On March 1, as Women’s History Month dawns, ultra-endurance cyclist Rebecca Rusch lines up at the start of the 2020 Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) in Alaska—ready to defend her women’s title and rewrite her own record of 3 days, 20 hours, and 51 minutes set in 2019.
Reflecting on last year’s frozen odyssey, Rusch recalls pedaling over cracking ice alone, tracking wolf prints, and echoing their howls beneath the midnight sun. “I didn’t just face a grueling race,” she says. “I battled subzero temps, 30 inches of fresh snow, and potentially aggressive moose. One wrong turn could have cost me everything.”
Unlike the well-worn course of the Leadville Trail 100—where Rusch reigns supreme—this is a self-supported, 350-mile expedition on the historic Iditarod Trail. Competitors must haul all their gear, relying on just six basic checkpoints between the Teklanika River start and the McGrath finish. “It’s not just about who’s the fastest,” Rusch explains. “It’s about packing light, navigating white-out blizzards, and rationing sleep so you don’t drown in your own exhaustion.”
Her passion for pushing limits has driven other epic undertakings—like the 1,200-mile “Blood Road” journey down Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Trail, chronicled in her Emmy-nominated documentary. Yet Rusch admits, “Nothing tests your resolve like deep, frozen wilderness. You learn the hard way what you need—and what you don’t.”
Back home in Idaho, Rusch balances her racing with community work through the Be Good Foundation, and hosts her own gravel event, Rebecca’s Private Idaho. Together with her husband, fellow cyclist Greg Martin, and their two trail-savvy dogs, she keeps adventure close to home—even as she readies for Alaska’s remote frontier.
As Rusch prepares to “clip in” once more, the Leadville Trail Series headquarters even displays her championship bike—a reminder of the world-class grit that rolled here first. Follow her 2020 ITI journey on social media with #JoinTheRusch, and watch as she blazes a fresh trail in honor of Women’s History Month.
Happy trails, Rebecca—may the frozen road yield to your relentless spirit!
