But of course the fans know that it’s not over until the last musher is under the arch. For many fans, following the back of the pack is even more inspirational than cheering for the winner.

Matt Hammersley, a dryland musher in the United Kingdom, who is planning to race the Iditarod in 2013, calls the back of the pack mushers “the heart and soul of the Iditarod.” He admires the mushers who work all year, knowing they don’t have a chance at winning, but race anyway, just to travel the trail, complete the race, live their dream.

“The hard work on the trail lasts longer for these mushers,” Matt said. “While the winners are in Nome warm, dry, safe, these folks still have days ahead of mushing, dog care, pushing up on the trail in all weathers day and night, knowing the winners are home and dry. They still have feet to massage, booties to put on. They might not be the fastest, but they are the hardest workers.”

Tom Green said, “Everyone who can finish this race is a hero, as is anyone who has the determination to start.”

“I admire the determination and perseverance and the ability to say, ‘I did it.’ All the teams deserve congratulations for attempting this challenge,” said Kathy Gillock.

Robin Robbins said, “I admire the back-of-the-pack because of their dedication. They know they won’t finish in the top spots, they do it for themselves and for their teams (and hopefully a little bit for us).

Linda Case recalled a time when she came in last place in a half-marathon. It was a great experience, she achieved her personal best and had a story to tell. “Sometimes finishing with bad luck is a bigger accomplishment than winning when everything goes your way. Life and the Iditarod are similar in that way,” she said.

Cindy Godeby, an entertainer better known as “Dawson Dolly,” recalls a time when she flew in the Hot Air Balloon Races at the Fur Rondy in Anchorage. Her team came in last, but they got to fly longer and enjoy the ride. “I believe all the mushers are winners and are doing the most extraordinary sport and are the best athletes in the world,” she said. “I pray for every one of them and track them all, even though I have my favorites. They are all my friends, and I am so proud of all of them.”

DeeDee Jonrowe regales the crowd with Allen Moore's tale of sportsmanship before she presents the Fred Meyer Sportmanship Award to him. She shared that musher Karin Hendrickson was helpless on the trail and Moore towed her and her team on to the next checkpoint, taking time out of his own race.

The Awards Banquet in Nome was a trip this year! Hundreds of people made their way out for a tasty prime rib, crab and halibut dinner, provided by Millenium Hotel, and of course, to see their favorite mushers win accolade and respect. Some of the more notable award recipients this year include Trent Herbst, the teacher from Idaho who took home the GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award and Horizon Lines Most Improved Musher Award, as well as Aliy Zirkle, winning the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award, and husband Allen Moore who received the Fred Meyer Sportmanship award for his efforts to help musher Karin Hendrickson as she was in big trouble along the trail. Banquet audio and pictures will be up soon!

List of 2011 Iditarod Awards and recipients.

Special Iditarod Awards in Order of Presentation along the Trail

McGrath Checkpoint

PenAir Spirit of Alaska Award – Won by Martin Buser

• Original “Spirit Mask” presented to the first musher into McGrath
• $500 PenAir credit towards travel or freight shipments also awarded

Halfway Point of the Iditarod – Iditarod Checkpoint

GCI Dorothy G. Page Award – Won by Trent Herbst

• Presented In honor of Dorothy Page, the “Mother of the Iditarod” to the first musher into Cripple (Iditarod in odd years)
• Trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets

First to the Yukon River- Ruby Checkpoint

Millenium Hotel First Musher to the Yukon Award – Won by Hugh Neff

• Presented to the first musher that reaches the Yukon River (Ruby even-numbered years, Anvik in odd-numbered years).
• Awarded a 7-course meal, cooked on a camp stove by a Millenium Hotel staff, at the checkpoint and $5,000 as an ‘after-dinner mint’
• Musher receives the same 7-course meal for 2 anytime of their choosing at the Millenium Hotel.

Unalakleet Checkpoint

Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award – Won by John Baker

• Presented with a trophy and $2,500 in gold nuggets to the first musher to reach the Bering Sea’s “Gold Coast”

End of the Race – First to Nome

Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Official Truck Award – John Baker

• 2010 Dodge Ram 4×4, Quad Cab Pickup Truck Presented to Iditarod winner for almost 20 years

Wells Fargo Winner’s Purse Award – John Baker

• The big cash payout…

Wells Fargo Red Lantern Award – Presented to Ellen Halvorsen

• Presented for 17 years to the last finisher of the Iditarod.
• Trohpy made from a red lantern

Banquet

Alaska Airlines Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award – Presented to Aliy Zirkle

• Presented to a top 20 team who best demonstrates “outstanding dog care while remaing competitive” throughout the race
• Given a Lead crystal cup and 2 free round trip tickets on Alaska Airlines

Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award – Presented to Allen Moore

• Engraved trophy and $500 Fred Meyer gift certificate Presented to a participant chosen by fellow mushers

Horizon Lines Most Improved Musher Award – Presented to Trent Herbst

• Engraved trophy and $2,000 presented to musher who betters their previous finish by the greatest number of places

Nome Kennel Club Fastes Time From Safety to Nome Award – Won by Lance Mackey

• $500 presented to a top-20 musher with the fastest time from the Safety checkpoint to the finish line.

Rookie of the Year Award – Won by Nicholas Petit

• Presented for 30 years to the top-place rookie (a musher who has never before started the race)
• Trophy and $1,500

City of Nome Lolly Medley Memorial Golden Harness Award – Presented to Velvet and Snicker of John Baker’s Team

• Previously presented by the late Lolly Medley, a Wasilla harness maker and one of two women to run the 2nd Iditarod in 1974.  The award is now presented in her honor to an outstanding lead dog, chosen by the mushers.
• Embroidered gold-colored harness

Golden Clipboard Award – Presented to Unalakleet (received by mayor and veteran musher Middie Johnson)

• Presented for 10 years, by mushers, to a checkpoint voted by mushers.

Golden Stethoscope Award – Presented to Dr. Samantha Yeltatzie D.V.M.

• Presented by Iditarod Official Finishers Club to the vet whom mushers vote “most helpful on the trail.”

Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award – Presented to Paul Johnson

• Presented to musher who most mimics “Herbie: The Shismaref Cannon Ball” in his/her attitude on the trail by the staff and officials of the Iditarod.
• Free freight allotment on Northern Air Cargo, walrus ivory scrimshawed trophy, $1,049 in “pocket change” inside a NAC jacket

ExxonMobil Mushers Choice Award - Presented to Rick Swenson

Northern Air Cargo 4-Wheeler Award – Presented to Pete Kaiser

• Presented to a finisher of the race whose lucky key starts the ignition.

The photos I have taken thus far during my trip to Nome are now posted in the below album. Follow the “continue reading” link for all the the pictures.

In this edition of the Iditablog podcast we also take a look at the leaderboard, talk about exciting stories for the last day or two – and we even play your voicemails from earlier in the week.

Feel free to email us with topics or questions you’d like to hear us discuss on the next episode… the email address is: podcast@iditablog.com, send us a twitter/facebook message or call the voicemail box at 253-778-MUSH.

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes | Download in Zune Marketplace | Browse the Podcast Archives

Checkout our Podcast Sponsor: Alaska Airlines.

What a day in Nome! After getting settled in, grabbing my ticket for the musher’s banquet and satisfying my hunger, I made it just in time to the burled arch on Front Street to catch the close finish of Jodi Bailey (#31 to finish the race) and Lachlan Clarke just moments behind her. Jodi and Lachlan both had big smiles on their faces as they reached the end of Iditarod 2011 and were greeted by their loved ones, and dedicated fans. After their finish (the next mushers in the pack are still a good 30+ miles out at the time of posting), I headed over to the Mini Convention Center to hang out until the poetry reading. I had an opportunity to chat with Ray Redington Jr. about his race, as well as rub shoulders with a few other big-name mushers. I was lucky to catch the animated reading of Robert Service’s poetry by Richard Benneville. Robert Service wrote about the lore of Alaskan wilderness – both nature and the people in it, and Richard’s reading (complemented by a long history in the area) was really a pleasure. After dinner with my hosts – David and Julie Elmore – and their other guests, I headed to take in all the goodness (and goofiness) that is the Iditarod Open Mic Night. It’s quite an atmosphere up here at the end of the Iditarod – the Nome community rallies around the race and takes the week to celebrate Alaska and this great race! I am looking forward to more of the community events, the opportunities to talk to some of my favorite mushers (and hopefully some of yours, too!) and to just soak in all that is Nome.

Like many mushing fans, I read every mushing book I can get a hold of. In my last post, I shared about Jason Barron’s novel, Ballad of the Northland. Here are some more of my favorite Iditarod books:

Father of the Iditarod – The Joe Redington Story by Lew Freedman. To be a true fan, you need to know how the Great Race started. This is the story of Joe Redington, his move to Alaska, his mushing career, and his dream to start a race across Alaska. Learn the challenges he faced and what the early days of the race was like. And discover other adventures that Joe enjoyed, such as mushing up Mount McKinley.

Iditarod Classics and More Iditarod Classics, both by Lew Freedman. These two books give short snippets about individual mushers and the adventures they faced. If you’ve been a fan a long time, the books will bring back memories of past mushers. If you’re a new fan, they’ll introduce you to the fascinating history of the race.

Iditarod Dreams: A Year in the Life of Alaskan Sled Dog Racer DeeDee Jonroweby Lew Freedman and Dee Dee Jonrowe. Dee Dee Jonrowe is a perennial favorite. In this book, Dee Dee shares how she started racing and gives you a glimpse into a year of her life, including training, her participation in a European race called the Alpirod, and finishing with the 1994 Iditarod. This book is a bit outdated, but it still gives a fresh look into an inspiring woman.

Backstage Iditarodby June Price. This book is a must for all fans. If you’re planning on coming to the race start, it gives you a preview of what to expect. If you just wish you were coming to the race start, it gives you an opportunity to experience it vicariously. June Price is a die-hard fan herself, and she shares from her personal experience.

Iditarod Fact Book: A Complete Guide to the Last Great Race 2nd Editionedited by Tricia Brown. This book is more of a reference book, though die-hard fans will read it from cover to cover. It starts with a year-by-year history of the race through 2006, and proceeds to facts about the race today, the checkpoints, dogs and training, gear and mushing terms and unforgettable people. An excellent reference to keep next to your computer while following the race.

Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Alaskan Adventures of an Iditarod Championby Jeff King (with Joe Runyan). Although written in first person, this isn’t a biography per se. It’s a series of stand-alone chapters, little vignettes from the life of a musher. It’s well written and very enjoyable, even if you’re not a mushing fan. “Breath of Life” tells the story of a dog who was miraculously revived by a fellow musher during the Yukon Quest. “Chowhound” is about Peg, a dog with an amazing appetite who ate a highway flare. My favorite chapter, “The Colonel,” tells about a Halloween visit from Norm Vaughan.

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way: Unconventional Sled Dog Secrets of an Alaskan Iditarod Champion, Vol. 1by Mitch Seavey. This is a training manual, of sorts, written for dog mushers. What makes this story appealing for fans is that we can hear Mitch’s voice in the writing. There’s no editor here. It’s purely Mitch, with his dry wit and blunt honesty. Parts may find you laughing out loud. And you’ll learn a lot about mushing too, which will make you a very savvy fan.

The Lance Mackey Storyby Lance Mackey (with Joe Runyan). No list of mushing books would be complete without the inspiring story of Lance Mackey, who overcame addiction, poverty and cancer to become one of the best mushers in the history of the race. It’s a very well-written read and one that you won’t be able to put down.

Graveyard of Dreams- Dashed Hopes and Shattered Aspirations Along Alaska’s Iditarod Trail by Craig Medved. The Iditarod is not just about the winners or even the front runners. It’s about all the mushers who attempt this great adventure. Graveyard of Dreams tells the story of several back of the pack mushers in the 2010 Iditarod, including some who made it to Front Street and some who did not. Relive the tragic stories of those who had to scratch or were withdrawn, as well as those who managed to finish.

What about you? What are some of your favorite books about the Iditarod or mushing? Leave a comment and share your favorites.

Afterward Greg & Josh spend some good time talking about this year’s race and sharing our thoughts on how things turned out the way they did

Feel free to email us with topics or questions you’d like to hear us discuss on the next episode… the email address is: podcast@iditablog.com, send us a twitter/facebook message or call the voicemail box at 253-778-MUSH.

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes | Download in Zune Marketplace | Browse the Podcast Archives

Checkout our Podcast Sponsor: Alaska Airlines.

Feel free to email us with topics or questions you’d like to hear us discuss on the next episode… the email address is: podcast@iditablog.com, send us a twitter/facebook message or call the voicemail box at 253-778-MUSH.

Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes | Download in Zune Marketplace | Browse the Podcast Archives

Checkout our Podcast Sponsor: Alaska Airlines.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – John Baker won the storied Iditarod Sled Dog Race on Tuesday in record time, becoming the first Alaska Native champion since 1976.

Baker shattered the course record by nearly three hours, finishing the 1,100-mile race in eight days, 19 hours and 46 minutes. The previous record was set in 2002 by four-time champion Martin Buser.

Driving a team of 10 dogs, Baker sledded along snow-covered Front Street in Nome, Alaska, as he approached the finish line, under a polished burl, or knotted wooden, arch.

He was greeted by drummers and dancers from his Inupiat tribe, and a large crowd of relatives and supporters from his home town of Kotzebue, which is about 180 miles north of Nome.

“Running a team like this, there’s nothing better,” Baker said at the finish. “This is the way life is supposed to be.”

The Iditarod commemorates the 1925 rescue mission that delivered diphtheria medicine to Nome by sled-dog relay.

Baker, the first Alaska Native to win the competition since 1976, was the first ever Inupiat champion of the race.

The Inupiat are the Eskimo people of Alaska’s northern and northwestern coast. Their language is distinct from that of the Yupik people, who are from the more southerly parts of western Alaska. They have common traditions based on whaling and other subsistence food-gathering activities.

Among those celebrating Baker’s win was Denise Michels, the first Inupiat to be elected mayor of Nome.

“I’ve waited eight years to tell you this,” she said, after hugging Baker. “On behalf of the city of Nome, congratulations on coming to the burled arch first.”

At the finish line, Baker received an oversized check for $50,400, keys to a new truck and floral wreaths for his lead dogs. The new champion said he did not realize he was on a record pace until the final hours of the race.

“I didn’t have any thoughts about breaking the record. That dawned on me last night or early this morning,” he said. “Breaking the record was certainly the icing on the cake.”

Baker, 48, is a commercial pilot who flies small planes between rural villages in northwestern Alaska, an area that lacks road links. His home of Kotzebue, a mostly Inupiat city of about 3,200, lies above the Arctic Circle.

Baker is one of the few Iditarod champions who lives in a truly rural part of the state. Most top mushers live along the roads north of Anchorage or in the Fairbanks area, with easy access to supplies, business partners and corporate sponsors.

He has been a consistent top-10 finisher over the past several years and has placed as high as third in the past.

Past Native Iditarod champions have been Athabascan Indians from interior Alaska.

The Iditarod began on March 5 with a ceremonial, untimed run in Anchorage. Sixty-two mushers and their dog teams began the race. As of early Tuesday, 11 had dropped out.

(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Greg McCune)

As John Baker, and Ramey Smyth get their eight hour rest in White Mountain, its time for you to start making plans to join us tomorrow for the live, finish-line webcast.  We’ll announce on twitter & facebook the broadcast times once we have a better idea of when the first musher will arrive outside Nome.  Right now the rough estimate for the finish is 9:30-10:30am Alaska Time.

Our video feed will come from several streaming webcams on front street and after the Iditablog “pre-game show”, live audio will come directly from the burled arch itself as you hear history being made with the play-by-play of the winning musher crossing the finish line of Iditarod 39.

Here are some stats to ruminate on until we know who wins:

Comparing Baker & Smyth over the last 9 years:

• In 9 years John Baker’s average time from White Mountain to Nome was 10hours 35minutes
• In the same period Ramey Smyth’s average time from White Mountain to Nome was 9hours 12minutes
• In the last 9 years, in any given race Baker has never beat Smyth’s time between WMO and Nome
• However, in 7 out of those 9 years while Smyth might be faster on the run from WMO to OME – Baker has placed higher

• Last year, in 2010 John Baker placed 5th in the Iditarod, beating a 6th place Ramey Smyth by 40 minutes
• Ramey left White Mountain an hour and fourteen minutes after Baker did, cutting Bakers lead by 34 minutes by the time they had each arrived to Nome.
• This year Ramey will need to make up 51 minutes if he wants to beat Baker

Our play-by-play announcer's view of the Finish Line