Wasilla, Alaska – Thursday, December 1, 2011 – Sixty-five mushers, including reigning champion John Baker, have completed the entry process for the 40th running of the Iditarod. Another four have partially completed the process, or mailed their entries. Because it is impossible to know how many more entries might be in the mail, a final number won’t be known for several days. Entries must only carry a November 30 postmark. The 2012 race promises to be ultra-competitive once again. Of the previous 39 wins, six champions entered in this year’s race own 19 of them. Leading the way is Rick Swenson with five wins, Martin Buser, Jeff King and, Lance Mackey with four wins each, and Mitch Seavey and John Baker with one each. The field is also deep as 7 of the top 10, 15 of the top 20, and 23 of the top 30 from the 2011 race are entered. For a listing of completed entries, please check here: http://view.zumasrevenge.com/entrants.cfm Iditarod XL gets underway at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, 2012 in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.