2023 Iditarod

2023 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
51st Annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
VenueIditarod Trail
LocationAlaska
DatesMarch 4, 2023–March 17, 2023
Competitors33
Champion
Ryan Redington
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The 2023 Iditarod was the 51st edition of the Iditarod, an annual sled dog race in the U.S. state of Alaska. It began on March 4, 2023, with a ceremonial 11-mile (18 km) start in Anchorage, Alaska.[1] The official 1,000-mile (1,600 km) race began the following day in Willow, Alaska, and ended 9 to 10 days later in Nome, Alaska.[2][3] It used the southern route of the Iditarod Trail for the first time since the 2019 edition.[4]

The 2023 race had 33 mushers, the smallest field of competitors in its history; the decline in participants was attributed to financial issues following the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing inflation surge.[2] The field included reigning champion Brent Sass and 2019 champion Peter Kaiser.[1] Ryan Redington, the grandson of Iditarod Race co-founder Joe Redington, won for the first time with a time of 8 days, 21 hours, 12 minutes, and 58 seconds.[5] A total of 29 teams finished the race—the last arrived on March 17 to earn the Red Lantern award.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Hughes, Zachariah (March 5, 2023). "Iditarod mushers launch their nearly thousand-mile journey to Nome". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Thiessen, Mark (March 4, 2023). "Alaska's arduous Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start". Associated Press. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Ruskin, Liz (March 5, 2023). "And they're off: Iditarod teams start their 1,000-mile dash to Nome". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Treinen, Lex; Hanlon, Tegan (March 4, 2023). "The race is on: What to know about the 2023 Iditarod". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Hughes, Zachariah; Theriault Boots, Michelle (March 14, 2023). "Ryan Redington earns first Iditarod win, fulfilling a family dream". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  6. ^ Gannon, Megan (March 24, 2023). "Mackey Takes Red Lantern As Iditarod Comes To An End". The Nome Nugget. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Hughes, Zachariah (March 18, 2023). "Red Lantern winner Jason Mackey arrives in Nome, marking end of 51st Iditarod". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
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