Aklestad-Olstad team leads Iron Dog into Nome

The duo of Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad led the Iron Dog snowmachine race pro class into the ceremonial midpoint at Nome on Monday afternoon.

The defending 2022 champs, Aklestad and Olstad, checked in at 2:49 p.m., nearly 28 minutes ahead of the team of Casey Boylan and Bryan Leslie. Aklestad-Olson, operating as Team 7 for the 2023 race, averaged 50.42 mph in covering the first 1,482 miles of the course.

While the race is 2,503 miles in total, Nome is considered the halfway point where the teams will spend Tuesday for a wrench day and public banquet. On Wednesday at 8 a.m., the teams will depart back to Big Lake, where Saturday’s expected finish will take place.

The Iron Dog, which touts itself as the world’s longest, toughest snowmobile race, has certainly been difficult on some teams. As of Monday afternoon, 15 teams were still racing and 10 teams had scratched.

And things may only get tougher from there.

Several storms were forecast across Western Alaska this week, bringing gusty winds, blizzard conditions and heavy snow, according to the National Weather forecast. The first storm was expected to hit the Nome area on Tuesday, with a second, stronger storm following on Wednesday into Thursday, the forecasters said.

Palmer’s Aklestad and Wasilla’s Olstad had logged 29 hours, 23 minutes and 34 seconds on the route and were the leaders into Kotzebue on Sunday night.

By 5 p.m. on Monday night, four teams had reached Nome. Willow racers Cody Barber and Brett Lapham arrived third. The team of Bradley Kishbaugh and Ryan Sottosanti arrived fourth.

ADN and Arctic Sounder reporter Alena Naiden contributed to this report.