HUMAN

Name: Phil Runkle

Age: 27

Residence: Nikolai, Alaska

Occupation: Hunting Guide

Years involved with Iditarod: 25

Iditarod Roles: Volunteer, Checker

Current Location: Nikolai, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 8, 2022

Temperature: 20F Outdoors 

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I first became involved with the Iditarod since, I don’t know, I was old enough to walk around, and come check out the dogs in the yard. And then I was saying before, we used to do a lot of guided hunts out in the Farewell Burn area. And the Iditarod would be coming through or the Iditarod, ITI [Iditarod Trail Invitational]…the walkers, bikers, and skiers. We’d be out there, just me and my family and the dog teams coming through and staying with us at our little camp. And now I’m here, I’ve gone down the trail once, has been to Shaktoolik and Unalakleet once. And I’m hoping to do that again maybe next year, but it’s just good to be here this year. Last year, it wasn’t quite the same race. We weren’t even supposed to be around any of the volunteers or coms or anything like that. So, it was a bit too range. So, it’s good to see some normalcy and be here, involved with it. 

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because it’s just good to come out and be with the community. People that you live around and all working together to make our town look good and help these racers coming through. And it’s good to see any volunteers that I know from the past and meeting new ones and it’s a really quiet town for the most part of 90 people. And then the population doubles when the race comes through. So, it’s a lot of fun.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was probably going to Unalakleet and working in Shaktoolik and just seeing other checkpoints, and people, and what they do during Iditarod. And Shaktoolik was a very interesting town for sure. I wouldn’t mind getting back there one of these days, but definitely, definitely exploring different checkpoints.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance. Thank you.