Ryan Redington wins Kobuk 440 as only musher to complete entire course April 7th 2:08 am |
Emily Hofstaedter and Carey Restino
Extreme weather causes mid-race changes, multiple search-and-rescue missions
By Emily Hofstaedter and Carey Restino
Arctic Sounder
In what mushers and race organizers both say was an unimaginably tough race this year as mushers battled storm after storm, high winds and zero visibility, along the course through Northwest Alaska, one musher prevailed as not only the winner, but also the only musher and team to make it around the entire 440-mile course from Kotzebue to Kobuk and back.
Ryan Redington prevailed through the entire course, which caused early leaders Jeff King and Nic Petit, to press their help buttons between Kobuk and Ambler, causing them to be withdrawn from the race. The 38-year-old musher from Knik is the grandson of Iditarod founder Joe Redington, Sr., finished in 48 hours, 48 minutes. Ryan Redington also won the Kobuk 440 in
“Hello, Central!”
If you’ve been to Nome for the Iditarod finish, you’ve definitely heard the resounding voice of longtime resident and beloved Mayor Richard Beneville. We will miss his enthusiasm when the race returns to Nome for the 50
th anniversary running, but we know that his spirit will be there welcoming each and every team as they cross the finish line. Below are the storylines to watch, and you can access these clips via the Iditarod Insider-led press pool Dropbox here: http://bit.ly/Iditarod21.
Front of the pack
Dallas Seavey’s team is catching the eyes of fellow competitors who say his team is looking great. Dallas made an overnight dash to McGrath and is working to set his team up for the win. He details his strategy for using his smaller sled and gives an update on his pack of 13 to the Insider crew in McGrath.
Pandemic precautions hit Iditarod
Author:
Mar 10, 2021
Linwood Fiedler leaves Takotna, Alaska, Thursday, March 12, 2020, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
The most noticeable change this year will be no spectators
Mark Thiessen
Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Traveling across the rugged, unforgiving and roadless Alaska terrain is already hard enough, but whatever comforts mushers previously had in the world’s most famous sled dog race will be cast aside this year due to the pandemic.
In years past, mushers would stop in any number of 24 villages that serve as checkpoints, where they could get a hot meal, maybe a shower and sleep albeit “cheek to jowl” in a warm building before getting back to the nearly 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
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From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: The state’s mask mandate expires April 9 but not the recommendation to wear masks, the state health officer emphasized Friday. “There is nothing magical about the date of April 9. We don’t want the public to think that’s the day we all stop taking precautions,” State Health Officer Scott Harris told reporters. Gov. Kay Ivey has extended Alabama’s mask order through the evening of April 9 but said after that she will let it expire. She said then it will be a matter of personal responsibility. State health officials urged people to maintain precautions – particularly during spring break and Easter gatherings – as the state tries to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations. Dr. Sarah Nafziger, vice president of clinic support services at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said she hopes people continue to wear masks when the mandate goes away. “I hope people do continue to make the right choice now because we are