Racers arrive at first major checkpoint along Iron Dog Trail
MCGRATH, Alaska (KTUU) - The village of McGrath has been anticipating the arrival of Iron Dog racers since teams took off from Big Lake Saturday morning. Just before 6 p.m. Sunday, they got their wish.
Veterans Mike Morgan and Bradley Kishbaugh, of Team 6, proved to be the ones to beat right out the gate, barreling down the Kuskokwim River before taking a sharp left turn onto village streets. Residents gathered around a town bonfire to cheer them in.
“We’re set up really well to push hard and pound so that’s what we’re doing,” Morgan said. “We’re just trying to keep the sleds clean.”
It’s an interesting shakeup along the trail this year. Morgan’s former partner, Chris Olds, is now running with Kishbaugh’s former partner, Ryan Sottosanti under the Team 10 designation.
Casey Boylan and Bryan Leslie - making up Team 14 - were hot on Morgan and Kishbaugh’s trail, arriving minutes after them. Boylan reported their sleds as still in good shape and said he’s remaining cautiously optimistic with the first leg of the race behind them.
“So far so good, but we’re only 300 miles into a 2,600 miles race so we’ve got a long way to go,” Boylan said.
Rounding out the top three to come into the first major checkpoint along the trail - and one that most racers choose to layover in - were Evan Barber and Troy Conlon of Team 9. The teams are set to begin departing from McGrath at about 7:45 Sunday morning.
Off the course, it’s been the opportunity of a lifetime for avid fans of what’s branded as “the world’s longest, toughest snowmobile race.” Volunteers, such as Don Gibson, have been working to get everything set up for both before and during the team’s arrivals. The extra workload gave him a chance to get an in-depth look into these teams and the tales from the trails.
“There’s breakdowns, there’s rollovers,” Gibson said. “One of the guys who rolled his sled and caught his chainsaw on a tree, so that was fun to listen to that story - and then everybody’s got their own story coming in.”
Race coverage continues Sunday as teams depart from McGrath. Stay close to Alaska’s Sports Source for updates.
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