IDITAROD XXXVII ROOKIE MUSHER Alan Peck, (Bib # 32) scratched at 10:59 p.m. Alaska Time (March 22, 2009) in Shaktoolik Checkpoint. The 43 year old musher from Eagle River Alaska said he made the decision based on what he felt was in the best interest of his team. He rested his team for a number of hours before he decided to scratch. He had fourteen dogs on his team when he made the decision.

IDITAROD XXXVII MUSHER David Sawatzky, (Bib # 66) scratched at 5:00 p.m. AKDT (March 21, 2009) between Safety and Nome. The 56 year-old musher from Healy, Alaska, had eleven dogs in his team when he made the decision. Sawatzky had been resting and leading his team (walking in front of them) for a number of miles before deciding to scratch.

IDITAROD XXXVII Musher Melissa Owens (bib #30) made the decision to scratch in Elim at 4:03 pm today (Alaska Time). The Nome Alaska musher had 10 dogs on her team when she made the decision. She left Elim heading toward White Mountain at 11:10:00 am. She made the decision to turn around and return to Elim. She scratched based on the team's best interest.

2009 Yukon Quest Champion Sebastian Schnuelle, (Bib # 34) arrived in Nome, Alaska at 7:05:04 pm (Alaska Time) with a crowd of Iditarod 2009 race fans cheering him on. The White Horse YT, Canada musher arrived in Nome with 13 dogs on his team. He held off a number of other mushers who tried to pass him along the Gold Coast and in the end Schnuelle was victorious in his quest to improve his place in the 2009 Iditarod. He told the crowd that he would definitely be back one more time to compete in the 2010 Iditarod.