NOME, Alaska — Lance Mackey made it three in a row at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
The musher won the 1,100-mile trek across the Alaska wilderness Wednesday in the world’s most famous sled dog race. And it wasn’t even close.
About a block from the finish line on Nome’s Front Street, Mackey raised both arms in victory and rode that way into the chute at 11:38 a.m., hours ahead of his nearest competitors.
“This never gets old,” Mackey said at the finish line as he hugged two of his dogs, Maple and Larry. “It’s pretty awesome. Pretty cool.”
Mackey, whose father Dick Mackey won the event in 1978, became the third musher in the race’s 37-year history to win in three consecutive years, joining Susan Butcher (1986-88) and Doug Swingley (1999-2001). He finished about six hours ahead of the second- and third- place mushers, Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker.
Sixty-seven teams began the race more than a week ago in Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. Ten teams have scratched or been withdrawn.
Three dogs have died in this year’s race. Two dogs were on the team of rookie Lou Packer, who scratched after he was found Monday 22 miles past the Iditarod checkpoint by searchers in a plane. He told the Anchorage Daily News he believes the two dogs froze to death in the high winds.
With the victory, Mackey received $69,000 and a new pickup. After giving the truck from the 2007 victory to his wife and trading in last year’s for a sports car, he said he’s keeping the apple red pickup.
