The 2019 Iditarod Trail sled dog race concluded on March 18 when rookie musher Victoria Hardwick crossed the finish line in 39th place to win the Red Lantern Award.
Hardwick, from Bethel, Aalska, finished the race at 1:51 p.m. local time for a total race time of 14 days, 22 hours, 51 minutes and 49 seconds to cover the nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska.
More than five days earlier, Peter Kaiser won the race when he crossed the finish line at 3:39 a.m. on March 13. Kaiser had a total time of nine days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and six seconds, and is the first musher of Yup’ik descent to win the race in its 47-year history. For winning the race, Kaiser won $51,299 USD in prize money.
Rookie musher Ed Hopkins of 10 Mile was the top Canadian in the field, finishing 21st with a total race time of 11 days, eight hours, seven minutes and 34 seconds and a team of 10 dogs. For his efforts, Hopkins won the Rookie of the Year Award as the top-placing rookie. The award includes a cheque for $2,000 USD and a commemorative trophy. Although new to the Iditarod, Hopkins is a nine-time Yukon Quest finisher.
Close behind Hopkins was Aaron Peck from Grand Prairie, Alta., in 23rd position. Peck had a total race time of 11 days, 11 hours, 10 minutes and five seconds.
Rounding out the Canadian finishers was Jason Campeau from Rocky Mountain House, Alta., who finished 30th. Campeau had a total race time of 12 days, six hours, 49 minutes and 24 seconds.
Whitehorse’s Marcelle Fressineau started the race but scratched on March 9 at the Iditarod checkpoint. A press release from the Iditarod said Fressineau scratched due to the welfare of her team.
A total of 52 mushers started the race, with 39 reaching the finish and 13 scratching during the race.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
2019 Iditarod finish order
1 Peter Kaiser
2 Joar Leifseth Ulsom
3 Jessie Royer
4 Aliy Zirkle
5 Travis Beals
6 Matt Hall
7 Paige Drobny
8 Ramey Smyth
9 Mitch Seavey
10 Aaron Burmeister
11 Richie Diehl
12 Linwood Fiedler
13 Jeff King
14 Wade Marrs
15 Jeff Deeter
16 Kristy Berington
17 Anna Berington
18 Matthew Failor
19 Seth Barnes
20 Mats Pettersson
21 Ed Hopkins
22 Martin Buser
23 Aaron Peck
24 Charley Bejna
25 Michi Konno
26 Lance Mackey
27 Jessie Holmes
28 Martin Apayauq Reitan
29 Ryan Santiago
30 Jason Campeau
31 Jessica Klejka
32 Alison Lifka
33 Michael Baker
34 Sarah Stokey
35 Anja Radano
36 Blair Braverman
37 Jeremy Keller
38 Kristin Bacon
39 Victoria Hardwick