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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Matthieu Bonnier arrived in McGrath today at 11:28am, which earns him the title of ITI350 Ski Race Champion.
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.
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.
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!
A big shout-out to the many people who devote their time and energy to make the ITI race a unique experience for the racers.
Our Trail Angels all show nothing but dedication and kindness and some of them have been helping for years.
Today we would like to thank both a long-time Trail Angel, Zoe Brinker and new ITI Trail Angels, volunteers Rhende and Chalayne, who both did an amazing job welcoming racers at Shell Lake Lodge as Zoe has been unwell and not able to do it herself this year.
Zoe Brinker has owned and operated the lodge since 1978 and is an ITI institution. Zoe has been hosting racers, but also mushers and travellers every winter. She’s suffered a bad back for years but it has never stopped her from being active and welcome people. She’s the soul of Shell Lake and her bright personality is missed this year.
Rhende and Chalayne have giving racers the best care and Rhende, who is also ITI foot racer Kari Gibbons' mother even made Alaskan beer following Zoe’s recipe.
Both women went to visit Zoe before flying back home to Minnesota to tell her about this year's race so she wouldn't miss out on the excitement.
ITI is a race but it is also a wider community that comes together every year to celebrate teamwork, on the Trail and off the Trail.
There are a lot of remarkable people with inspiring stories working behind-the-scenes and we would like to thank every one of them for the great job they do.
Gavan Hennigan crossed the finish line at 03:48 after long, gruelling hours of racing on the Trail today.
Gavan has had a fantastic race, keeping his speed no matter the challenges this ITI edition has thrown his way.
Gavan is not scared of challenges having rowed across the Atlantic solo in 49 days.
Well done Gavan, you deserve a good meal at Peter and Tracy Schneiderheinze’s in McGrath!
They have hosted the racers since 1997, the first year of the 350-mile race and their finish meal is legendary amongst ITI athletes, so no doubt Gavan will enjoy their hospitality.
Now, guess who is going to be St Patty's Day King?
With a special thank you to Jennifer Elliott for the Irish flag!
Athletes are all progressing well on the Trail.
ITI1000 athletes Petr Ineman and Jill Martindale have reached McGrath Checkpoint.
Gavan Hennigan is expected to cross the ITI350 finish line very soon now. A victory in sight for the man who also counts a solo rowing crossing of the Atlantic in 49 days to his sporting achievements.
He is closely followed by ITI1000 bike racer Jussi Karjalainen, from Oulu, Finland.
Other ITI1000 bike athlete to be expected in McGrath late in the night/dawn is ITI Veteran Toni Lund, Paimio, Finland.
Also on the way to McGrath tonight are Rebecca Rusch and Greg Martin who are expected to cross the finish line of ITI350 together in the early hours.
NIKOLAI UPDATE
Another cosy night in Nikolai where a few more athletes are expected to arrive for a well-deserved break.
ITI350 foot racer Steve Hayes has joined Christof Teuscher, Roberto Gazzoli, Troy Szczurkowski at the checkpoint.
Next is ITI350 bike racer Beth Shaner, from Crested Butte, Colorado, followed by another strong female athlete on the Trail, Faye Norby, the leader of the ITI350 women’s foot race and Jeff Leuwerke.
Behind them, and approximately an hour from Nikolai are ITI1000 foot racer Beat Jegerlehner, ITI350 skier Mathieu Bonnier and ITI1000 bike racer Graham Muir, from New Zealand.
Another racer who swapped hot summer days for Alaskan winter is Daniel Cooper, from Ashgrove, Australia. He is competing in the ITI350 foot race and moving along the Trail with fellow ITI350 foot athlete Chris Moroch from Statesville, North Carolina as well as Ryan Wanless, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The racers are expected to arrive in the night in Nikolai.
Next are Italian brothers Tiziano and Willy Mulonia. Tizanio is competing in the ITI350 and Willy is going all the way to Nome. Willy Mulonia and Roberto Gazzoli are the respected race director and director of the tough Mongolia Bike Challenge, which takes place in August in Mongolia.
Behind the Mulonia brothers are Moose Hero and ITI350 skier Greg Mills, ITI350 foot athlete Robert Youngren, from Gurley, Alabama. They’ve stopped to bivy in Bear Creek with ITI Veteran and 1000 foot racer Jill Homer, and ITI1000 skier Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, from Holsted, Denmark.
They are joined by ITI350 foot racer Amber Bethe, a strong athlete from Anchorage.
Behind them are ITI1000 foot athlete Mark Hines, from London, UK, ITI350 skier Lars Danner and ITI350 foot racer Frode Lein, from Hakadal, Norway. The trio is progressing well towards the checkpoint.
Further back on their way to Nikolai are ITI1000 foot racers Donald Kane, from Australia ( even if the Scottish accent may say otherwise) and Klaus Schweinberger, from Austria. Both athletes are currently heading towards Bear Creek.
They closely follow the tracks of a strong female athlete from Minnesota (yes, another one!), Kari Gibbons, who is competing in the ITI350 foot race.
All other athletes are now stationed in Rohn apart from ITI350 foot racer Hendra Wijaya who has been resting in the warmth of a cabin at Hells Gate before returning to Puntilla.
Thank you everyone for your support in the past week.
It’s been a busy night and day so far on the Trail.
FOOT RACERS
Foot racer Hendra Wijaya, from Indonesia has been going off course, following tracks to a cabin at Hells Gate but is warm and safe now. He is going to go back to Puntilla.
Leading the women foot race is Faye Norby, from St Paul, Minnesota, who has had a strong race so far and is currently 18 miles away from Nikolai.
ITI1000 athlete Jussi Karjalainen, from Oulu, Finland, has had a great race so far and he is currently moving to McGrath.
Christof Teuscher is currently arriving in Nikolai.
He is followed by Brit Steve Hayes and Jeff Leuwerke, another Minnesotan doing well this year.
ITI Veteran Beat Jegerlehner is moving towards Nikolai as well and racing alongside Kiwi bike racer George Adams (see below).
Austrian ITI1000 racer Klaus Schweinberger has left Rohn this morning.
Leader Gavan Hennigan is progressing fast towards a victory in McGrath.
ITI1000 foot athlete and true ITI Legend Loreen Hewitt is currently moving steadily 14 miles out of Rohn.
SKIERS
Larson Danner, who has several ITI McGrath finishes under his belt is skiing this year. Lars wants to race in the 3 different ITI disciplines. He’s currently on his way to Nikolai.
Asbjørn Skjøth Bruun, from Denmark, finished the 350 distance last year and is doing ITI1000 this year. His father is here to great him in Nome.
Mathieu Bonnier, from Corenc, France, is a multi-discipline athlete with amongst other achievements, a Solo Atlantic Crossing Row and a Northwest Passage Solo Row. Mathieu is currently progressing towards Nikolai.
Greg Mills, from Anchorage, Alaska, is currently heading to Bear Creek and onto Nikolai later.
BIKE RACERS
Casey Fagerquist, the leading ITI1000 racer is the next bike athlete arriving in McGrath today.
He is followed by Jim McDonough who will complete the ITI350 when reaching McGrath.
Behind them are Petr Ineman, who is the second athlete going to Nome and for whom McGrath will only be a checkpoint, and Jill Martindale, who is the leading female athlete in the ITI1000 bike race. Jill has been showing great tenacity and stamina all the way so far so she will be the one to watch beyond McGrath.
Rebecca Rusch, Greg Martin, Toni Lund and Troy Szczurkowski are currently resting in Nikolai.
New Zealand athletes Graham Muir and George Adams are on their way to Nikolai. George’s bike broke but he’s pushing it forward to the next checkpoint. Both athletes are going to Nome this year and shunning the Kiwi summer sunshine for Arctic wind gusts on the Trail.
Third bike athlete in the women’s ITI350 race, Beth Shaner is moving towards Nikolai as well where she is expected tonight. Beth has been consistently strong on the Trail, braving harsh conditions and difficult terrain.
Amber Bethe, from Anchorage, is following skier Greg Mills towards Bear Creek and onto Nikolai. Amber is an accomplished athlete with achievements outside ITI such as White Montains 100.
Another Kiwi and strong woman on the Trail is Nina Stupples who was an ITI rookie last year only. Nina is racing with fellow ITI350 bike athlete Cheryl Wallace and both women are arriving in Rohn.
FINISHERS - ITI350 BIKE
Bergur Benediktsson completed the ITI350 bike race at 09:59.
Jamie Hollingsworth arrived in McGrath at 10:20.
Aaron Wilbur finished the same race at noon - on the dot!
NIKOLAI UPDATE
It's a cosy night in Nikolai tonight with several athletes checking in in the last couple of hours.
Currently stationed in Nikolai are:
Jim McDonough, Casey Fagerquist, Jussi Karjalainen, Petr Ineman, our second female bike athlete Jill Martindale, Toni Lund and Gavan Hennigan.
Expected to join them soon is ITI Veteran Troy Szczurkowski, from Daisy Hill, Australia.
Next will be Rebecca Rush and Greg Martin. Rebecca and Greg have decided to finish the race together, so don't expect Rebecca racing solo while Greg takes a catnap!
Irishman Gavan Hennigan is currently leading the foot race and is the first foot athlete to arrive in Nikolai this year. Here's a video of his arrival, we know he has Ireland wide awake watching his dot.
Well done Gavan!
After a sensational performance throughout the race, Minnesotan bike athlete Kate Coward crossed the finish line in McGrath tonight at 10:25pm.
Kate has been inspiring many with her relentless tenacity throughout challenges on the Trail and we are honoured to call her an ITI Champion.
Well done Kate!
When ITI350 athletes arrive in Nikolai, pressure is high. It’s the last checkpoint before the finish line.
Resting and eating becomes more important than ever after a few days on the Trail in difficult weather conditions and ahead of the last big push before McGrath.
Iceland athlete Bergur Benediktsson, from Reykjavic, Iceland has just left the checkpoint for the last stretch of the race.
Inside the lodge Aaron Wilbur, Casey Fagerquist and Jamie Hollingsworth are appreciating a welcome break from the effort. Joining them is Petr Ineman, from Downers Grove, Illinois, who has arrived shortly.
Volunteer George masters a perfect burger, in fact so delicious that Aaron has thoroughly enjoyed his 4th serving and there’s been banter about turning the checkpoint into “Chez George at Nikolai, tastiest burgers with 5 star reviews”.
If all the athletes are 100% into the race, humour and good food is what helps them to take some of the pressure off and rest more efficiently. They leave refreshed and ready to tackle on the last part of their race.
Aaron Thrasher finished the 350-mile bike race in McGrath today at 16:24.
Well done Aaron for a great performance on the Trail!
#ITI2020
Race Day 3 and Day 4.
All the skiers had a great day making their way from Finger to Puntilla. Skier Mathieu Bonnier said it was “the best day of skiing of his entire life.”
They're all currently making their way up the pass towards Rohn and then to some beautiful downhill sections as they wind their way down through the Dalzel gorge.
Day 4:
Bikers Nina and Cheryl made the Finger cutoff by 23 minutes.
Willy Mulonia and Roberto Gazzoli, both from Italy, attempted to fix Roberto’s broken derailleur, which was stomped by a moose during an attack. It is still broken, but he now has limited functionality and ability to use a few gears.
Willy is currently just over 9 miles from Rohn.
Gavan Hennigan, the leader of the 350 foot division is now only 23 miles from Nikolai.
Bergur Benediktsson, from Reykjavic, Iceland, Jamie Hollingsworth, from Fairbanks and Casey Fagerquist, from Anchorage are recuperating in Nikolai.
Our female foot athletes deserve a huge accolade for taking such a tough Trail this year.
Our five competing female foot racers are all still on the Trail despite battling harsh conditions and difficult terrain all week so far.
Faye Norby leads the women athletes on foot and is currently heading to Rohn with a considerable advance.
Following her are Amber Bethe, from Anchorage, and ITI1000 Bike Record Breaker Jill Homer, from Boulder, Colorado, who are both enjoying a well-earned rest in Puntilla.
Kari Gibbons, another Twin Cities athlete who has competed in the Arrowhead ultra with ITI leading female cyclist Kate Coward, is progressing well towards Puntilla.
She's followed by ITI Legend Loreen Hewitt, from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. We like to call Loreen an ITI Legend and not just ITI Veteran as she broke - and still holds - the 1,000 mile foot race record for women back in 2014.
We know what you are going to say. Where are the action pictures?
Well, these ladies are so fast, we couldn't quite catch up with their stride it seems.
But rest assured that we will up our pace.
From left to right, Faye Norby, Amber Bethe, Jill Homer, Kari Gibbons and Loreen Hewitt.
Kurt Refsnider, from Prescott, Arizona, arrived today at McGrath at 5.25pm, which makes him our winner in the bike category for the 350-mile ITI race, 2020 edition.
It is the first time an ITI rookie wins this distance by bike.
But don’t be fooled, if Kurt is an ITI rookie, he is no rookie at all. In fact, Kurt has over 20 years of mountain bike racing experience and has broken records notably in the Arizona Trail 750 and 300.
And just because it’s not enough for this overachiever, our 2020 ITI350 Bike Champion is also an ultra cyclist racer, a Nordic ski racer and an ultra runner.
When he is not busy training, Kurt, a professor of geology with a Ph.D. in geological sciences, is also an advocate for public lands and wild places.
Kurt has been riding with Tyson Flatherty and Clinton Hodges all the way.
The three men have displayed a great team spirit that has been inspiring to everyone and they certainly have kept everyone on their toes until the finish line.
Volunteers in Nikolai predicted a win by Kurt when noticing that he was definitely fuelling up with intention and stepping into a winning mindset when he left the checkpoint.
This tactic, along with a fierce attack 50 miles out clearly gave him the winning advantage.
Huge congratulations Kurt, we are honoured to call you our 2020 ITI350 Bike Champion.
Champion Kurt Refsnider at the Pre-Race Meeting.
As athlete and ITI rookie Kate Coward is moving towards Rohn, her journey up Rainy Pass begins.
What awaits her under those blue skies? An iconic part of the Trail.
Once over the Pass, and down the Dalzell Gorge, ITI volunteers will welcome her into Rohn.
Well done Kate for your outstanding effort since the start of the race!
ROHN UPDATE
The leaders have made it into Rohn, a remote check point on the other side of the Alaska Range. For context, Rohn shelter is a wall tent and wood stove and there is also a small public use cabin.
Forecast ahead of them is a fair but breezy 10°F with wind blowing 32mph and a wind chill of -9°F.
PUNTILLA UPDATE
Athletes are dealing with an aggressive Moose near Shell Lake and Peter Basinger and Aaron Thrasher have turned back towards Puntilla.
Kate Coward keeps moving forward. More on Kate in the next post.
Winds of 25-30 mph are forecasted. The windchill is predicted to be at -35°F to -40°F.
Snowdrifts have been particularly bad this year with drifts reaching up to 5-7ft in places. For those not familiar with snowdrifts, strong winds gusting snow result in snow walls/dunes that reduce visibility and make the terrain more challenging for racers.
SKWENTNA UPDATE
Janice Tower and her brother Matt Tanaka have decided to scratch and end the race at Skwentna.
Thank you all for your support.
ITI 2020 is a tough edition for the athletes, with many veterans scratching due to the particularly harsh conditions this year. We are in awe of all participants for their stamina!
Wind drifts making the Trail hard to see.
Making your own Trail - rearview shot.
