And they’re off! 2017 Iditarod starts with 71 teams leaving Fairbanks

FAIRBANKS — The Iditarod has started in Fairbanks, where 71 teams embarked on one of Alaska’s great traditions. Some are racing for a title, others are competing for charity.

But they all must face the bitter cold of Alaska.

For the second time in three years, the Iditarod restart was in Fairbanks, rather than its typical home in Willow. The change affected many of the mushers, especially for those that live near the normal site of the restart. Wade Marrs, 26, of Willow, is one of the mushers who had to prepare for the move north.

“It’s a little bit of a pain for us, especially since we live in Willow,” said Marrs about the restart in Fairbanks. “It’s been pretty easy to drive a few miles for the start, but it’s not horrible.”

Marrs has been steadily increasing his finishes in the race. Starting from a 32nd-place in 2013, to a fourth-place finish last year, Marrs is after his first win the Iditarod.

“We’re still trying to win, and we’ll give it everything we got,” said Marrs on his expectations. “It’s a little complicated to find a whole new strategy, a new way to do things, but I think we got it figured out.

The race is a grueling chess match between the musher and their team against the 1,000-mile course. From braving the elements, to dealing with human error, the race can be unforgiving, mushers say. Some of the mushers deal with frostbite, others losing dogs or sleds in the race can take its toll. The Iditarod started off with the temperature well-below freezing. That’s normal for winter in Fairbanks, but for the spectators, that wasn’t the case. Many of them were dressed in newly purchased parkas, while others were covered from head to toe in heavy-duty snow gear.

However, the cold didn’t damper the spirits of the competitors in the Iditarod. Alan Eischens, 56, of Wasilla, who was happy to race again, uses his platform as a musher to raise awareness to those who are watching.

“We run for pediatric diseases,” said Eischens. “You know, for us it’s all about the kids, and this year I’ve got some ashes from one of the little girls who died of a kidney disease.”

Other mushers from the Mat-Su Borough, like Cindy Abbott, 58, carry the torch of letting people know that these things exist. Abbott, races for the National Organization of Rare Disorders, and has been an advocate since her diagnosis of Wegener’s granulomatosis, which causes inflammation of blood vessels. Abbott went on to conquer larger mountains after climbing her medical issue first.

“Yeah, I did summit Mount Everest,” said Abbott about reaching the highest peak in the world. “With the Iditarod, I just want to run a good race. I want to take good care of my dogs,”

Despite the storylines of Dallas Seavey going for his fifth title, and that this is only the third time that the race has started in Fairbanks, there is one story that keeps growing. Kristy and Anna Berington, 33, are both from Wasilla, and both have a claim to fame. They are the only twins to compete in the Iditarod, as well as the only sisters to race in it.

“It’s just something awesome to share with someone you’re so close to,” said Kristy Berington about racing with her sister. “Cause you have those memories to reflect on years from now when we’re still training puppies in our 80s.”

The other sister, Anna Berington shared her thoughts about racing the Iditarod with her sister.

“It’s a lot of fun, you go through a lot of different feelings when you are out there,” said Anna Berington. “When you’re tired and stuff like that, to have this experience with my best friend and my sister, it’s priceless.”

While the Mat-Su Valley felt the loss of the Iditarod restart for the third time since 2003, Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly, spoke on the importance of the race and it starting in in Fairbanks.

“It’s incredible, it happened two years ago, and because of the heavy snow we are going to be blessed with having it again. 73 teams, it’s going to be incredible,” said Matherly.

Aaron Walling is a UAF senior and freelance writer for the Frontiersman.