Iditarod 35 . . . and with a whisper it was over.

Just competing in the Iditarod, everyone is a winner!

After almost two and a half weeks of mushing by some of the strongest competitors on earth; canines along with the men and women who completed this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race came to a close during another cold dark night when Dr. Ellen Halverson, a native of North Dakota now living in Wasilla, Alaska, crossed the finish line in Nome at 2:56 local time this morning, making her total time on the trail 16 days, 11 hours and 56 minutes.

An award is given to the last person to complete the race each year - - in recognition that the Iditarod is a grueling test of mental and physical endurance over the 1,100 mile trail. The last finisher is presented with a “red lantern” that has hung at the finish line in Nome since the start of the race.

From Iditarod History it was said, “During the days of Alaska sled dog freighting and mail carrying, dog drivers relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. Since these mushers ventured out in most all kinds of weather, for safety reasons they found the idea that pilots rely on, known today as the flight plan. Word was relayed ahead that a musher and team were on the trail and a kerosene lamp was lit and hung outside the roadhouse. It not only helped the dog driver find his destination at night, but more importantly, it signified that a team or teams were somewhere out on the trail. The lamp was not extinguished until the musher safely reached his destination.”

In keeping with that tradition, the Iditarod Trail Committee lights a “Widow’s Lamp” at 10:00 a.m., the first Sunday in March, in Nome at trail’s end. This lamp, which will be attached to the Burled Arch, the official finish line, will remain lit as long as there are mushers on the trail competing in the race. When the last musher crosses the finish line, they have the honor to extinguish the “Widow’s Lamp” signifying the official end of the Iditarod Trail for that year.

All too often, public and media think of the race as being over when the “winner” crosses the finish line, yet there are still teams on the trail. This year 82 mushers started the race and 58 officially finished. The rest scratched along the way for various reasons and one was disqualified. This year’s trail conditions made things difficult for veteran and rookie mushers’ alike causing injuries and several competitors found themselves ‘lost’ after making a wrong turn off the trail after markers were blown away in the high winds. One missing dog was found a few days ago and airlifted back to Anchorage but the Iditarod Air Force so the many side stories and mini adventures from this year race comes to a close.

The Red Lantern Award is awarded to the last person to complete the Iditarod each year so we say congratulations Ellen Halverson. You show us that persistence, endurance, and true grit are rewarded at days end.

Ellen and her team ran for over two weeks . . . alone on the trail most of the way . . . with her dogs . . . through the freezing winds that brought wind chills below -50 degrees F . . . and blinding snow blizzards . . . with much of the 1,100 miles traveled in the dark of night. There are checkpoints to stop and rest while markers guide the way . . . until the wind blows them away. The race is about choices . . . as in life . . . when to run, how long to rest, how hard should you allow the dogs to run. Choices made for the team and not about themselves.

The story book finish, with Lance Mackey’s win following his family traditions . . . the wild Alaskan conditions which tested everyone this year . . . the rookies which were tested in so many ways . . . the beautiful Alaskan wilderness . . . and the dogs . . . the magical dogs who love to run.

What a great run this year . . . thanks for an unforgettable Iditarod this year as we enjoyed every minute of it.

There’s now only 50 weeks until next year’s race; rest up, train hard, and we look forward to another race to come.

This year’s Iditarod, everyone is a winner!

Ice