Willow endurance runners conquer 350 miles of Iditarod Trail

WILLOW — Late last month, David Johnston steadily made his way to the Point MacKenzie General Store, dragging a sled behind him.

It’s the same sled he’d pulled for the last 100 miles, and just more than 24 hours.

The Willow man was the first competitor in the Susitna 100 to make it back to the Point MacKenzie General Store, covering the 100-mile course in 24 hours and 11 minutes.

It was his third win in his class in four tries.

But Johnston didn’t have long to celebrate. He had less than a week before heading back onto the trail.

And this time, Johnston would start 350 miles from his destination.

Johnston and fellow Willow ultra-runner Andrea Hambach tackled the 2012 Iditarod Invitational, a race that sends athletes on foot, bike or cross-country skis across the same course that’s used for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race and the Iron Dog snowmachine race. The race rookies were two of only 17 to finish the brutal test of physical endurance and mental fortitude of the more than 50 who entered the race.

Johnston and Hambach each finished the 350-mile course, walking from Knik Lake to McGrath in 8 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes, good enough for a tie for 11th place.

“This is a different animal. It makes the Susitna 100 look like child’s play,” Johnston said from his Willow home on Thursday. “It’s definitely the ultimate.”

After starting the race Feb. 6 on Knik Lake, the Willow runners finally walked into McGrath early Tuesday morning, completing a trek that is unlike anything either has attempted.

“By all means, this is something that doesn’t rival anything I’ve ever done,” Hambach said.

The race requires an invitation to participate. Johnston’s list of past events is full. He’s won the Susitna 100 three times, has participated in summer endurance favorites such as Crow Pass Crossing and the Resurrection Pass 100; and numerous road marathons.

“For me, I don’t have the resume Dave has,” Hambach said.

Last year, Johnston said, they decided to tackle the Iditarod Invite.

“Last year we finished the Susitna 100 and had about a month before we could sign up. Andrea and I wanted to do it together,” Johnston said.

Hambach said it didn’t take much convincing for either to agree.

“We went to the last couple of starts together, and we always thought it would be fun,” Hambach said. “We just finally said, ‘Hey, why don’t we sign up for it and do it together?’”

Hambach said she was happy to have a partner to hit the trail with.

“I was glad we did it together,” Hambach said. “I can’t say I would have survived otherwise. I don’t think I’d be interested in doing it by myself.”

Johnston said there are challenges to tackling the trail as a duo.

“Alone, all you have to worry about is you,” Johnston said. “Together, it’s different timing. You want to stop at different times. Sometimes it’s tricky.”

It worked out in the long haul for both. Johnston said it was interesting to see how each handled the race as it progressed. Johnston said he helped Hambach battle through the first days of the race, but before the end, the roles were reversed.

“The last day-and-a-half I struggled. She pulled me along,” Johnston said. “It was interesting. It’s neat finding out how strong people are.”

Johnston said he and Hambach also made for a good combination on the trail.

“Physically, I was more than prepared. She works a lot more than I do and doesn’t have as much time to train. Mentally, she was twice as tough as I was,” Johnston said. “That worked to our advantage.”

Johnston and Hambach needed all of the mental and physical toughness they could muster. Weather on the trail threw everything at them they could possible take, and more.

“Every day was a test of will,” Johnston said.

Heavy snow, high winds, extreme cold — they saw it all.

“Every day the weather threw us a different curve ball,” Johnston said.

Hambach agreed.

“Every day we looked at each other, what is going to go on today?” Hambach said. “First day, three feet of snow, next day wind, next day wind and snow, next day over the pass. Every day, something new and equally crappy would show up.”

The race started with the field battling heavy fresh snow, as much as three feet of fresh snow in some spots.

Johnston and Hambach went into the race determined to only rest at checkpoints and not camp along the trail. That plan ended 30 miles into the race.

Because of the new snow, Johnston said everyone in the field camped together the first night.

“The bikers might cover 90 miles in the first night, but the whole race stopped at Mile 30,” Johnston said.

Johnston said competitors took turns breaking trail until everyone passed through the heavy snow.

Johnston and Hambach were able to stick with their plan, only resting at checkpoints for the remainder of the race.

“We would pass people camped out on the side of the trail, but in those temperatures I didn’t feel comfortable,” Johnston said. “We were tired, but we kept marching on.”

Johnston said they spent ample time battling temperatures of 20 below, 30 below and colder.

“I had a thermometer on my sled. It only went to -30, but it bottomed out a lot,” Johnston said.

Johnston said the longest stretch is 100 miles from Rohn to Nikolai across the Farwell Burn.

“Burned out old forest, rotten snow and cold,” Johnston said. “It’s so mind-numbing.”

Johnston said another tough stretch was leaving Puntilla Lake to head farther up Rainy Pass. Johnston said they, again, hit blizzard conditions. But after heading through the blizzard, they were met with good weather.

“It turned into the most beautiful day,” Johnston said. “The pass was really neat. After that it was all downhill to Rohn.”

Hambach said that is one of the parts of the trail she’ll remember.

“I really enjoyed coming down off Rainy Pass through Dalzell Gorge,” Hambach said. “It’s neat to compare parts of the race to the Iditarod (Trail Sled Dog Race). The Happy Steps, Dalzell Gorge, those were just really fun. It’s fun when you don’t have the stress of 16 dogs pulling you down.”

The final stretch, 50 miles from Nikolai to McGrath, was another test of will.

“We were already tired after 300 miles,” Johnston said.

The last leg was just a grind, Johnston said. They averaged only about 2 mph. But they didn’t want to stop.

“We marched for 23 hours,” Johnston said.

But after eight complete days of walking, while taking only four to five hours worth of rest at each checkpoint, they walked into McGrath, Tuesday. After walking 350 miles, and about 150 by snowshoe, Johnston and Hambach officially finished the race at 7:47 a.m.

“The host house has been hosting there for years. They sit you down at the dinner table and start bringing you food and beverages, no matter what time it is,” Johnston said. “Instantly, there’s a relief.”

Hambach said she and Johnston made a pact somewhere on the trail that they’d never attempt it again. But Johnston, always eager to challenge himself, is already thinking about the possibility of entering again.

“I definitely have aspirations. I have to decide by April 9,” Johnston said of the deadline for the 2013 race. “I’ve got a month.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

2012 Iditarod Invitational

Final results

1. Peter Basinger (bike), 6 days, 15 hours; 2. Phil Hofstetter (bike), 6:18:8: 2. (tie) Pavel Richtr (bike), 6:18:8; 4. Geoff Roes (runner), 6:23:25; 5. Tim Hewitt (runner), 7:3:30; 6. Dario Valsesia (bike), 7:7:15; 7. Anner Ver Hoef (runner), 8:3:20; 7. (tie) Beat Jegerlehner (runner), 8:3:20; 9. Roberto Gazzoli (runner), 8:10:15; 9. (tie) Cesare Ornati (runner), 8;10:15; 11. Andrea Hamblach (runner) 8:17:47; 11. (tie) David Johnston (runner) 8:17:47; 13. Ausillia Vistarini (bike), 8:23:19; 13. (tie) Sebastiano Favaro (bike) 8:23:19; 15. Bill Koitzsch (bike) 9:5:15; 16. Shawn McTaggert (runner) 9:7:45; 17. Dave Kelley (bike) 9;13:45.

Susitna 100

Final results

Female bike:

1. Sharon Sell, 17 hours, 18 minutes; 2. Christine Bennett, 22;22; 3. Gayle Hoffmeister, 26:47.

Male bike:

1. John Lackey, 11:18; 2. Kevin Breitenbach, 11:27; 3. Josh Chelf, 12:04; 4. Kevin Murphy, 12:04; 5. Tom Peichel, 13:08; 6. Daniel Folmar, 13:27; 7. Brian Blair, 13:46; 8. Brian Hartman, 14:04; 9. Chris Wrobel, 14:33; 10. Fred West 14:54; 11. Nicolas Baudin, 15:29; 12. Kevin Easley, 15:30; 13. Paul Lester, 16:26; 14. Joe Pollack, 17:02; 15. Cory Hinds, 17:09; 16. Dave Kelley, 17:10; 17. Michael Braun, 17:18; 18. Robert Ostrom, 17:30; 19. Brian Walsh, 17:40; 20. Sven Berglund, 18:00; 21. Josh Brekken, 18:00; 22. Paul Pierce, 18:12; 23. Seth Ross, 20:03; 24. Swanim Swanstrum, 20:20; 25. Ron Thomson, 20:20; 26. Ben Abbott, 20:23; 27. Chad Hoehne, 20:57; 28. Chad Burris, 21:08; 29. Ed Bennett, 22:22; 30. Dan Bailey, 22:47; 31. Mark Stewart, 24:09; 32. Kim Kittridge, 24:43; 33. Superal Mitchell, 24:43; 34. Mike Morganson, 24:43; 35. Chris Wilson, 25:10; 36. Marc Hoffmeister, 26:47; 37. Chris Allard, 28:14; 38. Michael Cipriano, 28;14; 39. Leonard Krajkewcz, 28:14; 40. John Maryott, 28:59; 41. Lang Evans, 29:42; 42. Christopher Rollins, 30:02; 43. Mark Mervine, 30:03; 44. Adam Baxter, 30:32; 45. Mike Beiergrohlslein, 30:32.

Female foot:

1. Laura McDonough, 28:45; 2. Jane Baldwin, 35:30; 3. Jill Homer, 35:42; 4. Mary Beck, 37:07; 5. Danielle Coffman, 41:00.

Male foot:

1. David Johnston, 24:11; 2. Joseph Grant 26:14; 3. John Logar, 28:17; 4. Thomas Burton, 29:41; 5. Douglas Girling, 29:57; 6. James Murray, 31:33; 7. Tony Covarrublas, 34:12; 8. Kevin Vig, 34:23; 9. Douglas Ketterer, 34:30; 10. Stephen Sweezey, 35:34; 11. Jered Williams, 35:41; 12. Jamshid Khajavi, 42:46; 13. Ron Nicholl, 42:46; 14. Colin Buness, 43:54; 15. Nicholai Smith, 45:51; 16. Jarmo Pitkanen, 46:23.

Female ski:

1. Fiona Worcester, 26:50; 2. Teri Buck, 38:22; 3. Nancy Fresco, 38:25; 4. Amy Sebby, 38:40; 5. Yvonne Goldsmith, 44:22.

Male ski:

1. Chet Fehrmann, 15:42; 2. Kevin Postma, 15:44; 3. Thomas Coolidge, 22:06; 4. Dan MacLean, 30:01; 5. Blair Hunter, 35:08; 5. Tom Hunt, 38:20; 6. John Buck, 38:23; 7. Gregory Mills, 43:16.