Martin Buser

Who is Martin Buser?

Martin Buser is a champion of sled dog racing.

Martin Buser began mushing at age seventeen in Switzerland. In 1979, Buser moved to Alaska to train and raise sled dogs full-time. His training operation, Happy Trails Kennels, is located in Big Lake, Alaska.

He entered his first Iditarod in 1980, and has run every race since 1986, his third Iditarod. In thirty Iditarods, Buser has won the event four times, in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 2002. On sixteen occasions, he has finished among the top ten finishers. He is the runner-up for fastest finish time in Iditarod history; his team completed the 2002 race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds. He entered his first Yukon Quest in 2009 and finished in fourth place, earning him "Rookie of the Year."

His sense of humor and positive outlook have made him a fan favorite. In 2008, he caused quite a stir among fans worldwide when he gave his GPS unit to a pilot who was transporting dogs and equipment to and from a checkpoint.

Married to educator Kathy Chapoton, Buser named his sons, Nikolai and Rohn, after Iditarod check points.