HUMAN

Name: Thomas Waerner

Age: 53
Residence: Torpa, Norway

Occupation: Sales

First Year Ran Iditarod: 2015

How Many Years Involved With Iditarod: Since 2014

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?

I love to be with the dogs and then build a team and kind of feel the passion and the power of the dogs and just make them perform. That’s what I love about it.

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

 

I got involved Iditarod because it’s been a dream since I was a kid and we read about Iditarod in the set of magazines. Since I started as 11 years old, I’m dreaming about Iditarod. So I was very happy when I did it in 2015.

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

My most memorable experience running the Iditarod was between Kaltag and Unalakleet when I had the run in eight hours in pretty bad trails and the dogs were just screaming to go. And that was kind of my best experience as a dog musher ever, to have that powerful team and the ultimate team and ultimate experience.

What in life do you know for sure?:

 

What I know for sure in life is that I’m going to have fun for the rest of my life. That’s for sure. That’s the only thing I know.