HUMAN

Name: Grayson Bruton

Age: 31
Residence: Tok, Alaska
Occupation: Professional Dog Musher & Summer Tour Guide

First Year Ran Iditarod: 2020

How many years involved with Iditarod: Since 2002

Iditarod Role: Musher, volunteer

Current Location: Wild Birch Hotel, Iditarod HQ Anchorage

Date of Photo: March 5, 2026
Temperature: 68F, indoors

Question 1: What is it about running sled dogs that you love so much?

What I love about running sled dogs is being able to be out in the wilderness and enjoy the peacefulness with my best friends and my canine athletes that are really awesome to be out there with.

Question 2: What, who or how and when & why did you first get involved running the Iditarod?

 

I got involved in running the Iditarod because my dad asked me to be a volunteer in 2002 when I was a young kid. I started out as a runner on the Willow Lake race start and progressed from there up to security, helping the officials make things happen with the race out there, getting everything done.

Question 3:  Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences running the Iditarod.

My most memorable experience about running the Iditarod is in 2002 when I first started volunteering, Martin Buser pulled into the start, race start in Willow and pulled me up on the side of his truck and my dad got a picture of me and Martin together. In 2020, I ran the Iditarod for my first time, me and Martin were both part of the Elim 11 group and we got a great picture under the finishing arch in Nome.

What in life do you know for sure?:

 

What I know for sure in life is that you have to keep moving forward and perseverance is key. My mom has MS and that is a big thing that’s been driving me to keep moving forward and training my dogs to finish the Iditarod again for my second time.