The 2010 Iditarod begins on Saturday, March 6, in Anchorage and will finish when the last musher reaches Nome.  As race fans count the days until the start of the race,  the mushers continue their training schedule and making final preparation for the race.  71 mushers have signed up to run The Last Great Race®.  You may be familiar with some of the veteran mushers, but what about the rookies?  Who are they?  What are their dreams and ambitions?   Who is their inspiration?

It’s a long way to Alaska for Hank DeBruin of Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, a rugged wilderness area bordering Algonquin Park. Sixteen years ago, Hank and his wife, Tanya, got their first husky. He said that their fascination with the Iditarod began after reading Libby Riddles “Race Across Alaska” and one husky quickly grew to a team of seven.   Hank said, “The desire for adventure has always been part of our life and the Iditarod seems like one if not the ultimate adventure.”

Hank and his family are working as a team, meeting the challenges of training, racing, and preparing for the 2010 Iditarod.  Visit Hank’s website.   To learn more about Hank and his team,  read this article.

In 2009, Newton Marshall became the first Jamaican to finish the Yukon Quest.   Now he has his sights on the Iditarod, and he isn’t without tons of support.   Jimmy Buffet of Margaritaville’s fame, along with several other businesses, are backing this Jamaican mushing team.  Newton is training with Iditarod Champion, Lance Mackey.  He has recently relocated to Alaska and has been begun his intensive training with Lance Mackey.

From Jamaica to Alaska, and along the Iditarod Trail to Nome, follow Newton’s adventure.

Read an article about Newton Marshall.  Visit Newton’s website.

Carrying on a family tradition, Michael Williams, Jr. will be racing in the 2010 Iditarod.  Mike, Jr. is a Yupik Eskimo who lives in Akiak, Alaska reflected, “In one of my first memories of running dogs, I was sitting in the sled with my father, Mike Sr., on a training run.  I was no taller than the cross brace beneath the handlebars of the sled.  I’ve always been interested in racing and running sled dogs, it is what I’ve dreamed about since I could remember…racing, mushing, and being out on the trail.”  Read an article about Mike at this link.

Tamara Rose of Fairbanks, Alaska, is inspired by the adventure of it all to run in the Iditarod.  She wants to experience the solitude and trust developed as a result of being in the wilderness with her dogs.   Tamara wants to see the wide open spaces of land that still exist in Alaska.  Organization and preparation are two of Tamara’s qualities.  In addition to the mandatory items required for the Iditarod, she plans to carry extra dog food and dog coats in the event that they have to wait out a storm.  Well, she may need more extra dog coats as one of the dogs on her team, Hailey, loves to shred her dog coats when she has to wear them while they are camped.

Read an article about Tamar at this link. Visit her website.

To read articles about rookie mushers, follow this link. Click on the title of the article to read all of the information about the musher.

*Thanks goes out to the Educational Journalist Team for contacting the mushers and writing articles for race fans of all ages!