More than fifty mushers signed up for the 2018 Iditarod sled dog race this past weekend. In Wasilla on Saturday, forty-two veterans and ten rookies made their entries either in person or via mailed applications.
Of the fifty-two registered competitors, six are Canadian citizens, one is from Norway, another from Sweden, while the rest are residents of the United States, including one dual citizen of the Czech Republic and the U.S.
Recognizable names on the list include last year’s champ, Mitch Seavey, as well as his son, Dallas. Aliy Zirkle, Jeff King, Michelle Phillips, Pete Kaiser, Martin Buser, and many others are returning to the Iditarod trail as well.
However, some mushers, like Tara Cicatello, are signed up to run the Last Great Race for the very first time in their lives. Cicatello was formerly a KNOM volunteer in Nome and has recently been working with Kristin Bacon at her kennel in Big Lake, Alaska.
The final roster list of mushers will not be available until later this year, as the entry deadline to sign up is December 1st.
Image at top: Tara Cicatello at the finish of the mid-distance Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race. Photo: Ben Matheson, KYUK.
