In temperatures 20 degrees below zero, biking through Alaska’s pitch-black nights all alone with little to no sleep, two Duluth men dauntlessly undertook the Alaskan Iditarod marathon.
Jason Buffington and Charlie Farrow participated in the Alaskan Iditarod Invitational Race. The race started on Feb. 24 and took the racers, at least those who were able to finish, several days to complete.
“There was a lot of competition at this race with many great bikers, but I just kept racing,” Buffington said. “I was burnt out after the first day, but I kept pushing hard to make sure I finished.”
The racers journeyed through extraordinary Alaskan environmental conditions day and night, with much of the race lasting six to eight hours in complete darkness.
“I rode for hours without the sight of a racer before or behind me,” Buffington said. “It really does get a little scary.”
In the past few years, temperatures during the race had lowered to 40 degrees below zero. The temperature was in the racers favor this year, with lows reaching 20 degrees below zero.
The top seven finishers in the race this year broke the previous record. Buffington, 43, was included in the top seven, with a finishing time of 77 hours, landing him the seventh position.
Farrow was not too far behind, with the 53-year-old finishing in the 18th position.
Tremendous preparation went into this race, in particular, with the racer’s training starting in September. Buffington started his training using a Fatbike. Ultimately, he trained for 370 hours on his bike over a span of 24 weeks.
Farrow trained for months before the race as well. He also participated in minor races, anticipating the Alaskan Iditarod.
Another major challenge that the racers stood was a large snowstorm. This resulted in many racers having to physically push their bikes through the snow.
“It snowed about two inches when I was finishing,” Buffington said. “It was not that bad for me, but it took a toll on the racers behind me, and half ended up dropping out.”
With all challenges put aside, the Alaska Iditarod has a truly scenic route. Both racers captured many panoramic images of the mountains and scenery that was in their view while pedaling through the fatiguing conditions.
“There ain’t no way you’re going to win the race, but it doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy tremendous personal satisfaction from finishing a truly challenging bike race,” Farrow said.