ON THE IDITAROD TRAIL, Alaska — Mansfield native Matthew Failor is off and mushing in the 2024 Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
After the traditional ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday, the 38 mushers in the field of “The Last Great Race” left from nearby Willow on Sunday afternoon, launching a journey of nearly 1,000 miles to Nome.
The 41-year-old Failor and his team of 16 dogs were running 21st in the field when he reached the second checkpoint at Skwentna, located near the confluence of the Skwentna and Yentna rivers, 72 miles into the race.
Positioning is difficult to determine early in the race. The Iditarod features a staggered start with teams leaving every two minutes to reduce congestion on the trail.
Failor drew bib No. 31 and his race didn’t “start” until 58 minutes after the lead team of Anna Bennington had departed. The times will be evened out during the 24-hour mandatory break each team must take during the race.
Failor started at 2:58 p.m. and reached the first point of Yentna, 42 miles away, in 3 hours and 59 minutes, an average speed of 10.54 miles an hour.
After a five-minute break, Failor and his team were back on the trail at 7:02 p.m. and pulled into Skwentna at 2:15 a.m.
Failor took an eight-minute break at Skwentna and rejoined the race with all 16 dogs at 2:23 a.m. There is a four-hour time time difference between Alaska and his native Mansfield.
Temperatures in the area were around 10 degrees this morning with light snow predicted. Winds are expected to be variable with a high temperature Monday of around 24 with one to three inches of snow forecast to fall.
In a Facebook post before the race began, Failor announced his “starting lineup” for the event.
“After serious consideration and hours of discussion with my crew, we have narrowed down the team to our final 16. We decided to leave most of the 2-year-olds at home this year and go with the most experienced group of dogs to give us a good chance to improve upon last years race.
“As some of you know, I couldn’t pass up the great opportunity to add some serious depth to our team. I acquired six talented dogs (after the Kuskoswim 300 in January) from my good friend Richie Diehl. They have been in the mix for a month now and five of them will go on this race with us,” he wrote.
“I greatly appreciate all of our boosters and sponsors and wish all the dogs could run the trail. Thank you for all the love and support! I’ll miss my family with (wife) Liz and (son) Theo staying home,” Failor wrote.
The third checkpoint is in Finger Lake, about 123 miles into the race.
The race continues across Alaska, finishing on the west coast at Nome.
Failor, who graduated from St. Peter’s High School in 2000 before earning a degree in fine arts photography from The Ohio State University, told Richland Source last week that he hopes to build on last year’s 8th-place finish, which also marked his first Top 10 finish.
Failor finished last year in nine days, nine hours, 20 minutes and 36 seconds.
Though there are 16 rookies in the field, the top of the pack is loaded with experience, including three former champions.
Defending champion Ryan Redington, 41, whose grandfather was instrumental in pulling together the first Iditarod, will seek to defend his title.
(Below is a video captured during a “trailsgate” party for Matthew Failor family and friends on Sunday after the race began.)
Dallas Seavey, 36, and Pete Kaiser, 36, who won the Kusko 300 this year, join Redington as past winners in the 2024 field.
“If it’s a fast trail, like last year, I’d love to do it in nine days, eight hours and under,” Failor said last week. “It all depends on the traveling speed and conditions. If I am within striking distance of Ryan or Dallas (near the end), then winning is definitely in the thought process.
“But I am a realist. Those guys have fantastic dogs. So things have to potentially go wrong for them and I have to hit every nail on the head perfectly to win.”