FL-1000: Tactics and rest

According to the race rules for the Finnmarksløpet Race, all mushers have to take out three mandatory rests according to the following:

• 3 hours + starting time alignment at cp Skoganvarre, so that the first team on the trail after Skoganvarre is actually the leader of the competition
• A 16-hour rest ('long rest') to be taken out after Jotka1 and no later than at cp Levajok2.
• A 10-hour rest to be taken out at the final checkpoint; Karasjok.

All mandatory rests are to be taken out at one of the checkpoints and they can not be combined into one. The mushers may also rest on trail. This rest time may not be deducted from the mandatory rest hours.

During the evening and ngiht many teams from the longest race competition have arrived at cp Tana. Some will stay here for their 'long rest', whereas others will continue to Neiden1.

Ketil Reitan in 2010 made a ground-breaking decision and rode all the way to Kirkenes before taking his long rest, and many have repeated his move since. No one have ever won the race with that tactic. Only Inger Marie Haaland has driven as far as to Neiden2 before taking her long rest (2013), and then proceeded to win the race.


Dogs resting under blankets on their long rest. PHoto: Anna Riebelova

Most teams have chosen to take their long rest in Tana or Neiden1 over the past decade. We have taken a closer look at where the winners have chosen to take out their mandatory long rest:

2013: Thomas Wærner (Tana)
2012: Inger Marie Haaland (Neiden 2)
2011: Roger Dahl (Neiden 1)
2010: Ralph Johannessen (Neiden 1)
2009: Inger Marie Haaland (Neiden 1)
2008: Harald Thunheim (Neiden 1)
2007: Tore Bergby (Skippagurra*)
2006: Harald Thunheim (Neiden 1)
2005: Roger Dahl (Skippagurra*)
2004: Bjørnar Andersen (Skippagurra*)

Cp Skippagurra was changed to Tana as of the 2008 race.

Only after the long rest has been taken can we begin to see the outline of the race tactics and begin to see the traces of the upcoming race developments. Most teams adjust their driving- and rest plans during the second half of the race, depending on weather, wind, trail and dog conditions.