Blazing the Trail for Future Generations - Junior Iditarod
In 1975 Eric Beeman, Rome
Gilman, Mark Couch, Susan Wagnon, Clint Mayeur, Carl Clawson,
and Jessee Reynolds, had a dream of starting a competitive
race and providing a training ground for young mushers like
themselves interested in distance racing. During the next
two years other young people including Kenny Pugh, Jeff
and Kirsten Pralle, Clarence Shockley, Randy Rader and others
joined them and turned this dream from extended camping
trips into the beginnings of the premiere race we know today.
Joe Redington Sr., after discussing
the idea with these young people, advised them to "go
for it" and that was the beginning of the Jr. Iditarod.
This dedicated group of young
mushers, with the help of their parents and other interested
adults, worked very hard and saw their dream realized when
the first Jr. Iditarod Trail Race took place in March of
1978. From then on, the race has grown in stature and professionalism
to an event of approximately 160 miles in length. It is
held on the weekend immediately preceding the start of the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and draws young mushers from
all over Alaska and from outside the state as well as Europe
with Thomas Krejci of Czechoslovakia being our first international
entrant in 1992.
Visit the official Junior
Iditarod web site - click here
2009 Junior Iditarod
Final Race
Stats - click
here
