Iditarod 2013 Parade

The 2013 Iditarod started at 10AM AKST [1PM CST] with Jan Newton as the Honorary Musher/parade marshal for the procession out to the Campbell Airstrip 11 miles away.

The teams will then take their puppies to Willow for the start of the real race tomorrow, with Martin Buser leading off. Bib number 1 is permanently assigned to Susan Butcher and is only worn in the parade by the lead team with the Honorary Musher. The racing bibs start at number 2 and run to 67 this year for the 66 teams entered.

The winner of the Yukon Quest, Allen Moore, and the YQ 300, Michelle Phillips, are both in the field, as well as more than a half dozen former winners of the Iditarod and/or the Quest. Since Lance Mackey made it clear you could run both races and be competitive, there are a lot of people who do it.

I see that Mikhail Telpin of the Chukota Peninsula has entered the Iditarod this year. Mikail is a subsistence hunter and trapper, and runs the native sled dogs of his area. He finished the Yukon Quest last year, but had problems with all of the trees. He will be much happier with the route of the Iditarod, although the temperature is a bit warm for him.

After the fold, the starting order for the parade and race:

1. Jan Newton, Honorary musher
2. Martin Buser, Big Lake
3. Scott Janssen, Anchorage
4. Jodi Bailey, Chatanika
5. Lance Mackey, Fairbanks
6. Ken Anderson, Fairbanks
7. Michelle Phillips, Tagish, Yukon, Canada
8. Newton Marshall, St. Ann, Jamaica
9. Kelley Griffin, Wasilla
10. Peter Kaiser, Bethel
11. Paul Gebhardt, Kasilof
12. Jason Mackey, Wasilla
13. John Baker, Kotzebue
14. Paige Drobny, Fairbanks
15. Charley Bejna, Addison, Ill.
16. Nicolas Petit, Girdwood
17. Cindy Gallea, Wykoff, Minn.
18. Jeff King, Denali
19. Dallas Seavey, Willow
20. Kristy Berington, Kasilof
21. Gerry Willomitzer, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
22. Travis Beals, Seward
23. Robert Bundtzen, Anchorage
24. Aaron Burmeister, Nome
25. Kelly Maixner, Big Lake
26. Jan Steves, Edmonds, Wash.
27. Aliy Zirkle, Two Rivers
28. DeeDee Jonrowe, Willow
29. Karin Hendrickson, Wasilla
30. Jessie Royer, Darby, Mont.
31. Anna Berington, Kasilof
32. Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Roros, Norway
33. Michael Suprenant, Chugiak
34. Justin Savidis, Willow
35. Mike Williams, Sr., Akiak
36. Mitch Seavey, Seward
37. Christine Roalofs, Anchorage
38. Ramey Smyth, Willow
39. Rudy Demoski, Sr., Wasilla
40. Angie Taggart, Ketchikan
41. Ed Stielstra, McMillan, Mich.
42. Linwood Fiedler, Willow
43. Bob Chlupach, Willow
44. Jake Berkowitz, Big Lake
45. Curt Perano, Queenstown, New Zealand
46. Michael Williams, Jr., Akiak
47. Luan R. Marques, Macae, Brazil
48. Allen Moore, Two Rivers
49. Gerald Sousa, Talkeetna
50. Mike Ellis, Two Rivers
51. Cim Smyth, Big Lake
52. Ray Redington, Jr., Wasilla
53. Louie Ambrose, St. Michael
54. Jessica Hendricks, Two Rivers
55. Josh Cadzow, Fort Yukon
56. David Sawatzky, Healy
57. Wade Marrs, Wasilla
58. Aaron Peck, Bezanson, Alberta, Canada
59. Jim Lanier, Chugiak
60. Cindy Abbott, Irvine, Calif.
61. Matt Failor, Big Lake
62. Brent Sass, Manley Hot Springs
63. Mikhail Telpin, Yanrakkynot, Chukotka, Russia
64. Matt Giblin, Sterling
65. Richie Diehl, Aniak
66. James Volek, Big Lake
67. Sonny Lindner, Two Rivers