Martin Buser finished his 32nd Iditarod in 22nd place on Thursday morning. Fans, friends, and family greeted Martin with a huge cheer as he pulled under the Burled Arch.
Immediately off his sled, Martin, famous for dedicated care of his dogs, began offering a “meaty treat,” as he worked his way through the team rewarding them for a job well done.
Buser had a change of pace this year halfway through the race. As he approached Huslia, he took some time to think, taking almost 24 hours to cover the 80+ mile run from Galena. Buser says, “I made a few mistakes, embarrassing mistakes…I said, ‘That’s not how I should be racing.’ So I regrouped and decided I was just going to camp my way to Nome.”
A true Iditarod veteran, Martin Buser said, “I knew you would want something profound for me to say after 32 arrivals here, but I really have nothing profound to say, but that it was a challenging event.” As handlers drove his team to the dog lot, Buser ended his arrival with final greetings to fans, took his wife’s hand, and walked away from the finish.
