Iron Dogs head south

Todd Palin, of Wasilla, and Scott Davis were the first team to leave Nome as competitors began the second half of the Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race Thursday morning.

The Palin-Davis team left Nome at 7 a.m. to embark on the final 1,009 miles of the 1,838-mile race.

As of press time Thursday, 14 of the 16 teams still entered in the race had left Nome.

Finishers could arrive in Big Lake, the end of the race, as early as Saturday morning.

Palmer's Tyler Akelstad and his partner Marc McKenna left six minutes after Palin and Davis.

Five teams departed Nome before 8 a.m. and another five squads started the trek south before 9 a.m.

The final squad, made up of Wasilla's Steve Hassenfratz and Steve Foster of Big Lake was expected to leave Nome about 4 p.m. Thursday.

The race, which was canceled last year due to lack of snow, has a significantly different route this year. Normally the Tesoro Iron Dog starts in Southcentral Alaska and takes a course to Nome similar to the Iditarod Trail. This year riders departed Fairbanks to head west to Nome. Participants travel 829 miles and pass through checkpoints such as Nenana, Ruby, Galena, Kaltag, Shaktoolik and White Mountain before arriving in Nome. Once riders hit Nome, they were required to take a 36-hour break.After leaving Nome, competitors travel back to Ruby before heading south through Ophir, McGrath and Skwentna.

The end of the Tesoro Iron Dog is at the Big Lake Lodge in Big Lake.

Tesoro Iron Dog trail mile posts

Fairbanks to Nome (829 miles)

Fairbanks to Nenana 53

Nenana to Manley 113

Manley to Tanana 69

Tanana to Ruby 120

Ruby to Galena 53

Galena to Kaltag 92

Kaltag to Unalakleet 80

Unalakleet to Shaktoolik 41

Shaktoolik to Koyuk 50

Koyuk to White Mountain 87

White Mountain to Nome 71

Nome to Wasilla (1,009 miles)

Nome to White Mountain 71

White Mountain to Koyuk 87

Koyuk to Shaktoolik 50

Shaktoolik to Unalakleet 41

Unalakleet to Kaltag 80

Kaltag to Galena 92

Galena to Ruby 53

Ruby to Poorman 57

Ophit to McGrath 43

McGrath to Nikolai 53

Nikolai to Rohn 74

Rohn to Puntilla 67

Purtilla to Skwetna 65

Skwetna to Big Lake 82

Total milage- 1,838