mph. They departed Unalakleet at noon today and may be planning to spend tonight at the Foothills cabin, but it will depend on whether there’s any wood to be found, a cold cabin doesn’t sound very enjoyable.

Brandon arrived in Unalakleet this morning at 5am. He’s reportedly been struggling, hopefully he’ll take a good long rest before heading north. It doesn’t look like he’ll be joined by other racers anytime soon, next racers Hendra, Joshua and Mark are on the Kaltag portage approaching Tripod Flats cabin, still 55 miles from pizza. Petr rested in Kaltag from 6am today till 2:30, and is now headed onto the portage trail.

Sunny made a 19 hour push to arrive in Nulato at 8:30pm Saturday night. She is trying not to bivy to protect her hands, it can be quite difficult to keep hands warm when setting up for a bivy and packing it up again. Her next push will be 34 miles to Kaltag, a more reasonable distance after several 50 mile days. She left Nulato at 7:15 am this morning and is now 13 miles from Kaltag. Several racers have had favorable winds in this section and the wind layer in Track Leaders predicts a tailwind of around 10 mph.

Snow and significantly warmer weather are in the forecast starting Monday night, with highs up to 30 degrees predicted for Kaltag. There’s a special weather statement in effect for the lower Yukon and coastal areas which predicts cold wind chills through this weekend followed by a significant warm up and storminess next week. Northeast winds of 15-30 mph are expected to continue into Sunday with wind chills of 30-50 below zero. Stay warm out there everyone. 

Author: Amber Crawford

Photo credit: Mark or Kinsey of Mark or Kinsey!

Day 19!

We have another finisher for the 1,000 mile bike, Philip Hofstetter!  No stranger to the course, this is his 11th year attending the Iditarod Trail Invitational.  The knowledge and confidence from those years has shown up in the most remarkable way — Philip has been riding alone since Mcgrath, a little over mile 300 of the 1,000 miles to Nome.  There is a reason why athletes like to travel in groups or pairs.  The wrong pairing can add unnecessary stress and mental load, but the right pairing can add an extra set of eyes, affirmation you are on the right trail, and divvying up trail chores.  To go solo however, you are On the whole time.  There is no one watching your back, no room for mistakes, no miles of “tuning out” and he did it for 641 miles.  Probably a good thing that his favorite affirmation was “it’s all normal.”  The first thing Philip planned to do after he finished was “Hug the family” Congratulations Philip!  

Next up is Mark and Kinsey, they are currently out of Elim, after taking a (hopefully) warm break.  Ben and Tiziano are a little over two miles from Elim and appear to be bivying.  It is low wind at the moment and 0 degrees, still it is curious why they stopped there.  Earlier Tiziano reported experiencing a cold that  “breaks your bones in half”  this part of the race is truly relentless. 

Our lead 1,000 mile foot Gavan is on his way to Shaktoolik, and continues to be strong. He has been “listening to a lot of Jack London novels out here. He was a favorite of my Grandfather John Egan who was fascinated by the gold rush stories. This is the place to listen to these stories as I wander through this pristine wilderness.” 

“One of the themes is ‘true comradeship’ which is what I have found in droves with these friends who share the trail with me.”

Comradeship indeed!  

In the same pack, with full happy bellies, Ryan Wanless, Asbjorn, and Leah Gruhn are making their way to Shaktoolik.  Leah, at least on paper, looks to have recovered successfully from her impromptu swimming session the day before. 

Further down the trail, Beat, Christof, Jan on skis, Jeff and womens foot queen Faye are all trying to get to Unalakleet and the beloved pizza pit stop. Yesterday Faye and Jeff had arrived at Tripod Flats apparently just after Brandon and Jan left.  The duo had left the fire going and put snow on the stove so Faye and Jeff could make water, something that was probably a welcome treat.  They ate dinner at the cabin and moved on to Old Woman, where they experienced a brutal night, very cold at -30 with very little sleep.  Together, Jan and Faye worked to get a fire going for warmth and to get water.  It doesn’t matter how little sleep, or how cold it is, these tasks need to be completed in order to stave off thirst, unnecessary hunger, frostbite, and to continue on to the next cabin.  

Another group of athletes further down the trail, including Mark Hines who says the Trail and weather are getting harder now (and almost too perilous to describe) are still working to Kaltag.  The temperature is a manageable -14 but tomorrow they will be battling -40 degrees with windchill.  

Red lantern Sunny is still moving.  She reported today that she is pushing for another 50 mile day, hoping to finish at Nulato sometime early tomorrow morning, at the time of this writing she is a little over 12 miles out.  She is tired and her feet hurt, but most crucial for her is to keep her thumb warm and not refreeze it.  With so many athletes moving with each other or leapfrogging, Sunny too has been moving mostly by herself.  30 days to finish seems like enough time to cross this bit of the planet, but everyone now is feeling these weeks stack up.  Having allotted rest days can be helpful, however some of those rest days are forced by the body or the weather, as Sunny has experienced in the last few days.  We need some solid trail and good weather, think warm thoughts! 

Written by Kari Gibbons

Photo credit Mark Moeller of Kinsey Loan being very serious on the sea ice crossing because this is a race and it’s very serious.

Congratulations to Phil Hofstetter for finishing the ITI 1000 in 18 days, 3 hours and 16 minutes! This is Phil’s 6th finish in the ITI 1000 and 11th ITI finish overall. Phil rode the entire way from McGrath (nearly 650 miles) by himself, illustrating his resilience and self sufficiency.