Iditarod 2009 Rule Changes

[eorogers]

This was just released by Joanne Potts - thought you might be interested.

Eric

----------------------------------------

Attention: Mushers contemplating entering the 2009 Iditarod

Following is a condensed listing of changes to the race rules and policies. The actual 2009 rules will be available on the web no later than June 13.

Preamble: Verbiage in the last part of the second sentence is changed to read:

…, The Trail Committee shall encourage and maintain the philosophy that the race be constructed to permit as many qualified mushers as possible who wish to enter and complete the Race to do so. …

Rule #2: New verbiage:

Rule 2 -- Entries: Entries will be accepted from June 28, 2008 until November 30, 2008 by the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC), P.O. Box 870800, Wasilla, Alaska 99687-0800. Kennels entering must indicate the musher’s name with their entry. Entries may be presented to the ITC in person by the musher, or by mail. The maximum number of entries for the 2009 race will be one hundred (100). Once the maximum of one hundred is reached, a waiting list will be established, on a first-come, first-served basis. To qualify for the waiting list, the race application must be completed, signed and turned in, the participant’s release must be signed, notarized and turned in, the Nome housing form must be completed and turned in. and a one-hundred dollar ($100.00) non-refundable fee paid. If an entrant withdraws from the list of one hundred entrants, the name at the top of the waiting list will be moved up to the entry list, upon receipt of the entry fee in full. The slot will be held open for no more than seven (7) days after notification, before it will be offered to the next name on the waiting list.

Starting with the 2010 Race, it is possible that the maximum number of entries will be further limited to eighty-five (85).
Mushers will sign up for the 2009 race beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at ITC HQ in Wasilla. All mushers present in person who sign up between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on the 28th will be in the first draw for starting positions. Mushers signing up between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., together with those who have entered by any other means before 3:30 p.m., will be in the second draw.

Mailed entries will be recorded by postmark. Entries received with the same postmark will be recorded alphabetically for southern route races and in reverse alphabetical order for northern route races.

An entry will not be considered complete until the entry fee is paid in full, the race application is completed, signed and turned in, the participant’s release is signed, notarized and turned in, and the Nome housing form is completed and turned in. The local contact form and the dog care agreement will be turned in no later than food drop.

The ITC reserves the right to reject any entry due to entry number limitations and to reject entries not in conformance with these policies and rules or from mushers who do not exemplify the spirit and principle of the Iditarod Trail Committee as set forth in the rules, policy, bylaws and mission statement. The decision to reject any entry will be made by the executive committee. A musher may appeal such a decision to the full Board of Directors within fourteen (14) days. The decision of the full Board will be final and binding.

No one convicted of a charge of animal abuse or neglect, as such is defined under Alaska law, may enter the Iditarod Trail Sled dog Race.

Any entry received after November 30, must be accompanied by a $4000 non-refundable fee. The qualified musher will be allowed to enter after all normal policies and procedures have been met, the normal entry fee has been received, the waiting list has been exhausted, and another musher withdraws. No musher will be allowed to sign up after February 14, 2009.

Short explanation –There is no need to arrive days or hours early as doing so no longer has any bearing on your sign up order. The sign up order will be determined by random drawing at 3:45 p.m. for all those in the first and second draws. The sign up order will be the order in which you will draw for your starting position at the pre-race mushers banquet. In the event that entries for the 2009 race exceed 100 on the initial day of sign ups, the qualifying committee as to rookies (under Rule 1) and the executive board as to all entrants (under Rule 2) can be utilized to determine those placed on the waiting list, as the maximum starting field is 100 teams.

\
Rule #3: New fee amount and refund policy:

Rule 3 – Entry Fee: The entry fee is $4,000, US, which includes Iditarod and P.R.I.D.E. membership dues, payable on or after June 28, 2008. This entry fee must be received by the ITC or postmarked by midnight November 30, 2008. Payment of the $3.000 US constitutes the musher’s intention to enter the race and acknowledges that the musher agrees to comply with these policies and rules.

Upon written request, mushers withdrawing from the race on or before 12:00 noon, October 1, 2008 will receive a full refund of their entry fee. Upon written request, mushers withdrawing after October 1, 2008 and before the close of business on November 1, 2008 will receive a $3,000.00 refund of their entry fee. After November 1, 2008 no part of the entry fee will be refunded.

Entry fees received that are not in compliance with this policy shall be refunded and the musher shall not be allowed to participate.

Rule #18: Add verbiage: Dogs demonstrating aggressive behavior may be withdrawn from the Race.

Rule # 39: Cheque drops are not permitted for the 2009 Race.

[emwcee]

Thanks for sharing. I'm still not clear on who has priority -- those who mail in their registrations or those who come to the picnic? Could someone clarify this for me?

Also, I was sorry to hear that the first musher to sign up can no longer choose their bib number. It just occurred to me today that this means that Jason Mackey probably will not get bib number 13 for his sixth race. I was kind of hoping he could continue the family tradition.

[eorogers]

To get into the race both are equal.

Mushers who sign up in person between 9:30 and 12:30 will draw for the first group of bib numbers at the banquet, those who signup in person between 12:30 and 3:30 and those who mail in will draw for the second group of numbers at the banquet. Anyone signing up after the picnic, assuming there is still room, will draw for the third group of numbers at the banquet. Within the first two groups the staff will hold a lottery at 3:45 to determine the order of draw at the banquet. The actual order of sign up will not matter for groups 1 and 2. That means there is no advantage to camping out to be first to sign up.

Eric

[Moose]

Thanks, Eric, for keeping us informed. The bib draw mechanism is a bit confusing. Do you mind another question? If there will be two and possibly three groups drawing bib numbers at the banquet, are the numbers in each group random numbers, or does the earlier group have access to the earlier start bib numbers and the second and third groups the later start numbers? Also, though I always enjoy the photos, I've never paid too much attention to how many sign up at the picnic. Any idea what the expected number might be?

For anyone with an interest, there's a discussion on the race changes taking place over on Sled Dog Central. The names of some of the folks in the discussion will be familiar to you. Use this link, and go to the Training/Racing threads at the bottom of the page.
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/forum/

[eorogers]

Moose

Your second guess is correct. If x number sign up between 9:30 and 12:30 then at the banquet they draw from the first x bibs in the order their names were drawn by staff at the picnic (pseudo-sign-up order). And so on for the other groups.

The expected number is anyone's guess. I've heard everything from 60 to over 100. With the price of fuel and the economy I expect to hit 100 mushers and use the wait list, but I don't expect 100 mushers to show up at the starting line.

One more thing to think about. There is a lot of discussion about whether the Iditarod is an event or a race. I never understood the question, but as we try to come up with a means to select entrants when we exceed the limit, it makes a big difference.

BTW I understand the Yukon Quest has a 50 musher limit.

Eric

[MotorWerk]

So this will not affect any Norwegians signing up? (A bit confusing, this is.)

[Moose]

So there is a definite advantage to signing up at the picnic and signing up early at the picnic. Maybe you'll see a few folks camping out anyway.

I guess change is inevitable, but it makes me a bit sad to see the race changing so. To me, it's an example of bigger isn't necessarily better.

[mithious]

Thanks, Eric, for keeping us informed. The bib draw mechanism is a bit confusing. Do you mind another question? If there will be two and possibly three groups drawing bib numbers at the banquet, are the numbers in each group random numbers, or does the earlier group have access to the earlier start bib numbers and the second and third groups the later start numbers? Also, though I always enjoy the photos, I've never paid too much attention to how many sign up at the picnic. Any idea what the expected number might be?

For anyone with an interest, there's a discussion on the race changes taking place over on Sled Dog Central. The names of some of the folks in the discussion will be familiar to you. Use this link, and go to the Training/Racing threads at the bottom of the page.
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/forum/

I'd like to encourage those of you who care about this race to atleast head on over to SDC and read about what the mushers and rookies are saying.....and for those of you who might even think this whole thing ISN'T about the money and power....check out the published tax returns...a link is posted on SDC and all you have to do is register for free to see them.....it's quite interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last tax return shows the top 5 saleries, (over $50,000).....I don't know about you, but it sure made me mad when I saw how much they were making and the pay raises they gave themselves for 2005....they haven't done their taxes since then....or atleast the program doesn't show it...don't know which it is?

I'd bet they didn't cut their saleries when they decided to raise the entrance fee....memebership fees are almost $1,000,000 for 2005...wonder what they are for this year? I could understand them raising the entrance fee if the need was there AND they had made cuts to other things.....BUT...they didn't, according to the tax returns....doesn't seem fair to put the $ problems on the mushers who are struggling, well alot of them, to raise the funds to enter and run the race!!!!! I'm really becoming disallionsioned with the ITC....it's mission statement, as a non-profit, doesn't match with the numbers!!!!!!! MO anyways!!!! AND, if you look at the "proffesional" to rookie ratio, when they cut back to 85 mushers in 2010....well, there won't be any room for rookies....how does that jive with their mission statement?/non-profit status? This IS becoming BIG business, and NO LONGER for the hisotical values they pretend are their first priority....how CAN it be, if they are going to virtually eliminate the rookies by limiting the numbers, never mind the entrance fee increase? Please go read up over at SDC...and see what the current mushers/rookies are talking about!!!! I'm not asking you all to believe me....but believe the mushers that are running the race or planning to....

By the way, the saleries for 2005 tax year$ are:
$126,689
$108,690
$84,615
$58,947
$78,091