Mansfield’s Matthew Failor taking old friend on one final Iditarod run

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Matthew Failor is taking an old friend with him on the 2025 Iditarod Sled Dog Race across Alaska.

The 42-year-old Mansfield native will have the ashes of former Iditarod racer and long-time race judge Jim Davis aboard his Alaskan Husky Adventures sled when the official restart takes place Monday in Fairbanks.

The ceremonial start to the 53rd Iditarod was Saturday in downtown Anchorage on Fourth Avenue in 35-degree temperatures — about nine degrees warmer than Mansfield.

Failor left the ceremonial starting line just after noon Alaska time, joined by his wife, Liz, and their son, Theo, for the 1.5-mile run to Sullivan Arena.

Like the other 32 teams, Failor and his 17th-Dog team had to quickly then reload and prepare for the 290-mile trip north to Fairbanks for the restart on Monday.

One last Iditarod ride for Jim Davis

Davis, 75, a resident of Fishhook, Alaska, died Aug. 2, 2024, from a sudden cardiac event.

“Jim is a personal friend who I met through my connection with (four-time Iditarod champion) Martin Buser and his wife, Kathy Chapoton.

“Jim and his wife, Nancy, quickly became our friends,” Failor said Saturday morning as he drove from his home in Willow to Anchorage for the ceremonial start of the 53rd Iditarod.

“They helped us out with dog mushing and Jim has always given me advice. When (Jim and Nancy) were getting out of dog mushing, they gave us some of their dog houses, some of their ganglines, as well as their training sleds,” Failor said.

“They are just good people,” the St. Peter’s High School graduate said.

Failor said Davis, working as a race judge, helped him at a checkpoint during a previous Iditarod.

“I had mishandled my pocket knife and had stabbed by right thigh above my knee,” he said

“Jim was the race judge there and he gave really sound (knife-handling) advice. I thought I was going to be withdrawn from the race. He said, ‘No, I am not going to withdraw you. That’s your choice. You can continue on if you want to.’

“It’s always nice to have a friend on the trail, especially when you’re in low moments. Jim has definitely been that for me during the Iditarod,” Failor said.

During a celebration-of-life event after Davis was cremated, Failor had an idea and approached Nancy Davis with it.

“I told her if she wanted him to go on the Iditarod trail one last time, I would be happy to offer,” Failor said.

“I figured it was fitting.”

Nancy Davis is providing some of her husband’s ashes inside two of the dog booties Jim Davis used when he raced in the 1992 Iditarod.

Failor and Nancy Davis talked about where Jim Davis would like his ashes to be spread on some of his favorite locations along the 1,000-mile trail.

One of those sites will be in the Blueberry Hills, a series of hills between Unalakleet and Shaktoolik. The trail passes behind Blueberry Point and climbs to a summit of 1,000 feet. 

“It’s just a beautiful place. One of our other friend’s (ashes) have been spread up there so they will be together,” Failor said.

It won’t be the only cremains Failor is carrying this year. He will have the ashes of one of his former sled dogs, TwoFace, from the litter dubbed “Batman.”

His sister, Katie, adopted the husky back in Mansfield after it retired from racing in 2015. She died in 2022.

“Katie asked me if I could carry some of TwoFace’s ashes on the sled, so I will carry her with me, too,” he said.

TwoFace was born in 2007 and was on Failor’s team during his first Kuskokwim 300 race when he earned “Rookie of the Year” honors, when he was racing with the assistance of Buser.

“She was my spirit animal!” Katie Failor said Saturday. “I actually asked Matt to ask Martin if I could adopt her when she retired after seeing her pictures.

“Martin gifted her to Matt in 2012, and when Matt knew he was retiring her, he asked me if I wanted to adopt her.”

“She was in a digital-short video from Boy Scouts of America when they featured Matt in their magazine. She was an ambassador for sure,” Katie Failor said.

Lack of snow impacts ceremonial start

The lack of snow in southeast Alaska even impacted the ceremonial start on Saturday. It was only about 1.5 miles, rather than the normal 11-mile trek from downtown to outside of the city.

“Key personnel within the municipality of Anchorage’s street maintenance, parks and recreation worked very hard to try to find a way for us to go the full 11 miles to the BLM Campbell Tract,” said Rob Urbach, CEO of the Iditarod Trail Committee.

“Unfortunately, the warm temperatures and lack of snowfall this season have persisted and it is just not possible this year,” Urbach said.

(Photos by Tim Failor from the starting line of the 2025 Iditarod ceremonial start. Guests at the event included U.S. Sen. Lisa Ann Murkowski, R-Alaska.)

“Race fans gathered in downtown Anchorage won’t see any changes to the race start, as the thrill of witnessing some of the world’s top sled dogs in action will continue to create an electrifying atmosphere,” he said.

It also impacted the teams, which normally have 12 of their 16 dogs pulling the sled during the ceremonial starts. Today, each team had just eight dogs in harness.

“There’s just not enough snow for them to make a decent trail (in Anchorage),” Failor said.

Final decisions on teams nearing

Failor and Dane Baker, one of his Alaskan Husky Adventures handlers making his first Iditarod start, must still make a final decision on which 32 dogs they will take on the restart on Monday.

“We’re down to 33 dogs (in the selection process). We have one dog we want to take a look at (Saturday). If she looks good, we’ll bump one of the other dogs out. So it’s kind of down to the wire in picking the last dog,” Failor said.

The official restart will be Monday at 11 am. (AKST) at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks.

Failor draws bib No. 31 for Iditarod restart

Failor drew bib No. 31 in the 33-team field during the annual pre-race Musher’s Drawing Banquet on Thursday night.

More than 1,100 race fans, sponsors and supporters filled up the Dena’ina Civic Convention Center for the banquet, which is the largest fundraiser for the Iditarod Trail Committee, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

This year’s race includes 29 Americans (19 Alaskans, three mushers from Michigan, one from Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire and Wisconsin) and four international mushers (two Canadians, one Dane and one Norwegian).

The field includes 22 men and 11 women with 17 veterans and 16 rookies. There are two past champions in the field, including three-time winner Mitch Seavey, who will start 32nd in the field.

Failor had the same bib number last year and ultimately finished 13th.

“I think most of us competitive mushers would like to start somewhat closer toward the front. But ultimately, it’s not that big a deal,” he said.

Mushers must take a mandatory 24-hour break during the race, which is also used to manage the time difference between teams who start the race at staggered intervals. 

Failor carried 19-month-old son, Theo, to the stage with him at the banquet when he drew his starting chip.

“It kind of takes the pressure off (to have Theo in his arms). All I do is think about him. I was thinking 20 or 30 or 40 years from now, what will he think when he looks at photos of him being on stage with dad. It’s just like when I look at photos as a child with my dad.

“It’s a pretty cool and special feeling and I am glad I could do that with (Theo),” he said.

(If you would like to send Matthew Failor a quick email message of support, use the form below. We will publish on Sunday and forward them all to Failor.)