HUMAN

Name: Mark Chapoton

Age: 61
Residence: Bastrop, Texas

Occupation: Oilfield engineer, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

First Year Ran Iditarod: 1993 & 1994

How Many Years Involved With Iditarod: 4 years

Iditarod Role: Musher, Handler

Current Location: Palmer, Alaska

Date of Photo: April 28, 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 time outdoors with a big group of dogs that I know, helping them to do what they really enjoy. Most days, I’d rather be with a group of friendly animals than humans. Dogs are special in that regard, and sled dogs in a moving dog team are extra special.

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

 

I got involved running the Iditarod, because when I moved to Alaska as a young man, escaping a sorry job in a sorry armpit of Texas, my Aunt Kathy Chapoton and her husband, Martin Buser, took me in. I quickly gravitated to his dog yard and signed on as a handler and was offered the opportunity to run his yearlings on the Iditarod.

 

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

 

My most memorable experience running the Iditarod is, well, we were running to Unalakleet in the moonlit dark, through the cold and wind. The dogs began to lose steam. They perked up when I made it out, like breaking out into the cold and windy clearings, was the most fun thing in the world. The team regained speed and strength as I hooted and hollered how great it was. And then I started to get genuinely happy and more excited for being able to encourage them. And they got more perky and strong again. What started out as kind of a human psychology fake out on the dogs, turned into a multi-species positive feedback loop as their growing enthusiasm fed mine, which was reflected back to them and encouraged them the more. That was a neat couple hours.

What in life do you know for sure?:

One thing I know is those years associated with Iditarod showed me again is that family is really the most important thing.