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Tyson Flaharty just became the first rider to finish the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska, completing his ride in just 1 day, 20 hours, and 53 minutes. Rugile Kaladyte was at the finish line to capture the end of his ride. Find details and photos here…
Photos by Rugile Kaladyte
The Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) is regularly referred to as the world’s longest-running winter ultramarathon, following the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome, Alaska. Athletes can bike, ski, or run one of three route options: a 150-mile, 350-mile, or full 1,000-mile route. As you might expect, trail conditions and weather play a massive role in determining the route conditions and athletes’ paces. Some years, the route gets dumped on with fresh snow, forcing the riders to push their heavily loaded fat bikes for hours. Other years, they’re blessed with packed trails and the perfect temperatures for record-setting rides.
This year, over 100 athletes are participating in the ITI, half of which are on bikes. The 350-mile route is the most popular, but there’s also a strong showing for the 1,000-mile route, which usually takes 16 days or more to complete. There are many returning ITI veterans this year, including 2024 ITI 350 women’s winner Lael Wilcox, 2024 ITI 350 men’s co-winner Clinton Hodges, and 2024 ITI 1000 men’s winner Tyson Flaharty, to name just a few.
This year, Tyson Flaharty pedaled into the front end of the race early on, joined by Tim Berntson, John Lackey (current ITI 350 record holder), and Clinton Hodges. At around mile 150, Tyson and Clinton pulled away from the group, and it was only around mile 190 when Tyson managed to secure his lead, riding a few miles in front of Clinton. Folks are reporting fantastic conditions, so everyone, including the frontrunners, has been moving quickly and ahead of record pace.
Tyson was first to finish the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational today just before 11 a.m. local time. He finished in 1 day, 20 hours, 53 minutes, just two hours behind John Lackey’s 2015 record, and now has the second-fastest time ever on the 350-mile route. Tyson has stacked up several impressive ITI podium finishes, including a first-place finish at the 1,000-mile route last year and a 350-mile first place finish in 2023, 2022, and 2019. The 39-year-old was riding a 9:ZERO:7 Lynx V2 with a Shimano XTR drivetrain and studded 45NRTH Husker Du 4.8″ tires. This was Tyson’s 7th ITI experience. Congrats, Tyson!
Clinton Hodges is well on his way to taking second place in the 350-mile route, and Lael Wilcox is currently sitting in first place for the women. Check out our event page to follow their progress live.
Further Reading
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