Date: October 31, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Discovery Channel announced yesterday (October 30) that“Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod” is moving to Fridays at 8pm ET/PT starting next Friday, November 7. The Toughest Race will be paired with new episodes of “Survivorman” (the new season premieres on the 7th at 9pm)!
Date: October 9, 2008 at 8:22 am
Versus named Lance Mackey “The Toughest Athlete on the Planet” and now late night talk show host Conan O’Brien will get a chance to meet the two time Iditarod Champion up close and personal tonight on NBC. Mackey is appearing on the show to talk about Discovery’s new six part series titled “The Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod” which begins airing on October 14th at 10 pm eastern time.
Lance talked about the opportunity to head to New York at Monday night’s Discovery screening in Anchorage Alaska, hosted by Iditarod Presenting Sponsor, General Communications Inc (GCI).
“It’s going to be a lot of fun… I know the guy’s (O’Brien) got a very keen sense of humor, and right now there’s a lot of Alaska material to pick from…including the Iditarod. I’m up for it!” said Mackey.
The Conan O’Brien Show airs at midnight tonight right after the Jay Leno Show! Don’t miss it.
Date: October 2, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Wasilla Alaska, (October 02, 2008) THE IDITAROD TRAIL COMMITTEE closed its first withdrawal deadline for the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at 12 noon AST (yesterday) October 1st . Iditarod Trail Committee race rules provide for mushers who withdraw from the race on or before 12 noon October 1, 2008, a full refund of their $4,000 entry fee.
Since June 28, 2008, when 68 mushers either mailed in their applications or signed up in person at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters, five additional mushers have submitted their applications. The latest entry is a rookie from Marquette Michigan, Tim Hunt.
At this time 4 mushers have withdrawn from the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. They are;
- Sylvia Willis- who withdrew on July 17, 2008
- William Pinkham- who withdrew on September 8, 2008
- Sigrid Ekran- who withdrew on September 15, 2008
- Rick Horstmann- who withdrew on September 26, 2008
As of today (October 2nd, 2008) the IDITAROD XXXVVII field is at 68 mushers including five Iditarod Champions (five time champion Rick Swenson, four time champions Jeff King and Martin Buser, two time and defending champion Lance Mackey and 2004 champion Mitch Seavey.
Please log on to http://www.iditarod.com/ for more complete musher information, including interesting biographies of each musher in the 2009 field. Contact Chas St.George (Director Public Relations) at 907.352.2215 if you require any further information about the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Date: September 17, 2008 at 10:39 am
The Iditarod always knew how tough two time Champion Lance Mackey was. After all Lance is the only athlete to win back to back 1000 mile plus championships including the Grandaddy of them all “The Last Great Race on Earth”. ESPN knew; they nominated Lance twice as for the coveted ESPY Award. Now the world knows that when the people get a chance to vote (and vote they did) The Toughest Athlete on the Planet is Lance Mackey!
Versus, a media partner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, conducted their Red White Black and Blue (RWBB) ”Cam Pain” to see just who was the toughest athlete on Earth with 32 contestants. On September 15th, Lance was neck and neck with just one other competitor “Team Hoyt”, a triathlon duo of father Dick Hoyt and son Rick, who has severe brain damage.
The last few hours of the online competition were a testament to the phenomenal fan base of “Lance fans” that that has grown over the last couple of years. Mackey’s lead (which was only a few tenths of a percentage point) grew into a more than six point lead at the end of the day!
Lance beat out the likes of Bret Farve and another Lance… Lance Armstrong during the competition, but this was a race he could not have won without the support of Iditarod Race fans from around the globe. That’s another thing the Iditarod has always known… this race has ”The Greatest Fans in the World.”
Congrats Lance!
Date: September 11, 2008 at 2:52 pm
– Mushers and Their Sled Dog Teams endure more than a thousand miles of Unforgiving Alaskan Wilderness along the Iditarod Trail in Hopes of Making it Across the Finish Line –
(Wasilla, Alaska) - (Thursday, September 11, 2008) The Iditarod Trail Committee has been informed that Discovery’s premier of TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD, will air Tuesday, October 14th at 10 PM ET/PT. The six hour miniseries follows mushers and their sled dog teams across more than a thousand miles of rugged terrain as they take on Mother Nature - and each other - in The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Stay logged on to http://www.iditarod.com/ for updated information about the “TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD.”
Date: September 10, 2008 at 9:49 am
– Mushers and Their Sled Dog Teams endure more than a thousand miles of Unforgiving Alaskan Wilderness along the Iditarod Trail in Hopes of Making it Across the Finish Line –
(Wasilla, Alaska) - The Iditarod Trail Committee is proud to announce that the TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD, will premier Tuesday, October 7 at 10 PM ET/PT, on Discovery Channel. The six hour miniseries follows mushers and their sled dog teams across more than a thousand miles of rugged terrain as they take on Mother Nature - and each other - in The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
For TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD, Discovery Channel followed seven mushers and their dog teams - both race rookies and race legends. Mushers featured in Discovery Channel’s new series include: Four-time Iditarod Champions Jeff King and Martin Buser, Iditarod rookie Rick Holt, pioneering musher and breast cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe, two-time Iditarod finisher and diabetic Bruce Linton race rookie Darin Nelson, along with two-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey.
The Iditarod Trail is steeped in history. It was originally used as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the interior mining camps and eventually all the way to Nome. Mail and supplies went in and gold came out - powered by sled dog. Mushers (dog drivers) became legends. In 1925, part of the trail became a life-saving highway. Mushers and their dog teams were called upon to bring serum to epidemic-stricken Nome and save the town from Diphtheria that had overtaken it. The Iditarod is a commemoration of those brave and legendary mushers and their faithful dogs.
TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD is produced for Discovery Channel by Original Productions. Thom Beers and Phillip Segal are executive producers and Jeff Conroy is co-executive producer. For Discovery Channel, Paul Gasek is executive producer.
Log on to http://www.iditarod.com/ to take a look at Discovery’s promotional trailer of “THE TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD.”
Date: September 1, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Two thousand Iditarod Trail Race Fans vied for the opportunity to win up to $96,775 in prizes including two brand new Dodge Ram pick up trucks from Anchorage Chrysler Dodge.The ten winners were announced at approximately 5 pm Alaska time at the Alaska State Fair.The winners are as follows;
|
Prize #
|
Ticket #
|
Winner
|
Prize
|
Donated By
|
|
1
|
1205
|
Roxanne Evan
Aniak, Alaska |
2008 Dodge Ram Laramie “Hemi” 4×4 Quad Cab Pickup with 20″ Alloy Wheels & Tow Package & Running Boards |
Anchorage Chrysler Dodge |
|
2
|
0957
|
Duane Perk
Homer, Alaska |
2008 Qlink Rodeo 400 4×4 ATV
with winch |
Alaska Mining & Diving Supply |
|
3
|
0324
|
Marlo Corriere
Anchorage, Alaska |
Caribbean Cruise for two (12 days 11 nights) Airfare Not Included |
Holland America Lines |
|
4
|
0770
|
Jim Dokoozian
Anchorage, Alaska |
Delphin 12′ 5″ Inflatable Boat, rated for 30 HP motor |
Marita Sea & Ski |
|
5
|
1219
|
Norman Rockney
Fairbanks, Alaska |
Roundtrip Airfare for 2 to any Alaska Airlines West Coast destination including Mexico & Hawaii |
Alaska Airlines |
|
6
|
1024
|
Enar Andersson
Anchorage, Alaska |
Honda 2 HP Four Stroke Outboard Motor |
Storm Chasers Marine Services, Inc |
|
7
|
0381
|
John Nodus
Wasilla, Alaska |
Roundtrip Airfare for 2 to most PenAir destinations |
PenAir |
|
8
|
1524
|
Marlene Schroeder
Anchorage, Alaska |
H2Oasis Season Passes for adult & child |
H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark |
|
9
|
1415
|
Molly Farr
Wasilla, Alaksa |
First Class Weekend for 2 at Drifters Lodge |
Kenai River Drifters Lodge |
|
10
|
1424
|
Clifford Gangestad
Chugiak, Alaska |
2008 Dodge Ram Laramie “Hemi” 4×4 Quad Cab Pickup with 20″ Alloy Wheels & Tow Package & Running Boards |
Anchorage Chrysler Dodge |
Thanks to all 2,000-ticket purchasers for taking part in “The Last Great Race on Earth”!
2009 Winter Raffle Tickets on sale October 1st, 2008
Call 1-800-545-6874 or stop by the 5thAve Mall or Iditarod Headquarters to purchase one.
Date: June 28, 2008 at 11:00 am
Wasilla, AK – The 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race first day sign ups began at 9:30 am Alaska time at the Iditarod Trail Committee. By the end of the first draw deadline (12:30 pm Alaska Time) fifty one mushers had signed up for Iditarod XXXVII. The second draw concluded at 3:45 pm (Alaska Time) with seventeen additional mushers signing up. The first day sign up ended with sixty eight mushers signing up for “The Last Great Race on Earth.”
Five Iditarod Champions (five time champion Rick Swenson, four time champions Jeff King and Martin Buser, two time and defending champion Lance Mackey and 2004 champion Mitch Seavey were on hand to sign up, along with a number of previous top ten Iditarod Finishers. Thus far fifteen rookies have signed up for the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Nearly 400 volunteers and mushers gathered at the Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters. They were served a barbeque luncheon by the Millennium Alaska Hotel (The Official Hotel of the Iditarod trail Sled Dog Race).
Gerry Willomitzer (Whitehorse, YT Canada) and Mike Williams (Aniak Alaska) won their $4,000 entry fees back in a final drawing that marked the end of the 2008 Volunteer Appreciation Picnic.
Click here to view the listing of mushers (in order of their draw).
Date: June 27, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Volunteer Appreciation Picnic is scheduled for Saturday (tomorrow), June 28th, 2008 at Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters (Mile 2.2 Knik Road, Wasilla). Activities of interest are as follows:
- 9:30 am - Musher sign ups for the 2009 race will begin
- 10:00 am - General membership meeting will be conducted at which time election results for ITC’s board of directors will be announced
- 12:00 noon - Volunteer Appreciation Picnic begins
For more information about the picnic and musher sign ups, please contact Chas St. George at 907.232.0503.
Date: June 11, 2008 at 10:45 am
THE IDITAROD TRAIL COMMITTEE is proud to announce that the 2009 Seppala Heritage Grant recipient is Wade Marrs from Wasilla Alaska (Home of the Iditarod). The 18 year old Alaskan musher has been a part of the Jr Iditarod for two years. Wade received the coveted Humanitarian Award in the 2008 Jr Iditarod. He raced in five other Jr Sled Dog races during the 2008 season winning three and placing second in two. Read More »
