Looks like there will be no new episode next Tuesday, I can only assume its because most of us will be watching election coverage.  The next episode premiers on Nov. 11th, make sure you tune in.

Here are our “re-blogs” from the section of the trail that was covered in tonight’s show.

Iditarod 2008, Episode 3: McGrath – Cripple

1. Takotna: 24-hours of Confusion – The pack thins out
2. Ophir: 24-hour Check-up
3. Ophir: The 24-hour Choice
4. Cripple: Big Day for DeeDee & Details on the Ruby Award

I’m working on a big blog entry to post after this show finishes up to quickly catch everyone up on what has transpired since last march in Iditarod news… and what we know about Iditarod 2009!

This week we’ve got more “re-post” coverage of the 2008 Iditarod, allowing you to follow along reading our coverage from the period of the race that was shown in tonight’s second episode on the Discovery Channel.

Iditarod 2008, Episode 2: Rainy Pass – Nikolai

1. Rainy Pass: Into Rainy Pass & The GPS Impact

2. Rohn: Backen is Back!

3. Nikolai: The lead pack will change into Nikolai

4. Nikolai: Mackey out of Nikolai, Garnie out of the race

Over the next few weeks as the show airs, I’ll be going back providing links to the posts that I wrote during the period of the race that happened during each episode.  For those of you who didn’t follow along last March, you’ll get to re-live how we saw the race unfold… you’re seeing it on TV, but now you’ll get one more perspective as if it was happening all over again.

Iditarod 2008: Ceremonial Start – Rainy Pass

1. Anchorage: The Race is on!

2. Willow: The 2008 Breakdown

3. Yentna: Goodbye Willow – Hello Alaskan Wilderness

4. Rainy Pass: Into Rainy Pass & The GPS Impact

Let us know what you thought of the Iditarod show on Discovery this week…. post your comment below!

I’ll be back next week with more thoughts and a repost of the next series of blogs! (of course you can always read ahead too!).

I did want to remind everyone one last time though that this evening will be the premier of “Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod” on the Discovery Channel. It will be the most comprehensive look at the Iditarod to date as it seeks to follow not just the leaders of the race (as most coverage has done in the past) but those all through the entire pack of mushers. There were nearly 30 teams that were outfitted with cameras during last years race. The production company that has been working on this show for the last 8 months is the same group that has done the very high quality, and very entertaining “Deadlest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers”.

The video below is 2-time consecutive Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey appearing recently on Conan O’Brian to promo the Discovery show.

UPDATE 10/18 – I just updated the post to include the actual video of Lance on Conan….

TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD

World Premiere Series Begins Tuesday, October 14 at 10PM ET/PT

Discovery Channel continues its exploration into and chronicling of the fascinating world around us with the groundbreaking six-part series TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD.  Defining adventure programming, the world premiere series provides a rare look into one of the harshest races in one of the most beautiful and challenging places on the planet – The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.  Across frozen rivers, barren tundra, mountains and thick forest in freezing temperatures, this grueling 1,150 mile race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska puts mushers and their dog teams through the ultimate test of human and animal teamwork and endurance.  Filmed in March 2008, this series tells stories through the eyes of the men and women who dared to take on the ultimate test of human and animal teamwork and endurance.  The intense preparation and training of race veterans and rookies alike show what it takes to compete not only against each other, but also Mother Nature.

As you know Ken Anderson had the lead from Safety to Nome.  But it
was one of the close finishes of the day.  Several times on his way
down the Nome beach he had to stop and straighten out his dogs.
There are lots of fans and rubberneckers on the trail this year.
Some getting too close to the mushers and their dogs.  Ken Anderson,
was clearly stressed in trying to maintain his lead over Martin
Buser.  Ken could be seen waving people off the trail as he’d
frequently look back to make sure he still had his lead.

It’s been a good race day.

Chris has been taking pictures of mushers coming into Nome and will be posting them on the site soon! 

He arrived at 9:52am, audio to be posted soon…. Ken Anderson just beat Martin Buser by about a minute……more info as it emerges.

For More on this year’s Iditarod Finish:

• Once, twice – two times a Champion
• Jeff King Second into Nome

Listen to: Lance Mackey Wins Iditarod 2008 – KICY AM (Nome, AK)

King is one of a handful of successful mushers who haven’t been able to bring home the record-tying 5th Iditarod Championship…. The late Susan Butcher was on her way in 1989, but similar to this year wasn’t able to hold the lead to Joe Runyan after leaving White Mountain. Martin Buser, and the recently retired Doug Swingley have also attempted a 5th championship.

Probably the most defining moment of King’s race came just over 24 hours ago when he arrived into Elim three minutes behind Mackey – both mushers headed inside the checkpoint to take a few hours break and when Lance put his gear down to take a nap, so did King. Mackey didn’t fall asleep but waited for King, and after only 1 and a half hours rest, Mackey headed out onto the trail while King slept back in the checkpoint. King woke up less than an hour later and gave chase to Mackey, but was never able to catch up.

Audio from KICY of Lance Mackey winning his 2nd consecutive Iditarod is being uploaded right now and will be posted soon, along with Photos taken by Iditablog photographer Chris Carlson.

(above: Mackey takes a few moments with each of his dogs on the sea ice moments before entering Front Street, Mackey speaks to his father on a cell phone under the burled arch after winning the 2008 Iditarod)

In one of the closest Iditarods in recent history, Lance Mackey and Jeff King led the race for most of the last week coming into some checkpoints just minutes apart. There were many times over half the race, and even the last 24 hours it was impossible to predict who was going to be crossing under the burled arch first, but we can now congratulate and celebrate with the entire Mackey family as at 2:46am:

LANCE MACKEY WINS HIS SECOND IDITAROD TITLE IN TWO YEARS.

Its a tough feat that’s very rarely done, but back to back Iditarods are still possible and this whole thing is even more amazing given the fact that Mackey just won his fourth consecutive Yukon Quest title just a mere few weeks ago.

History was going to be made this morning, regardless of which of the two mushers arrived into Nome first, Jeff King came into this year looking for his 5th Career Iditarod win, a number that would have tied him with Rick Swenson as the most winning-est musher in history. Martin Buser, Doug Swingley, Jeff King, and the late Susan Butcher have all attempted to make the monumental leap from being a 4 time champion, to being a 5 time champion but all have come very close, but have been unsuccessful. We’re expecting Jeff to arrive into Nome in just under an hour from now.

We’ll have audio in just a few moments, and will have more pictures coming in throughout the next few hours from Iditablog photographer Chris Carlson.

The next, even more contested spot in this year’s Iditarod is for third place as Ramey Smyth, Ken Anderson, Martin Buser and Hans Gatt all left White Mountain within half an hour of each other. I’m sure that the next 70 miles for these competitors will be pretty stressful as the difference between 3rd and 6th will be separated by just a few moments. Ramey Smyth has been an “up and coming” musher for the last few years after his 4th place finish in 2004. Smyth is one of those guys that you least want to go up against in the final stretch of the trail, he has won the Nome Kennel club’s “fastest from Safety to Nome” award six times and has been called one of the best closers in Iditarod history. Ken Anderson is also an up and coming musher, his best finish was fifth in 2003, although he was in Jeff King’s shoes just a few weeks ago as he battled Lance Mackey in the Yukon Quest and narrowly lost to the reigning champion. Martin Buser was looking for his 5th Iditarod win this year just like King, however was the first to admit his schedule was not competitive enough to go up against Mackey and King. Finally, Hans Gatt is looking to improve his Iditarod best of 12th back in 2000 with a top ten finish this year, however Gatt knows the thrill of victory all to well as he won the Yukon Quest three times in a row over 2002-2004.

The most interesting part of this year’s top ten is the amount of successful Quest mushers that have run both races back to back with mostly the same teams. Mackey proved last year that you could be competitive in both races without sacrifice. Look for the Iditarod to change even more over the next few years as it feels the “Mackey effect”.