Iditarod Releases Mushers' Saturday Start Order

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Mushers now have their starting positions for Saturday’s ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Downtown Anchorage. The Iditarod Trail Committee released the list late Thursday evening after a celebration at the Dena’ina Center.

Honorary musher Tom Busch will be first out of the gate at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by Iditarod veteran and cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow, and Ray Redington, Jr. of Wasilla. Ketchum, Idaho musher Trent Herbst and Allen Moore of Two Rivers round out the top five.

Many Iditarod legends are further down the list. Rick Swenson, The Last Great Race’s only five-time champion, will be 49th to leave, while four-time victors Martin Buser and Lance Mackey -- the current champion -- will be 11th and 17th respectively.

Dallas Seavey, the Yukon Quest rookie who scored an upset win in the 1,000-mile race last month, will be the 21st musher to leave Anchorage. His father, 2004 Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey, will be 28th.