A Sioux Falls man is trekking the 350-mile Iditarod Trail. You can track his progress

Imagine walking 350 miles in 10 days.

Add on a 50-pound sled carrying all of the food, clothes, batteries and sleeping gear you need. And then make things even more interesting by setting the entire event in Alaska in March.

That’s the setup for the annual Iditarod Trail Invitational, where Sioux Falls runner and business owner Ryan Wanless is more than 100 miles into the 350-mile trek along the Alaskan route popularized by sled dogs.

The race started Feb. 28, and he has until March 10 to finish.

But why start in the first place?

“It’s about being in places where people don’t normally go,” said his wife, Emily, about why he set out to cover what is essentially the distance between Sioux Falls and Rapid City but in the Alaskan wilderness.

Ryan Wanless, founder of Pointer Roofing & Construction, is no stranger to physical and mental endurance challenges. He has completed a number of ultramarathons, including the Arrowhead 135 in International Falls, Minnesota, in 2019 during the Polar Vortex.

That experience helped qualify him for the Iditarod Trail Invitational, where he was accepted to participate the first year he applied. He completed the 350-mile route last year and had planned to do the longer 1,000-mile event this year, but it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and a desire to keep traffic out of remote villages along the route.

Last year, the biggest threat to racers wasn’t the snow or the cold but the moose, Emily Wanless said.

This year, she has been in daily communication with her husband, and he has been able to send photos, videos and even FaceTime from the trail and the various checkpoints where he has stopped to get a warm meal and sleep.

The race is going well so far, she said, but heavy snow has made the experience like “walking in mashed potatoes.”

But there are benefits too. He has gotten a view of the Northern Lights like none other, and he’s in a place few humans have seen close up. He’s also completing a mental and physical challenge few can say they’ve done.

“His mental stamina is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Emily Wanless said. “I think he likes to see continually how far he can push it.”

You can track Ryan Wanless’ progress in the race here and follow the Sioux Falls Area Running Club on Facebook for updates.