Monday, March 23, 2009

Checkpoint: March 23, 2009



 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 23, 2009
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There's No Place Like Nome!

Jen Seavey was congratulated at the finish line yesterday afternoon. She made it to the finish line just in time to make it to Finishers Banquet!

Who Will Win The Red Lanern?

Now there are only two mushers left on the Iditarod Trail.  They are very near their goal of completing the 2009 edition of "The Last Great Race on Earth." Both Heather Siirtola and rookie Tim Hunt are on their way to Nome.  Both mushers will soon share the magic that is such a great part of the Iditarod; the end of the trail in Nome. One will become the last musher to cross the Burled Arch of Nome and earn the coveted "Wells Fargo Red Lantern" award.  The race itself will become history when the last musher ceremoniously blows out the "Widow's Lamp" signifying the last  team to complete in the 2009 race has made it to Nome.  What a Race!

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Checkpoint: March 22, 2009


 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 22, 2009
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What a Crowd

Iditarod Volunteers and Race fans came to Nome's Recreation Center to enjoy the celebration at the 2009 Wells Fargo Finishers Banquet

What a Night: It Was All About the Finishers in Nome!

The 2009 Wells Fargo Finishers Banquet was all about the finishers.  Each musher had a chance to talk about his or her ordeals on the trail, and the common thread was the wind and the cold.  A number of awards were a part of the Wells Fargo Finishers Banquet.  Click here to find out  who the recipients were.

Mushers are still pouring in

Off the Sea Ice of the Bering Sea and on to Front Street in Nome. More teams are expected to make their way to Nome over night. Right now the last two mushers on the trail are Tim Hunt and Heather Siirtola. They are (at this writing) in Elim. One of them could very well be the next Red Lantern Winner. We'll keep you updated every step of the way on the Insider! Check out last nights great video clips of the Wells Fargo Finishers Banquet on the Insider today.

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Checkpoint: March 21, 2009

Sorry I'm late posting this

 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 21, 2009
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First Rookie To Arrive in Nome

30 year old Chad Lindner, from Brookline Massachusetts, was the first rookie to arrive in Nome. Chad has a long Alaskan History. He's the son of Iditarod Race veteran Sonny Lindner.

Iditarod Teams Continue to Pour In to Nome

The march along the Bering Sea to Front Street in Nome continues on this Saturday morning. As of this writing, thirty eight mushers have arrived; Iditarod veteran Bill Cotter was the last at 6:12 am.  Many have made it through the pounding ground storm that has zapped many teams between Shaktoolik and Koyuk.

The First Rookie Arrived Yesterday Evening

Chad Lindner, Son of Iditarod Veteran Sonny Lindner, was the first rookie of the 2009 field to arrive in Nome yesterday at 6:52 pm Alaska Time in 30th position. He was followed two hours later by Jake Berkowitz and Ed Steilstra who arrived at 8:01 and 8:35 pm respectively. Berkowitz came down Front Street with a full complement of 16 dogs on his team.

The Finishers Banquet is Set For Sunday, 22 March

The 2009 Finishers banquet is set to begin at the Nome Recreation Center beginning at 3:30 Alaska Time. The Insider team will be on hand to document the event. Video clips of the banquet should be available by Sunday (March 22) evening.

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Checkpoint: March 20, 2009

It's great watching The Next Generation of Championship Class Mushers; names like Seavey, Smyth and of course Redington.

 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 20, 2009
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It's Been a Long Run To Nome

For Hugh Neff, the 2009 Iditarod Trail was long and hard. He finished 15th. He also incurred serious frostbite on the windswept coast of Norton Sound.

What a Day For Finishes!

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race saw a flood of mushers arrive in Nome yesterday.  Beginning in the early morning hours, there were three mushers arriving within a half hour of each other… Mitch Seavey, Cim Smyth and Dallas Seavey. Following the fourth, fifth, and sixth mushers to arrive in Nome were Aaron Burmeister, Jessie Royer, Raymey Smith and Hans Gatt as this year's top ten finishers.  To see all of the most recent standings, click here!

A Changing of the Guard?

There were some new faces in the Iditaord top ten this year, 21 year old Dallas Seavey (son of 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey) was one of them. Seeing many of the younger teams coming in with strong finishes begs the question; is this the year that marks a new era of competition in "The Last Great Race on Earth"?

The iditarod 2009 Finish is on Iditarod Insider Replay Now

The 2009 Iditarod Finish Replay is on the Insider right now! Thanks for all the great feedback on the Iditarod Dogs in Slow Motion. It's on the Official Iditarod home page. If you haven't had a chance to see it… log on and check out the greatest athletes on the planet!

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Checkpoint: March 18, 2009

Lance Mackey does it again! I'll keep watching the GPS Tracker on my Computer until the winner of The Red Lantern comes into Nome.


 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 18, 2009
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Time to Celebrate

Three Time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey Celebrates while Principal Partner ExxonMobil's Bill Brackin looks on.

Mackey Three-Peats!

In 2008, Lance Mackey proved the impossible was possible again. Today, (March 18, 2009) Lance Mackey made an indelible mark on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and on his legacy as an Iditarod Champion.

The Fairbanks Alaska musher arrived in Nome Alaska at 11:38:46 am under a blue sky with thousands of race fans cheering him on.  Mackey (Bib #47) made his way under the burled arch with 15 very happy, healthy members of his team. Mackey now joins the legendary Susan Butcher and Montana musher Doug Swingley as having accomplished three consecutive Iditarod Championships. He created an impressive gap between himself and the rest of the pack that has not been seen since 2001. This win was, in a word, "impressive."  Mackey set the pace in the 2009 Iditarod after taking his 24 hours in Takotna.  From that point forward Mackey's teams runs were blistering.  He passed all of his competitors and grew his lead each step of the way.

More Mushers Are Arriving

Sebastian Schnuelle, The 2009 Iditarod Yukon Quest Champion, arrived in Nome at 7:05:04 Alaska Time with 13 dogs. Schnuelle is being followed by John Baker from Kotzebue Alaska. More teams will be flowing in throughout the night. Check out the Insider and see each team arrive in Nome!

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Fwd: Checkpoint: March 16, 2009

It's coming down to the wire now. I might just pull an all nighter, glued to my computer screen and watching the GPS Tracker provided by The Insider. This has been a lot of fun for me!


 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 16, 2009
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Man It's Cold!

This Image was captured by the Iditarod Insider team on the Gold Coast earlier today. Wind Gusts continue to prevail along the five remaining checkpoints for "The Leaders of the Pack"

WARNING: Mother Nature is Back With a Blast

"The Last Great Race to Nome Alaska" is on and Mother Nature is sand blasting the front of the pack.  Ground winds of up to 35 miles per hour greeted Lance Mackey as he made his way to Koyuk.  Hours later, Sebastian Schnuelle arrived exhausted from breaking through the windswept trail and fighting wind chills of -50 degrees.  Mackey described the trip from Shaktoolik to Koyuk as possibly one of the toughest stretches he'd ever encountered.

The Battle for the the top ten includes no less than 14 top mushers.

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2009 Official Iditarod Sweatshirt
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Iditarod Checkpoint News


 											Checkpoint News: Daily Updates and Bulletins from the Trail -- An Official Email of the Iditarod
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March 15, 2009
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Getting Ready For The Finish

The City of Nome brought in tons of snow today preparing the Burled Arch for the flow of Iditarod Teams heading north to Front Street.

For The Front of the Pack…It's Sprint Time!

Lance Mackey continued to grow his lead today.  He was the first to The Gold Coast Community of Unalakleet Alaska, arriving at 3:10 pm Alaska Time, winning the Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award.   His closest rivals were some 40 miles back trying to gain some ground on him. Mitch Seavey and Hugh Neff are running neck and neck vying for second place. Aaron Burmeister, John Baker, and Sebastian Schneulle are duking it out for third place.  Teams are clustered all the way between Kaltag and Unalakleet, but they are far away from the lone wolf in this race Lance Mackey.

There's Still Time For a Good Storm to Even the Field

It happened in 1985.. it happened in 1992… could it happen again in 2009? For a number of mushers trying to catch the ghost of Lance Mackey a good storm just might be the ticket. If you haven't become an Insider yet, now might be a good time. You can catch all the updates on the trail and watch the teams as they march toward Nome on the Insider tracker. Click here to find out how.

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