The Starting Order for the 2014 Iditarod is set and so are the Mushers and Teams. Warm weather has everyone antsy to get underway and get on the trail. Hundreds of Fans, Politicians, Sponsors, and Mushers gathered at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage to kick off the Race and see musher positions.
As tables of folks gobbled down plates of steak and potatoes, the evening kicked off with 4 Governors, and many other dignitaries expounding the Greatest Race in the World. All the while, musher were eager to “get on with it” and get back to the business of dog mushing. Finally the long list of 69 mushers drew Starting positions and the evening came to an end.
Last Year’s Delta FOURce of Mike Williams Sr. and Jr., Richie Diehl, and our own Pete Kaiser, are down one Team as Mike Sr. sits this one out. Mike Jr. and Richie drew fairly early starting positions of 7 (Mike) and 11 (Richie). Pete and the Team, however, will be starting closer to the end of the Team list in 43rd position.
Pete won’t be the lone veteran at the back of the pack with several other big names, including Baker, Neff, Ulsom, and Gatt, trodding through the trails of so many teams ahead of them. Luckily the stretch from Willow towards Rohn will filter many teams back and after the excitement of the Start, team positions will naturally filter out. It does mean, however, that Pete will have to manage quite a few passes as he and the Team move forward in the Race.
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