HUMAN

Name: Rohn Buser

Age: 36
Residence: Talkeetna, Alaska
Occupation: Dog Musher

First Year Ran Iditarod: 2008

How many years involved with Iditarod: All my life, 36 years

Iditarod Role: Musher, handler 

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 just the whole process: from raising young dogs to training them and seeing them develop from their first runs in harness to where they’re capable of running the thousand miles in the Iditarod. It’s just something that I’ve been around all my life and it’s just fun seeing the dogs do what they were born to do.

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

 

I got involved running the Iditarod because I grew up around it. My dad has run the Iditarod 39 times. And as a little kid, I would always go to the Iditarod banquets, listen to Hobo Jim playing music, and just running around being a little kid. And seeing the Iditarod and seeing everybody here, it’s like seeing family. And, yeah, now, I’m signed up and running my fourth Iditarod and it’s just like coming back home.

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

 

My most memorable Iditarod experience was probably finishing my second Iditarod. Coming into Nome that year, my dad and I traveled a lot of the trail together. And we were traveling closely just the last 10 miles of the race climbing up Cape Nome and the moon was setting. It was like a full orange moon. The northern lights were out, one of the best northern lights shows I’ve ever seen, and we’re climbing up to the final hill getting into Nome.
And the moon was going down, the sun was coming up, the northern lights were out, and we were right at the finish of the Iditarod, and it was something that… It just always sticks with me. Yeah. It was spectacular.

What in life do you know for sure?:

 

What I know for sure in life is that you should always follow your heart. Do something that you’re passionate about and that’s a way to live a good, happy life.