2020 Iditarod start order announced

The start order for the 2020 Iditarod was announced during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Mushers Banquet Thursday night at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage.

Tim Pappas, of Big Lake, will be the first of 18 Valley mushers to leave the starting chute Sunday afternoon in Willow.

There are 57 total teams in the 48th Iditarod. Of the total, 45 are men and 12 are women. There are 45 veterans and a dozen rookies. Willow’s Gabe Dunham and Kaci Muringer are the two rookies from the Valley.

The 2020 field includes the last three champions. Bethel’s Peter Kaiser is the defending champ. Joar Leisfseth Ulsom, of Norway, won the Last Great Race in 2018. Mitch Seavey earned his third Iditarod win in 2017,

The field also includes four-time champs Martin Buser and Lance Mackey.

The official start is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Willow Community Center. The ceremonial start is slated to begin Saturday at 10 a.m. in downtown Anchorage. Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter will lead of the ceremonial start. Halter, an Iditarod veteran, is the honorary musher for the 202 race.

Contact the Frontiersman at news@frontiersman.com.

2020 Iditarod start order

2. Martin Massicotte, St. Tife, Quebec; 3. Tim Pappas, Big Lake; 4. Kristy Berington, Knik; 5. Ramey Smyth, Willow; 5. Fabio Berlusconi, Lomazzo, Italy; 7. Wade Marrs, Willow; 8. Linwood Fielder, Willow; 9. Peter Kaiser, Bethel; 10. Lev Shvarts, Willow; 11. Laurel Neese, McMillan, Michigan; 12. Lance Mackey, Fairbanks; 13. Meredith Mapes, Palmer; 14. Deke Naaktgeboren, Fairbanks; 15. Karin Hendrickson, Wasilla; 16. Richie Diehl, Aniak; 17. Gabe Dunham, Willow; 18. Anna Berington, Knik; 19. Jason Campeau, Fairbanks; 20. Travis Beals, Seward; 21. Nicolas Petit, Girdwood; 22. Kelly Maxiner, Big Lake; 23. Aily Zirkle, Two Rivers; 24. Jeff Deeter, Fairbanks; 25. Aaron Burmeister, Nome; 26. Martin Buser, Big Lake; 27. Mitch Seavey, Seward; 28. Robert Redington, Willow; 29. Matt Failor, Willow; 30. Tom Knolmayer, Wasilla; 31. Jessie Royer, Fairbanks; 32. Mike Porslid, Denmark; 33. Michelle Phillips, Tagish, Yukon Territory; 34. Jessie Holmes, Nenana; 35. Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Mo I Rana, Norway; 36. Aaron Peck, Grande Prairie, Alberta; 37. Ryan Redington, Skagway; 38. Magnus Kaltenborn, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; 39. Tom Frode Johansen, Furuflaten, Norway; 40. Thomas Waerner, Torpa, Norway; 41. Jessica Kleijka, Wasilla; 42. Zoya DeNure, Delta Junction; 43. Monica Zappa, Kasilof; 44. Brent Sass, Eureka; 45. Larry Daugherty, Eagle River; 46. Sean Underwood, Atlanta, Georgia; 47. Jeremy Keller, Knik; 49. Riley Dyche, Fairbanks; 50. Quince Mountain, Mountain, Wisconsin; 51. Grayson Brufon, Sterling; 52. Damon Ramaker, Fountain, Minnesota; 53. Dennis Kananowicz, Tolsona; 54. Robert Bundtzen, Anchorage; 55. Jim Lanier, Chugiak; 56. Nils Hahn, Nome; 57. Kaci Muringer, Willow; 58. Paige Drobny, Cantwell.