Iditarod 09 Lance Mackey & his dogs win “three in a row”

I was out of town during the start of this year’s Iditarod, the first time I have missed the race since I moved to Alaska. It was strange looking for information about the start in newspapers or on the news in the Lower 48 but little if anything was found there. I did have a brief glimpse of the starting lineup from the internet while in Florida but I have to admit the usual excitement I have felt in past years was missing.

In terms of great athletic ability the dog teams too me are the most superb in the world. Dogs and their human teammates, both man and woman, train hard to endure the many known and unknown circumstances found along the 1,100 mile trail from Anchorage to Nome Alaska.

AP Photo

In case you missed it living “Outside” of Alaska, Lance Mackey won the Iditarod Sled Dog Race today in a time of a little over 9 days and 20 hours. "The Last Great Race" as it is called and he did so in a grand fashion over 6 hours ahead of his nearest rival. Mackey started the race with 16 dogs and 15 of them finished the race. (The one dog that was dropped along the way just wasn't having fun and didn't have his heart in the race, according to one report I read.)

In one of the snowiest, windiest, hardest Iditarod races in memory, Lance Mackey cemented his legacy as one of the greatest mushers of all time by doing what only two others have ever done . . . win three straight Iditarod Sled Dog races. And he did it by taking the lead with a bold move at the halfway point of the race and continued to extend his lead all the way to the finish line under the burled arch in Nome Alaska.

Mackey slapped hands with fans along Nome's Front Street. About a block from the finish line, he raised both arms in victory and rode that way into the chute at 11:38 a.m., hours ahead.

AP Photo

Like most past Iditarod races, this one is far from over. There were still 56 musher’s and their teams on the trail after Mackey checked into Nome and the race won't be over until the last one either crosses the finish line or withdraws from the competition.

Now, however, it's no longer a competition against their fellow mushers, it's far more personal than that. Truth be told for all but a few at the top, this race is always a personal challenge rather than anything else. It seems you battle Mother Nature and yourself far more than the other teams.

Man or woman seeks out that special bond between their animals and nature to experience something few will understand but for those who attempt the Iditarod . . . Congratulations for another “The Last Great Race”.

It will probably take another week for the final musher to arrive in Nome to receive the “Red Lantern” award so from all of us here in the Arctic northland, we’ll leave the lights on for you.

Ice