Thousands of Iditarod race fans packed 4th street, in downtown Anchorage, for the 37th running of the Last Great Race on Earth.
67 Mushers officially started, along with their ceremonial rider, the race they hope to win or at least finish in a few weeks ending at the Bering Sea town of Nome.
This 1,150 mile race re-starts tomorrow in Willow, on a frozen lake, which is 90 miles north of Anchorage. The Mushers will start leaving at 2pm, in numerical order, every 2 minutes.
Last year there was 96 Mushers which was a record field. In 2007 there were 82 Mushers. I'm sure the economy has something to do with the smaller field this year.
The top mushers are still in the field which should make for a great race. Mitch wants his 2nd victory, Lance wants a three-peat, Jeff & Martin want their 5th championship and of couse Rick, which is the only 5 time winner, wants his 6th.
Dallas would love a top ten finish and a new face could emerge from the pack and steal a victory. With over a thousand miles of racing anything can happen !!
We will be packing up and heading to Willow in a few hours to take in all the excitement for you.
Stay tuned to this web site for daily coverage - tell your family & friends to take a look and discover what a unique sport this is. Thanks
