Anchorage Daily News

SLED-DOG RACING

Sign up for next March's Iditarod on Saturday

The race is more than eight months away, but mushers can sign up for the 38th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race beginning 9:30 a.m. Saturday at race headquarters, Mile 2.2 of Knik Road in Wasilla.

Quest officials move up start date to lure racers

Next winter's Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race will start a week earlier in February, making the possibility of a grueling back-to-back double with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race more feasible than ever.

PETA takes dog deaths rumor and runs with it

As if it weren't painful enough to lose two canine traveling companions to hypothermia during this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Wasilla's Lou Packer now finds himself publicly accused -- in the absence of any evidence -- of somehow causing the deaths of two additional dogs.

Iditarod code dictates musher's actions on the trail

As an evil cold settled over the Innoko River country and the winds roared across its wild desolation, Blake Matray knew his Iditarod dream was dying, and he let it go.

Iditarod 37 coverage

Last musher hits Nome; sixth dog death reported

The Iditarod reached the end of the trail early Tuesday morning with a Red Lantern winner from Michigan and the most dead dogs in more than a decade.

Live standings: Musher leaderboard

Iditarod 37 coverage

Burmeister wins 2 race awards

Except for the half-dozen mushers still trudging toward Nome, the racing was over and tales of the trail held sway Sunday night at the Iditarod Finishers Banquet in Nome.

PETA calls for investigation into dog deaths

Live standings: Musher leaderboard

Iditarod 37 coverage

SLED DOG RACING

Rasey tops at Tozier

Racing on half a foot of new snow, Kris Rasey claimed the 8-dog title Sunday in the Norma Rasmussen Memorial Challenge at Tozier Track. She completed the 8.1-mile course in 26 minutes, 36 seconds.

Two more reach Nome in Iditarod

Jen Seavey and Tom Thurston reached the end of the trail Sunday, arriving in Nome to complete their 1,100-mile Iditarod journeys.

Ellis wins record 9th North American sled dog title

Willow musher Egil Ellis put together an astonishing run Sunday on the final day of the Open North American Championships in Fairbanks to beat rival Buddy Streeper -- and legendary George Attla.

Iditarod purse slashed whopping 35 percent

Pity Sonny Lindner, who finished 11th in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Twelve months ago, 11th place earned Zack Steer of Sheep Mountain $36,600. This year, the same effort will net the finisher $21,900 -- or $14,700 less.

2 dead dogs had fluid in their lungs

Iditarod 37 coverage

2 dead Iditarod dogs had fluid in their lungs

Omen and Maynard, the two dogs that died late this week in the Iditarod, had fluid in their lungs, race marshal Mark Nordman reported Saturday.

Number of dog deaths on Iditarod Trail is troubling

Number of dog deaths on Iditarod Trail is troubling

An 8-year-old dog in the team of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher Rick Larson died on Friday, bringing to five the number of dogs dead so far in this year's race.

Rookie of the year finishes

Chad Lindner of Fairbanks finished 30th Friday in 12 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes to earn rookie of the year honors.

Fairbanks musher is Iditarod rookie of year

Rookie of the year Chad Lindner of Fairbanks earned $1,800 for his 30th-place finish in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 12-day effort that paid him about $6 an hour.

Mackey's famed lead dog retires

With more than 12,000 miles of racing and countless miles of training under his paws, life is finally about to slow down for Larry the lead dog.

Changing of the top-10 guard

Photos: Dogs of Iditarod 37

Changing of the top-10 guard

His face scarred from frostbite, Skagway's Hugh Neff on Thursday crossed the Nome finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Thursday to claim the 15th position.

Schnuelle wins the race for second

While Lance Mackey was in Nome on Wednesday afternoon enjoying a third-straight victory in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the teams of Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker were on the trail engaged in a dog fight for second that began back in the village of Koyuk.

Photos: Day 12

Mackey's Iditarod triple play

DAY 12: MARCH 18, 2009

Mackey's Iditarod triple play

At the end, the storms that had raked the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for days finally died and the sun shone brightly on Lance Mackey as 15 dogs pulled him down Front Street on Wednesday to a historic victory.

Photos: Day 12

Schnuelle wins the race for second

Voices from the Trail: Mackey on his long haul to Nome

Live standings: Musher leaderboard

Mackey hours away from Nome, Iditarod history

Lance Mackey is 22 miles from his third consecutive victory in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Mackey pulled into the final checkpoint of Safety at 8:40 this morning and left eight minutes later. He traveled 8.5 mph between White Mountain and Safety. If he continues at that pace, he should reach the finish line in Nome just before noon.

Live standings: Musher leaderboard

DAY 11: MARCH 17, 2009

Iditarod winner expected Wednesday afternoon

With the nearest dog teams 45 miles behind and facing a vicious headwind, Lance Mackey pulled into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's penultimate checkpoint Tuesday night nearly assured of his third straight win in the 1,000-mile marathon that started in Anchorage 11 days ago.

Photos: Day 11

Ordeal leaves musher grieving

Live standings: Musher leaderboard

Voices from the Trail: Packer on the life-threatening weather

Iditarod racers face another day of brutal wind

Wait out the wind. That's what dozens of mushers along the Iditarod Trail were doing today as fierce headwinds combined with subzero temperatures to make pushing forward fruitless at best and dangerous at worst for some of the best mushers in the world.

Photos: 2009 Iditarod Day 11

Photos: Day 10

Voices from the Trail: Packer on the life-threatening weather

Cause of Packer dogs' deaths remains unknown

Bitter winds delay winner's welcome in Nome

Schnuelle finds a lonely cabin for a rare snooze

Live standings: Musher leaderboard