Money for Mushers : March 11 Day 3

Sorry for the radio silence yesterday. I wasn't feeling well yesterday and didn't even get on my computer to check out the Iditarod news (yes, I was THAT sick).

So, let's bring you all up to date.

We're on day 3 already. The leaders are on the trail for the longest leg of this race, from Tanana to Ruby, which is about 120 miles. Reports are coming in saying that the trail conditions are "near perfect" with hard packed, deep snow, but very cold with temperatures ranging from -30 to +15.

The top 5 musher listings make me very happy with my girl Aliy right out in front (where she should be). Reports say the other leaders are looking good and their dogs are feeling fine. Martin Buser appears to be following last years trail plan and has already taken his mandatory 8-hour layover in

Race Standings – Top 5 Mushers (as of 3/11 @ 7:30 am)

1	Aliy Zirkle Bib 32	OUT OF Tanana AT 03-10 22:17
2	Aaron Burmeister Bib 63	OUT OF Tanana AT 03-10 22:25
3	Martin Buser Bib 4	OUT OF Tanana AT 03-10 23:15
4	Dallas Seavey Bib 46	OUT OF Tanana AT 03-10 23:24
5	Joar Leifseth Ulsom Bib 16	OUT OF Tanana AT 03-11 00:32

One musher who should be in the front has been disqualified from the race.Brent Sass, who just won the Yukon Quest mere weeks ago brought along his iPod Touch for music and videos, forgetting that it had a Wi-Fi connection. Iditarod rules forbid any form of two way communication devices on the trail. It was an honest oversight by Brett and he is devastated by his mistake. I think it says a lot that he fessed up to his mistake and is following the rules to the letter. I'm very sad for him, though. He's an excellent musher and had a very good chance of finishing in the top 5 this year.

At this point in the race I hear a lot of people asking which musher is winning. The answer is much more complicated than it seems. So much can happen during a 1,000 mile race. The person that is out front at the moment isn't necessarily winning. Weather, injury, trail conditions, dog health, when and where and how long they take their rests, mandatory lay-over times, and the starting differential all play a part in the individual musher's position. Remember last year, when Jeff King was all but assured the win, and he got trapped in a nasty storm that caused him to activate his assistance beacon for the sake of his dogs? That kind of story is heard over and over in the annals of Iditarod history. We'll have a better idea who the front runners really are when the pack is closer to Unalakleet. That's what makes following this race so interesting! You just never know what is around the corner.

Here are some images from yesterday: