Riding Self-Supported in Winter Conditions for 6 Days, Rebecca Rusch Wins 350-Mile Iditarod Trail Invitational

Late Friday Night, adventure athlete and seven-time world champion Rebecca Rusch rolled across the finish line winning the 350-mile Iditarod Trail International. Together with her husband, Greg Martin, Rusch also was the top finisher in the race’s inaugural self-supported class. In her first race back since last year's Iditarod Trail International, this was Rusch’s third time on the trail, second win in Alaska, and first time completing the race completely outdoors with absolutely no assistance for food or shelter during the journey.





Because of COVID-19 precautions, all competitors were tested and raced in the 350-mile as an out and back to reduce potential exposure to remote Alaskan communities. As an additional precaution, Rusch and Martin travelled the entire 350 miles self-supported, and were the only team to forgo any of the meals, indoor recovery, or other outside support that athletes typically receive on the trail. They slept outdoors alongside the trail, clocking only 14.5 total hours of rest during their six days on the trail. The two survived temperatures far below zero by building fires, sleeping in 40° below zero sleeping bags dug into the snow, surrounded by illusive wolves and omnipresent moose.

While Martin and Rusch had not made a plan to race as a team this year, it happened organically. “Felt really natural to ride together and we ride at the same speed, have fun together and we make a great team. It is just more fun to share the emotional and physical experience on the trail with someone else, especially sharing with someone that I love.”

Rusch’s 2019 “first go” at the 350 Iditarod landed her an unexpected Championship, completing the race in 3d 20h 51m, during some of the more gentle conditions in the grueling race’s history. Rusch says of her inaugural year on the trail, “Although I had survived it – and technically won the women’s category – I was physically at my end when I crossed the finish line. It had taken me three days, during which I had slept a total of 10 hours. I was crying, blubbering... emotionally and physically drained. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done.”

Weather and conditions compounded in 2020, with Rusch veering in and out of consciousness and accidentally ending up on a more difficult route. She completed the ride in seven days, pushing her bike probably 150 of the 350 miles through deep snow; in one of the hardest years in the history of Iditarod trail conditions.



In tandem with her third expedition in the Iditarod Trail Invitational, Rusch is encouraging people to ride 350 miles this month as part of Protect Our Winters’ Crush It 4 Climate Challeng. Rusch has set her sights on the 1000-mile trail, when it is expected to run again in 2022.

See all the details from the Event Tracker here and learn more about Rusch’s gear, training and journey at https://www.rebeccarusch.com

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Racing and Events Rebecca Rusch