Bacon brings Bucyrus pride to Iditarod

• Bacon is a Pediatric Physical Therapist
• Started her own kennel in 2011 and will run in the 2016 Iditarod
• Volunteered at the Skwenta Checkpoint in 2005.
• Loves the company of her dogs.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – This year’s Iditarod will have a local flair to it.

The Last Great Race on Earth, a 1,000-plus mile dogsled race covering some of the most beautiful and treacherous Alaskan terrain, will be ran by a rookie musher and Bucyrus native, Kristin Bacon.

Bacon, a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Big Lake, was born in Youngstown but spent most of her childhood and teenage years in Bucyrus. Upon her graduation from Ohio State, a job offer in Alaska pulled up her Ohio roots and transplanted her in the northern most state of the country.

Bacon made the move in 1999, taking a job and beginning her career. It was there where she met a mentoring doctor who owned a kennel of sled dogs. And that was the beginning of a special relationship she shares with dogs and the love of a sport.

“Dog mushing is something that came to me when I moved to Alaska,” Bacon said. “After caring for the doctor's team of 16 each spring for a few weeks, I started volunteering at Iditarod's Skwentna checkpoint in 2005.”

It was then when Bacon uttered the words, “I am going to run the Iditarod someday." In 2016, she will make good on her words. In 2011, she started her own kennel with a litter of puppies and their mother, Libby.

She will be a rookie in this year’s Iditarod after completing 750 miles of qualifying races. Her most notable race came in April of 2015, where she finished fourth in the Kobuk 400 earning Rookie of the Year honors.

“What I mostly enjoy about the sport is the dogs. Spending time with the dogs, caring for them, raising puppies, watching them succeed, etc,” Bacon said. “The racing part is a personal challenge. It continues to be very challenging for me: dealing with the weather, lack of sleep, risk of injury to musher and dogs, encounters with moose, financially supporting the costs of racing and caring for the dogs, how to best care for the dogs so they can perform their best, the time commitment to train them, etc.”

Her love for her dogs deeply outweighs the desire for success. But, she admits it is her dogs that get up every morning ready and willing to train. There is not much Bacon has to do to get her team motivated.

“My dogs have run nearly 3,000 miles since September,” Bacon said. “We average about eight miles per hour while running. Simply training to have the dogs prepared for racing is a huge time and energy commitment, which I feel grateful I am able to do. I get to spend many hours on the trail, in nature with my dogs. It's amazing.”

On March 5, Bacon will endure one of the most grueling races in history. The Iditarod is a 975 mile race starting in Anchorage and ending in Nome. The first place finishers will be looking to reach Nome in about eight days. Bacon knows her pace will be slower but will be looking forward to the challenge.

“I am expecting to take about 12 to 14 days,” Bacon said. “I am looking forward to spending nearly two weeks in nature with my dogs. Compared to running mid-distance races, our schedule will be more relaxed.”

The slower pace will allow Bacon to give her dogs, also racing in the Iditarod for the first time, a chance to take breaks and recuperate at their own speed. The longest race her and her team have completed was half of the distance of the Iditarod. The lack of experience will put Bacon and her dogs to the test, especially on the more treacherous trails.

“I am nervous about the technical parts of the trail requiring skilled sled driving,” Bacon said. “I hurt my foot in the Kuskokwim 300, so my balance and agility isn't 100 percent. Also, I do not feel it is my best skill as a musher to begin with.”

Bacon's team includes 15 dogs, 13 of which she knows will be on the trail with her in less than a month. Felon, Coltrane, Titan, Eewa, Zumi, Hunter, Libby, Taki, Paunch, Mr. Paws, Miyuki, Yama, Oleada and Menace have all earned a spot with two more yet to be determined.

But it is Felon who will be the lead dog on the race.

“Felon is an amazing lead dog. He is quite quirky, but lovable and a very hard worker,” Bacon said. “He ran in single lead — often there are two leaders for a team — during about 80 percent of the Kuskokwim 300. Because of my other dogs’ lack of experience and dislike for the 100's of miles of glare ice, no one else would lead. Without Felon, we could not have finished the race. He did an outstanding job.”

Bacon also shares a love of expanding the sport to the youth of Alaska. A year ago, on March 4, Bacon ran her third annual Ikidarod in downtown Anchorage. She had 60 families show up for the event and is planning to hold another on March 2 of this year, just a few days before she hits the trail. The event features free rides for all kids.

With the race less than a month away, one thing is certain, Alaska will be Ohio proud of this rookie musher and her team of K9’s.

More online

For more information on Bacon’s journey, and pictures of her dogs, visit her blog at www.baconsacres.com. Fans can also make donations there to support Bacon and her team. As the race begins, fans can follow along at www.iditarod.com which features GPS tracking and a full profile on Bacon.