How a Detroit Suburb Produced an Alaskan Iditarod Star

In fourth grade, my teacher had a passion for the Alaskan Iditarod, the massive dog-sled race from Anchorage to Nome that takes days to complete in some of the most brutal weather known to man. My teacher had each of us students pick a racer to "support," and I chose Lance Mackey, who won the race in 2009 (he also won four years in a row from 2007 to 2010).

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While dog-sled racing takes a peculiar set of skills and a very committed racer, Michigan has a pretty extensive past participating and supporting the Iditarod, including an Iditarod winner, a young racer who won Rookie of the Year this year, and hosts a race every year. Let's dive into Michigan's unique involvement with this race.

⬇️VIEW PHOTOS FROM MICHIGAN'S DOG SLED EARLY DAYS⬇️

Dean Osmar

The current iteration of the Alaskan Iditarod started in 1973, and back in 1984, Michigan native Dean Osmar won the race with a time of 12 days, 15 hours, 7 minutes, and 33 seconds and a Grand Prize of $24,000. In 1982, finished 13th in his rookie race. Dean, now 72, still races and runs a dog kennel in Clam Gulch, Alaska.

Samantha LaLonde

Michigan's most recent connection to the Iditarod comes in the form of Samantha LaLonde, who completed the 2025 race in 12 days, 14 hours, and 20 minutes, led by her lead dog named Gibbs. LaLonde was one of 33 racers who entered the Iditarod this year and was named Rookie of the Year for her accomplishment of a 15th place finish. She received a trophy and a $2000 cash prize. 

READ MORE: Best Free Sledding Hills in Grand Rapids |

The coolest part about Samantha LaLonde is that she is from Michigan, but not somewhere dog-sled racing is popular. She's from Farmington Hills just outside Detroit where there "ain't no farms and no hills either". She went to Northern Michigan University and got a degree in Recreation Leadership and Management.

The UP 200 Sled Dog Championship

Speaking of Northern Michigan University, Marquette is home to an Iditarod qualifier race of its own that features racers going 228 miles around Michigan's UP. The race starts and ends in Marquette with the turnaround point in Grand Marais. For the last two years, the race was canceled due to weather, but it returned in 2025. 19 racers, with one from Michigan, were signed up for this race this year.

With the amount of snow Michigan gets every year, it's no surprise that a race involving being out in the snow for hundreds of miles has such strong ties to the Great Lakes State.