Veteran John Erhart will lead off a field of 14 mushers in the 2013 Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Race starting at noon on Friday. Starting positions were drawn in ceremonies at the new Anchorage City Limits Lofts on Tuesday night.
Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Race
Start List [last year's finishing position]
1. John Erhart, Tanana [14]
2. Jack Berry, Homer [16]
3. Arleigh Reynolds, Salcha [4]
4. Kevin Cook, Preeceville, Saskatchewan, [2]
5. Marie-Anick Elie, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada [11]
6. Ken Chezik, Fife Lake, Mich. [1]
7. Brent Beck, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada [7]
8. Robert Worden, Mexico, NY [22]
9. Marvin Kokrine, North Pole [13]
10. John Norris, Willow
11. Nathan Sterling, Willow [12]
12. Egil Ellis, Willow [3] (Champion in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2011)
13. Greg Taylor, Fairbanks [5]
14. Greg Sellentin, Willow
Races will take place over three days, Feb. 22-24, with more than $70,000 in prize money going to the winners as determined by the total accumulated time. Each day's race will start and end at 4th Ave. and D St., with a course running 25 miles through Anchorage and into the parkland around the Chugach foothills.
"The track is fantastic," race marshal Janet Clarke said.
The public is invited to join the mushers for breakfast at the Tozier Track clubhouse at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Reach Mike Dunham at mdunham@adn.com or 257-4332.
By MIKE DUNHAM