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2020 Iron Dog – Day 1 Coverage
https://www.thealaskalife.com/blog/2020-iron-dog-day-1-coverage/

Excerpt:

Front runners covered roughly 400 miles today which included 4 fuel stops. The ambient air temperature in Fairbanks this morning was a balmy -32ºF when racers left the starting line, which adds yet another level of difficulty to this endeavor. Tanana race fans were reporting -44ºF to -49ºF degree temps for the racers.

Team 7 Aklestad/Olstad ran the 408 miles today and averaged 78mph. Mind you that all refueling and oiling of the machines, along with any ticky-tack maintenance is done on the clock. Team 39 is second at a 77.25mph elapsed moving average.

A sad development for Team 3 Boney/Unruh came in the form of them having to watch one of their Arctic Cat ZR 6000 R XC 600’s burn to the ground after it went up in flames due to over-filling the fuel tank which caught fire. Nobody was injured but Team 3’s 2020 Iron Dog has come to and end at the Bible Camp fueling station. [Picture of blazing snow machine at the link]

Early problems for Father/Daughter Team 29 Levine/Levine which had to tow back to the start line with engine troubles. Rumblings of ECU issues, but we haven’t heard anything concrete on what they were facing early in the race. You can hear Danielle Levine on the video below [at the link] explaining her issues to someone on her cell phone hoping to get an explanation and some assistance.

Hale brothers make Iron Dog history
https://www.irondog.org/news/hale-brothers-make-iron-dog-history

From link:
Team 77, the Recreational Class team of brothers Israel and Joseph Hale, made history today, as they crossed the finish line in Nome at 10:12 a.m. Monday, Feb. 17. They were the first recreational class team to complete the 1,000-plus mile course from Fairbanks, through the new Kotzebue loop, and onto Nome.

Israel Hale is the first double-leg amputee ever to compete in the Iron Dog race. Since its inception in 1984, no amputee has ever competed in the Iron Dog — much less a double amputee without prosthetics.

“We are very thankful and proud to be here,” said Israel, 33, an hour after arriving in Nome. “We were in a whiteout all the way here; you couldn’t see the ski in front of your sled.”

Hale said a few things stand out in this year’s race, the highlight of which is the warm reception from the villages.

“Going up to the Kotzebue loop was so incredible,” he said. “The greetings we got and the anticipation we got was amazing. They’d be streamed out all along the village for a mile along the river, lined up cheering us on. We were getting pictures with all the kids and they made us signs that said ‘Go Team 77.’ They treated us like celebrities. The feeling you get from that is like nothing else. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

As a practice run for the Pro Race, the Hales’ game plan included pushing their limits. Israel lost his legs after an accident in 2012 when another vehicle plowed into him while he was repairing a trailer alongside a road in Anchorage. But he didn’t want the loss of his limbs to hinder his aspirations. He and his brother, Joseph, went into the recreational class race with the intent to test their skills and race the whole way. Their ultimate goal is a Pro Class start in 2021.