Veteran Iron Dog team at the race again for a combined four decades on the trail

Iron Dog Team 10 Chris Olds and Ryan Sottosanti embarked on the 2,300-mile snowmachine race last Saturday from Big Lake and destined for Fairbanks.

The two are no strangers to Iron Dog, and combined bring four decades of experience to the trail. They’re chasing a top finish this year and continue to be competitive each time they race together.

To Olds, who will be on the course for his 24th year and is a four-time Iron Dog champion with back-to-back wins in 2010 and 2011 and 2018 and 2019, racing is part of his routine. He said that at one point he thought about retiring from the race but that his family convinced him otherwise.

“It’s almost at a point in my life where I don’t even know what it would be like to not sign up,” Olds said. “It would be kind of weird. It’s part of what we do every year, and what I do every year.”

While Olds missed out in 2025 due to a broken back prior to the start, he used that as a motivation to bounce back stronger and even more competitive this year. The adventure and enjoying the race with his partner is what brings Olds out year after year.

“It’s just about having fun,” Olds said. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn't having fun anymore.”

A top place finish is on Sottosanti’s mind, as he is chasing his first championship. He’s come close on numerous occasions, with multiple top five finishes and two podium appearances. With this being his 13th Iron Dog, Sottosanti said he can’t bring himself to retire from the race until he gets that first win.

“I haven't won the race, that's my big motivating factor to try to win this thing,” Sottosanti said. “I don't want to quit until I win.”

As he races more, Sottosanti said he feels like he is getting faster, smarter, more efficient and that the sleds can be pushed harder and longer. He feels that their combined experience and time prerunning the course puts them that much further ahead of the other teams this year. The trail brings many dangers with little room for error. Coming in with a plan and sticking to it is going to be their key to success.

“We’re not really going to try to push it. Because anytime you try to push this thing, it just turns around and bites you,” Sottosanti said. “We’re going to sit back, let the race come to us and try to see what shakes out at the end.

Olds said that he and Sottosanti are polar opposites and that that’s why they have made such a great team the last three years. He said that he is more mellow and thinks over decisions while Sottosanti can be more aggressive and push ahead. Sottosanti agreed and said that Olds keeps him on track and sticks with the game plan.

“Between the two of us, we balance each other out,” Olds said.

Both teammates agreed that the wrenching, the training and the time away from family and work prior to the race is both stressful and taxing. But the moment their skis leave the starting line, all of that fades away as they take a week to navigate across a large expanse of Alaska. Visiting the communities and interacting with people along the way is all part of the Iron Dog experience.

“When you get on the sleds, politics don't matter, news doesn't matter, work doesn't matter. Nothing matters,” Sottosanti said. “It’s just me and Chris and our sleds and going forward as fast as we can. And when we stop we get to meet new people and talk to people and tell stories.”

Without the support from home, all of their sponsors and the people along the trail, this race wouldn’t be doable year after year for them. The friendships and race family made along the journey is what continues to bring them back.

“All of our sponsors really keep us going,” Sottosanti said. “Without our sponsors we couldn't really do this. We really appreciate everybody that helps us out and in all the villages. We roll into these villages and these people open up their doors and let us come into their houses and feed us and give us a place to sleep and treat us like we’re family. It’s awesome. We just really couldn't do this race without all those people. Hats off to everybody that helps us and supports us.”