Iditarod Pursuit from Symphony Hall to Alaskan Snow

I, Daniel Perry, am trying to make it to the start line for this winter’s 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) in Alaska – on a bike.

As a professional bassist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, excellence, focus, and meticulous preparation are familiar concepts. Winter ultra-marathons have provided an arena for applying those concepts elsewhere in my life while serving as a tool for examining and building the relationships I have with myself, my environment, and my community.

Last year, I won the 160-mile Tuscobia Winter Ultra in Wisconsin. I was subsequently awarded a free entry to the Iditarod in February 2024, waiving both the $1,500 registration fee and the judicious selection process. However, registration is only a fraction of the expenses involved with getting to and participating in the event.

What is Iditarod?

The ITI is the world’s premier winter ultra-marathon by fat bike, foot and ski and follows the historic Iditarod Trail. Participants are self-supported and must carry all their equipment from start to finish. The route is not marked or fixed- athletes are solely responsible for navigating between checkpoints. The 350-mile event starts in Knik near Anchorage, crosses the Alaska Range via Rainy Pass, and finishes at McGrath in the Alaskan Interior. Veterans of the 350 may participate in the 1000-mile event, which continues the Iditarod Trail all the way to Nome on the Bering Sea.

The only mandatory gear is a SPOT tracker, which will allow spectators to follow live tracking at Trackleaders.com. Hazards and highlights might include -50 windchill, wading through overflow water, pushing through deep snow, sleeping outside, moose encounters, new friendships, and gorgeous scenery. Upon completion of the 350-mile event, my bike and I will be flown back to Anchorage.

Why am I doing this?

I firmly believe that having a positive impact on the world around me starts with internal work.

As a professional bassist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, excellence, focus, and meticulous preparation are familiar concepts. Winter ultras have provided an arena for applying those concepts elsewhere in my life while serving as a tool for examining and building the relationships I have with myself, my environment, and my community. Similarly to the orchestral environment, I have found competition in winter cycling to be less about domination but rather an environment where people challenge and support each other beyond the limits of what seems possible on one’s own. No one is an island, even in the realm of ‘unsupported’ events. While going to the Iditarod is clearly a personal endeavour, I will share the experience and knowledge with my communities in order to empower and inspire others, as others have done for me. Your support will directly contribute to making that happen.

Would you like to help?

While I love my work as a musician, the glamour of the job is not in its financial compensation; it takes a large personal investment and financial saavy to show up with adequate preparation, even at local events. With humble gratitude to my community, would you consider supporting me in this undertaking? In addition to missing several weeks of work, my expenses for ITI include, flights, including a return flight from the finish line back to Anchorage, food, lodging, insurance, bike maintenance, bike and drop bag shipping, and many other critical items.

As a small gesture of gratitude, after the ITI I will be hosting an event at Bikes and Beyond to share photos and accounts of the experience. In addition, everyone who donates $20 or more will be entered into a drawing for a pair of tickets to any concert in the Winnipeg Symphony’s 2024/25 season.

You can support Daniel HERE.

Read more about Daniel’s winter bike racing HERE.