2 Days, 10 Dogs, 150 Miles
in the Wilderness:
This Is the Iditarod for Teens
Photos and text for The New York Times
Junior musher Anna Coke, 17, of Wasilla, prepares her dog team for a run the day before the race in Knik, Alaska.
The license plate on musher Ryan Redington’s dog truck.
A dog truck arrives at the starting point before the Junior Iditarod.
Junior musher Ava Moore Smyth, 14, of Willow, prepares her team at the start of the 150-mile Junior Iditarod in Knik.
“Nothing in the entire world can beat being out alone with your dogs, with your team. It brings you a lot of peace.”
— Junior Musher Anna Coke, 17
Junior Iditarod winner Morgan Martens, 14, of Wisconsin, with his mother, Janet, after winning the 135-mile race with a time of 16 hours, 40 minutes and 20 seconds.
“Will he get hypothermia from running all day, you know, 75 miles? Will he be all sweaty and get cold? Will he eat the food I sent with him or is he going to eat all the candy?”
— Janet Martens
Junior musher Cassidy Meyer’s mother fills bowls for the dogs after they finished the Junior Iditarod.
Junior mushers pose for photographs at the banquet and awards ceremony.
Aurora borealis at the finish line.