Iditarod 2020: Norway's Waerner the Winner

On This Site

Current Events

Share This Page






Follow This Site

Follow SocStudies4Kids on Twitter

March 18, 2020

Thomas Waerner has won the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The English-born Norwegian finished in 9 days, 10 hours, 37 minutes, 47 seconds. That was nearly six hours ahead of second-place finisher Mitch Seavey, a former champion three times over. Jessie Royer, the first female finisher, came in third, 90 minutes behind Seavey.

Thomas Waerner

Waerner moved to Norway in 1991 in order to train for mushing. He first raced the Iditarod in 2015, finished 17th, and was named Rookie of the Year. He became Norway's third winner and the second in the past three years: The 2018 champion was Joar Leifseth Ulsom; Robert Sorlie won in 2003 and 2005.

Ulsom finished sixth this year. Last year's winner, Peter Kaiser, finished 14th.

Waerner crossed the line first with 10 dogs in tow. A spectator had handed him a Norwegian flag just before crossing, and he waved that flag over his head. Race organizers awarded him $51,000 and a new truck. Waerner, who when he's not mushing runs an electrical company, has won a handful of medals, including one for being first over all at the 2019 Finnmarksløpet, Europe's longest sled dog race. That race takes place in Norway. Waerner also won his country's other long-distance sled dog race, the Femund, making him the only person ever to win both of those races in the same year.

Royer was the first to several of the early checkpoints. Waerner took over the race leed at Unalakleet and didn't relinquish it. Seavey passed Royer on the way into Elim.

Search This Site

Custom Search

Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2023
David White

Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2024
David White