Monday 15 March 2004

March 15, 2004 Race Clock Details

 
In response to a question that was asked regarding how is time figured for each musher...

The clock starts in Willow and doesn't stop until the nose of the lead dog crosses under the burled arch in Nome. ALL 40 hours of mandatory rest are counted in the total running time. The start differential is made up during the 24 hour layover. The only musher that has a 24 hour layover is the one with the highest bib number, this year its Ed Stielstra Bib #88. For Vern Halters (Bib #2), his 24 hour layover will be 26 hours 56 minutes. Karen's was exactly 25 hours. 

All this is done so that the first musher to cross the finish line is the winner. I think that this puts the roll over time for each new day at 1:00 in the afternoon Alaska time, but something about that doesn't seem right. For some reason I thought that it was always done at noon.

HansGatt.jpg (165026 bytes)
Karen and Hans Gatt at the restart in Willow.
Hans is the winner of the last three Yukon Quests
and the designer of Karen's sled chit chat.

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