Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 2023 Iditarod dog sled race

i always keep an eye on what is happening in this great sled dog race . i notice a couple of big names are not in the race this year ? but my favorite is and is running 2nd so far Jesse Holmes , but it is a long race many days yet . anyone else listening or watching what`s going on ?

Been hearing it on the news. Fairbanks doesn't give it that much coverage. It's not the race it used to be. Was a big deal when I liv3d in Ru y in the 80s and Nome later.

One of the smallest fields ever this year.

> i wonder why ? is it because it is such a tough rough dog sled race ? it kinda looks like it is going to be a real fast race this year .

The directors have failed in many ways. They have not maintained long term relationships with sponsors. Some big ones they were not their fault. Alaska Air for one.

A good, paid Director would more than earn his keep.

i sure hope this sled dog race continues there is no dog /man race as famous as the Iditarod sled dog race . i do think also pay outs should be better for more places too somehow ? i also notice no new pick-up truck for the winner either ?

My hat is off to any musher and team who enters this race.

PETA is part of the problem too.

Respect to the mushers from the villages who were able get to the race-start.

Current inflation, a single bag of decent kibble to the villages is at least $90 per fkn bag. Which is just to a hub village.

Mushers in the villages are having to offset costs by catching an insane amount of fish or even seals.

Purse is pretty low this year.

Jesse Holmes still doing well but there is alot of race left he is about half way now taking his 8 hr. rest. these mushers must be doing from the heart because the pay is not very much this year.

The reason a lot of people (including me) don't run the race is because of the cost. Someone I know that ran in '21 spent 40k just running the race. That's not including food and vet bills for the rest of the year, paying handlers, and the insane amount of time it takes to train a team to that point. I would try, but 40k to probably lose is a lot of money to me.

What is the latest on the race?????

I would assume that not all racers get paid. Only the top ones. Its a gamble any which way you look at it.

We don't do things for money. We do them for the experieKnowing Mark personally all I have to say is he is one heck of a good guy and doing what he can. You can't find better people than Mark for sure.

Here you go!
https://iditarod.com/race/2023/standings/

Thread needs this:

Top 6 are getting mighty close to Nome, having already left Koyuk. Time for some predictions:

1st place:

Ryan Redington is on fire,having already left koyuk, then blasted out out of Elim with no rest. Fastest runs ever, along the southern route. I have met Ryan at a Nome finish, when he pinched my ex girlfriend's ass right in front of me. Fkn guy is always smiling, always jovial and that energy rubs off on his dogs. His mom is from Nome and this final run is his native land.

Kaiser currently has a 3 hour lead over everyone else, but he's in desperate need of rest. That team won't make the steep climbs with the gusto of the other teams. He trains on fairly flat terrain.

Same with Diehl,his team is slogging at a slow pace. Will need significant rest.

2nd place:
Matt hall trains hard in cold interior weather, and steep terrain. He was raised in the upper yukon and taught by the best bush mushers in Alaska, his parents. He knows how to amp up a team for steep climbs. He might surpass Kaiser for second place.

3rd place:
Kaiser may hold onto 3rd, or be surpassed by Matt Failer.

Behind Kaiser is Holmes and maixner, both are slogging and seem burnt out. Behind Maixner and Holmes is Matt Failor. He rested in koyuk,while Holmes and Maixner did not. Failor's team is running a hot speed and are well rested. Failer also has more dogs than maixner and holmes.

Maixner and Holmes risk scratching, when the terrain ahead of them gets steep.

**the weather is supposed to get slightly gusty with a bit of snow. That could change everything.

I know Pete and Richie and have seen how tough they are. If needed they will drag the sleds. Both are endurance runners and wrestlers...

Every finisher gets $1,049 back. The purse is split up amongst the top 20 I believe. Yeah if I had the extra cash I would give it a run for the experience alone, but I sadly I don't have it.

Well it looks like Ryan Reddington just arrived in Nome about 20 minutes ago.

8 days, 21 hours!