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History of Winter Biking and Winter Races in Alaska

The Iditarod Trail Invitational follows the historic Iditarod Trail. The famous sled dog route runs 1000 miles through frozen Alaska every March since 1973 in memory of those brave individuals who brought the important serum to Nome in 1925 during a diphterie outbreak. Using bicycles as a means of transportation on Alaska's frozen rivers and tundra might seem a little odd and a crazy idea, but men looking for gold around 1900 that couldn't afford a dog team actually used what they then called a "wheel" and followed the gold rush from Dawson City to Nome on the Yukon River on bicycles.

Documented in " Wheels on Ice" by Northwest Publishing 1986 by Terrence Cole.
                                
Joe Redington is the father of the Iditarod, he started the Iditarod in 1973 when dog teams became less popular and snowmobiles were gaining in popularity. He encouraged Human Powered races on the Iditarod Trail as well in the early 1980's with snowshoe, cross country skiing and later a 200 mile mountainbike races from Knik Lake to Skwentna and back.

In 1989 Dan Bull did the first trip to Nome on mountain bikes with three other riders in 21 days.

Human powered competition over the years included the  200 mile Iditabike, 165 mile, 210 mile, 120 mile, Iditaski , snowshoe and ski races and later also foot races on the Iditarod trail at that time.
In 1991 the different divisions were merged into one race called the Iditasport.
That year also included a triathlon division. 1992 a runner division was added.
Later those races merged in to one race and the Iditasport bike , ski or run race was born.Very little was known about winter biking gear and everybody made their own.
Today several different fat-tired winter bikes are produced by different makers.
The Susitna 100 is a qualifier event for the longer 350 mile and 1000 mile races on the Iditarod Trail held in February every year.

The race startet attracting athletes from all over the world.
1997 was the first year of the 350 mile race from Knik Lake to McGrath in the Alaska Interior.
The following year Mountainbike legend John Stamstad set the fastest time in the 350 mile event of 3 days 8 hours. That record was broken by Mike Curiak in 2005 and again by Peter Basinger in 2007 with a time of 3 days 5 hours and 40 minutes.

In the year of 2000 the race followed the entire length of the Iditarod Trail to Nome on the Bering coast.
Mike Curiak holds the overall record for the fastest time for the 1000 miles  15 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes.

The Iditasport race format included a mandatory overnite 30 miles into the race.
The race is now a straight through race with 7 checkpoints on the route to McGrath.
Nome racers check in from the local villages.

Legends like John Stamstad, Mike Curiak and Tim Hewitt set records for McGrath (350mile) and Nome(1000 mile).
Tim Hewitt is the only person that has finished to Nome six times (2001, 2004, 2008,2009, 2010,2011).
It is a superhuman achievement!

In 2003 extremely warm weather prior to the race and during the event forced organizers of the Iditarod Trail Invitational and the Iditarod Dog Sled Race north to the original Serum Run route from Fairbanks to Nome, Alaska Ultra Sport started from Nenana and followed the trail 776 miles to Nome.

This is the most remote and longest winter ultra race in the world.
Competitors in the human powered event go through an interview process with race organizers Bill & Kathi Merchant.

If they have the skills and knowledge to be self sufficient in cold weather, such as high altitude mountaineering experience or previous arctic expeditions they can enter the race.
Prior finishes in races such as the
Susitna 100
Arrowhead 135
White Mountains 100
Sheep Mountain Bike 150
are qualifing events.

 

Evolution of a Winter Endurance Race

  • 1983 Joe Redington coordinated the first Iditaski on the Iditarod Trail
  • 1984 Snoeshoe Division added.
  • 1987 Iditaski and Iditabike are held on separate weekends.
  • 1989 First Bicycle Expedition to Nome in 21 days.Dan Bull, Les Matz Roger Cowles and Mark Frise
  • 1990 Deep snow and extreme temperatures canceled both Iditabike and Iditaski.
  • 1991 First Iditasport.100 miles up the Iditarod Trail on bikes, skis and foot
  • .Bob Baker a skier from Fairbanks beats bikers.
  • 1997 first 350 mile event called the "Extreme" goes all the way to McGrath over the Alaska Range.
  • 2000 first 1100 mile race called the "Impossible". 12 racers arrive in Nome.
  • 2001 130 mile race to Fingerlake, 350 mile race to McGrath, 1100 mile race to Nome, 165 starters.
    Last year of Iditasport.
  • 2002 Alaska Ultra Sport was formed.
  • 2003 Warm temperatures caused for the race to be rerouted north following the original Serum Run Route from Nenana to Nome ( 776 miles) 33 racers, 7 arriving in Nome
  • 2004 27 racers started the race, 18 finished in McGrath
  • 2005 43 racers started the race, 25 finished in McGrath
  • 2006 36 racers started the race, 18 finished in McGrath
  • 2007 31 racers started the race, 15 finished in McGrath
    2008 45 racers started the race, 29 finished in McGrath
  • 2009 45 racers started the race, 28 finished in McGrath
  • 2010 44 racers started the race, 35 finished in McGrath
  • 2011 43 racers started the race 36 finished in McGrath

 

Iditarod Trail History:

Iditarod National Historic Trail Celebrating the Legacy: 2008 – 2012

Col Goodwin report from 1908:

1908 Report on the Seward to Nome Trail “Sirs: I have the honor to report of the Winter Reconnaissance, Seward to Nome, just completed, under written and verbal instructions of Captain Pillsbury, dated January 4th, 1908 as follows: After having two basket sleds and 18 sets of dog harness made and assembling provisions and camp outfit at Seattle, I sailed on the SS Northwestern on Jan. 16th and reached Seward on…” Download here…

www.iditarodnationalhistorictrail.org

Iditarod Trail Manager
BLM-U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

www.iditarod100.com

© Alaska Ultra Sport LLC 2011. All rights reserved.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Iditarod Trail Invitational follows the historic Iditarod Trail. The famous sled dog race runs 1100 miles through frozen Alaska since 1973 in memory of those brave individuals who brought the important serum to Nome in 1925 during a diphterie outbreak. Using bicycles as a means of transportation on Alaska's frozen rivers and tundra might seem a little odd and a crazy idea, but men looking for gold around 1900 that couldn't afford a dog team actually used what they then called a "wheel" and followed the gold rush from Dawson City to Nome on the Yukon River.

Documented in " Wheels on Ice" by Northwest publishing 1986 by Terrence Cole.
                                
Joe Redington is the father of the Iditarod, he started the Iditarod in 1973 when dog teams became less popular and snowmobiles were gaining in popularity.Human powered races followed in the early 1980's with snowshoe, cross country skiing and later mountainbike races.
In 1989 Dan Bull did the first trip to Nome on mountainbikes with three other riders in 22 days.
Human powered competition over the years included the  200 mile Iditabike, 165 mile, 210 mile, 120 mile, Iditaski , snowshoe and ski races and later also foot races on the Iditarod trail at that time. In 1991 the different divitions were merged into one race called the Iditasport.
That year also included a triathlon division. 1992 a runner division was added.
Later those races merged in to one race and the Iditasport bike , ski or run race was born.
The Susitna 100 is a race organization that holds a 100 mile and 50 k race every February.
Very little was known about winter biking gear and everybody made their own.
Today several different winter bikes are made.
The race startet attracting people from all over the world.
In 1997 was the first year of the 350 mile race from Knik Lake to McGrath in the Alaska Interior.The following year Mountainbike legend John Stamstad set the fastest time in the 350 mile event of 3 days 8hours.
In the year of 2000 the race followed the entire length of the Iditarod Trail to Nome on the Bering coast. Mike Curiak holds the record for the fastest time for the 1100 miles  15 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes.
The Iditasport race format included a mandatory overnite 30 miles into the race.
The race is now a straight through race with 7 checkpoints on the route to McGrath and 17 checkpoints on the route to Nome.

Legends like John Stamstad , Roberto Ghidoni and Mike Curiak set records for McGrath (350mile) and Nome(1100 mile).
In 2002 Bill Merchant and Pat Irwin, 2 veteran racers formed Alaska Ultra Sport and every year up to 50 racers from different countries follow the famed trail for 350 miles and 1100 miles.
In 2003 extremely warm weather prior to the race and during the event forced organizers of the Iditarod Trail Invitational and the Iditarod Dog Sled Race north to the original Serum Run route from Fairbanks to Nome, Alaska Ultra Sport started from Nenana and follwed the trail 776 miles to Nome.
This is the most remote and longest winter ultra race in the world. Competitors in the human powered event go through an interview process with race organizers. If they have the skills and knowledge to be self sufficient in cold weather they can enter the race. Prior finishes in races such as the Susitna 100 or the Arrowhead 135 or other winter ultra endurance events in Canada or elsewhere are qualifing events.

 

Evolution of a Winter Endurance Race