HUMAN

Name: Andy Pohl

Age: 51
Residence: Knik, Alaska

Occupation: Mechanical Engineer

First Year Ran Iditarod: 2018

How Many Years Involved With Iditarod: Since 2015

Iditarod Role: Musher

Current Location: Downtown Anchorage Ceremonial Start Staging Area

Date of Photo: March 7, 2026
Temperature: 16F

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

Running sled dogs is quite the adventure that gets you out in the elements of some of your best friends. It all starts with the training of young pups, and watching them develop and grow. Some of the things I like to do is dogs are younger and getting accustomed to us. We like to go for free runs or hiking with them, followed by some mountain biking. And then part of when they’re all working together as a team, and so effortlessly going down the trail, it’s a fun group to watch.

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

 

So, I got my first exposure into running the Iditarod in 2014 when I biked the Iditarod course, self-supported with a snow bike. And then in 2015, I returned to biking again. That year I rode all the way from Fairbanks to Nome. Along the way in these journeys, I met Kristi Berington. In ’14, I met her in the checkpoint of Ophir, where she was staying there on her 24-hour. And then after the 2015 race, I met her again, was able to meet up with her for a kennel tour later that spring, followed by several dates, followed by our preparation, my preparation and training through the qualifiers until my first running I did around 2018. Now I am involved in traveling the trail by snow machine, following it back the pack, and assisting the trail sweeps as needed or requested by Iditarod. And it’s turned into super fan that’s now participating in support of Iditarod in the race, in the background.

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

Memorable experience probably day two or day three of the Iditarod in 2018, going up at the footsteps, the Alaska range, leaving Finger Lake, and realizing happy steps are coming up ahead. Making it through that unscathed was quite normal, since being a fan and following all of the tragedies and harrowing videos that the camera crews always get through that section, it was like a test. Well, I’m here on the trail for real.

What in life do you know for sure?:

 

The for sure things in life are greatly helped by a positive attitude. Having a positive attitude makes things so much easier. And also, the networking that you get around yourself, the friends development. Life is so much easier if you have a positive attitude and good friends. The last thing is weather. Don’t worry about it, can’t control it. Just be prepared.