Dallas certainly didn't go unnoticed in 2009. Please watch the Versus TV channel for the 2009 Iditarod and you will see the J. J. Keller logos everywhere on Dallas, Mitch and Jen. They featured the Seavey's due to their rich race history and that 3 Seavey's were in the 2009 race. 

Not only did he finish the toughest Iditarod Trail ever in 6th place he won the most Improved Musher Award last night at the closing banquet. Dallas moved up from 41st to 6th place to earn the award. Dallas received $2,000 for the award to go along with his $39,100 for 6th place. Asked what he is going to do with the money he replied "It's already spent". Mushers are not rich people but winnings can be used to improve their kennels and pay the bills.

Jen finished in 43rd place and made the banquet. Official stats are: Mitch Seavey, 4th place, 10 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes and finished with 10 dogs. Dallas Seavey, 6th place, 10 days, 14 hours and 50 minutes and finished with 9 dogs. Jen Seavey, 43rd place, 14 days, 1 hour and 48 minutues and finished with 14 dogs.

There are 47 Musher's into Nome, 5 between White Mountain and Nome and 15 have scratched. 

We left Anchorage just in time. Alaska's Mt. Redoubt Volcano erupted Sunday, 3/22/09 at 10:38 pm AK time, sending an ash cloud 50,000 feet above sea level. Some flights were canceled. 

Please listen to Appleton's AM 1570 The Score "Living the Outdoors" show, on Wednesday, 3/25/09 from 6-7 pm for a live 2009 Iditarod report. I will be in the studio so please pass the word. I will also have some comments on the 2010 Iditarod. Thanks for following this great race with us!    

We left Nome, AK yesterday morning, left Anchorage, AK last night and just arrived home in WI at 9:30 am on Saturday, March 21, 2009. I'm getting used to this trip but I must admit it is a bit extreme - 27 hours without a bed.

67 Musher's started on Saturday, March 7, 2009; 38 are in Nome, 17 are still on the trail and 12 have scratched. The 12 feet of snow in the Alaska Range Mountains, the Moose, the Wolves, the 50 mph winds, the -40 to 70 degree temperatues, Musher's crashing and losing their sleds, Musher's falling asleep and losing the trail, Musher's falling asleep and falling off their sleds, frostbite body parts, and many other perils make this the toughest and Last Great Race on Earth!

When Mitch and Dallas came into Nome, I said "you look like you have been in a fight" and Dallas replied "I have been". Being a champion wrestler he knows what a good fight is!

Jen Seavey is currently in 45th with the rookie team. If She arrives before tomorrow evening she will make it for the formal banquet. If not they have another one for everyone that finishes after the banquet. Jen is the 1st Seavey lady to start the race and will be the 1st to finish. Seavey's don't quit and never have excuses. The entire clan are honest, God fearing, hard working people with a purpose. They are winners in many ways not just on the trail.

On behalf of my wife Rosanne, son Brian, his wife to be Meghan and Troy we were also on a mission; to support the 3 Seavey Musher's and bring the Iditarod into your homes, offices and schools with a "behind the scenes" mentality not delivered this way before. 

Please continue to check this site for new blogs, photos and videos. Due to the very slow, if any, internet and cell connections in Nome uploading was impossible. We will be producing a 2009 J. J. Keller Iditarod Adventure DVD and Extreme Report. This will further document our work so we can share it with the world. Thanks 

The top 5 Mushers at this time are Burmeister, Neff, Schnuelle, Mackey and King. The top 5 are in Takotna at MM 307. Mitch is 6th at MM 306. The race has started but the racing is still to come. Dallas is 18th at MM 282. Jen is 57th at MM 195.

Bob Hickel and Nancy Yoshida have scratched. There are 65 Mushers in the race.

The "Last Great Race on Earth" will certainly live up to it's reputation over the next week.

 Did you know? The Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc. is a public charity 501(c)(3). You can donate to the ITC the same as any other non-profit organization.

Check this site daily for videos, photos and blogs.

Note: Please check the next blog for details on the closest Iditarod finish ever!

All the veterans are in the lead and the rookies are trailing!! The current leader at mm 191 is Schnuelle (he won the 2009 Yukon Quest), followed closely by Mackey, Neff, Gebhart and Zirkle. Only 4 miles separates the top 5.

Mitch is at mm 183, Dallas at mm 169 and Jen at mm 136. Mitch and Dallas are within striking distance. Jen has the puppy team and is having fun !

All the mushers averaged about 11 mph going from Rainy Pass to Rohn, which is decending down the mountain. 

No one has taken their 24 or 8 hour mandatory layovers to date. All the mushers must also stop in White Mountain, 90 miles from Nome, for 8 hours. 

History lesson: The Iditarod was first run in 1973 to commemorate the 1925 serum run to Nome that saved the native people from diphtheria. The only mode of transportation was a dog sled!

Check out our latest videos and photos from Alaska. Stay tuned........... 

Thousands of race fans greeted the 67 mushers awaiting their turn to enter the chute and head north 1,100 miles. 

The weather was overcast, a balmy 20 degrees with no wind.

We met many friends we have made over the past few years.  We concentrated our time on the three Seavey mushers.  They left the ice between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m.

We met the producer for Versus TV.  They are again covering the race, and will be showing the race in a few weeks.  The are featuring the three Seavey mushers and mentioned that J. J. Keller is very visible and should be seen.  He said, Dallas spoke very highly of the relationship and sponsorship.

All the sleds have GPS trackers.  You need a subscription from the Iditarod Insider to receive the positions.

I will report out on a daily basis the positions of the Seavey's and the top five mushers.

We flew all night, and I will be in the office in a few hours.  I will issue a race report ASAP.  

Note:  Please check out all the new photos just added!