Weeks before the Iditarod dog teams arrive in Nome, dogs of a different sort make their presence known in the city. The annual Iron Dog is the toughest and longest snowmachine race in the world, covering more than 2,500 miles of Alaskan backcountry from Anchorage to Nome and back. Veteran racers Cody Barber and Brett Lapham claimed victory in this year’s Iron Dog, completing the course in 52 hours and 36 minutes.
Next year’s Iron Dog will feature a rookie competitor. Nome’s Wilson Hoogendorn claimed victory in this year’s 200-mile Nome-Golovin snowmachine race, which earned him an invitation to run the Iron Dog next year. Wilson and his brother Oliver had previously garnered attention for their first-place finish on the USA Network show “Race to Survive.”
Image at top: Team 39, Cody Barber and Brett Lapham was the first team to arrive in Nome, the races midpoint. Photo courtesy of Ava White, KNOM.
