WILLOW, Alaska — Matt Failor can’t wait for the stress of an 1,100-mile sled Iditarod dog race across Alaska. That’s where the 42-year-old Mansfield native finds his calm after the storm once the race actually begins, launching his 14th journey in what’s been dubbed “The Last Great Race.” “Obviously, there’s pressure during the race, but […]
Matthew Failor
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News Man Weekly bonus episode: Mansfield native talks all things Iditarod
WILLOW, Alaska — It’s a bonus episode of the News Man Weekly podcast — an audio primer to prepare to follow Mansfield native Matthew Failor in the 2025 Iditarod Sled Dog Race across Alaska. Richland Source Deputy Managing Editor Carl Hunnell is joined by Failor on a phone connection from his home in Willow Alaska, […]
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Mansfield musher Matt Failor not convinced Iditarod needed to change route
WILLOW, Alaska — Matthew Failor isn’t convinced the Iditarod needed to change its path across Alaska this year. The Iditarod Trail Committee announced Monday it had made the “difficult but necessary” decision to move the official restart of the 2025 race to Fairbanks, about 290 miles north of the normal restart in Willow, due to […]
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News Man Weekly: Ontario mayor, sled dogs in Alaska and drones in Mansfield
MANSFIELD – The 33nd episode of the News Man Weekly podcast has dropped. In this week’s edition, Richland Source Deputy Managing Editor Carl Hunnell and reporter Grace McCormick chat with Ontario Mayor Kris Knapp, who recently marked his sixth month in office. Knapp provides an update on the expected arrival of Raising Cane’s restaurant, the city’s comprehensive […]
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Theo stays up late to greet daddy Matthew Failor at Kusko 300 finish
BETHEL, Alaska – Theo Failor stayed up late Saturday night to welcome daddy home. The 19-month-old was waiting at the Kuskokwim 300 finish line with his mom, Liz, when Mansfield native Matthew Failor crossed the finish line on Sunday morning, just after 4 a.m. AKST. The 42-year-old St. Peter’s High School graduate finished in eighth […]
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Iditarod is good to go: ‘Return of winter’ good news for Mansfield native musher
WILLOW, Alaska — Mansfield native Matthew Failor got the good news Friday. The mush is on for his Alaskan Husky Adventure’s 17th-Dog team. The Iditarod Trail Committee announced it intends to maintain the southern route for the 2025 edition of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, meaning the race will start around Willow and end […]
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Lack of snow continues to make Iditarod preparations tough for Mansfield native
WILLOW, Alaska — How bad a winter has it been for training sled dogs in Alaska? New Orleans has gotten more snow in 2025 than Anchorage. With the nearly 1,000-mile 2025 Iditarod Sled Dog Race coming up in little more than a month, the unusually warm and mild Alaskan winter continues to throw curveballs at […]
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Mansfield native preps for Iditarod with Copper Basin 300 ‘training run’ in Alaska
GLENALLEN, Alaska — Mansfield native Matthew Failor took his sled dog team on a 300-mile training run and camping trip over the weekend. It just happened to be during the 2025 Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race, finishing 22nd out of 30 teams during unseasonably warm temperatures. During an interview with Richland Source last week, […]
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Iditarod prep: Mansfield’s Matthew Failor to mush Saturday in Copper Basin 300
WILLOW, Alaska — Matthew Failor seriously considered not racing in the 2025 Idiatrod Sled Dog Race across Alaska. In fact, the 42-year-old Mansfield St. Peter’s graduate didn’t make it official until the last minute, officially entering the “The Last Great Race” on Dec. 2, the final day for admissions. That means Failor will launch his […]
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News Man Weekly: Ashland ARPA and does Ohio State have a chance in the CFP?
MANSFIELD – The 25th episode of the News Man Weekly podcast has dropped. In this week’s edition, Richland Source City Editor Carl Hunnell is joined by several members of the Source media family to talk about Ohio State and the College Football Playoff, as well as a local reporting project on how Ashland County has […]