National Geographic Adventure (and Me!) Present The Ultimate Adventurers of 2010

National Geographic Adventure published an excellent piece today on today's Ultimate Adventurers. The story takes a look at the top accomplishments by adventurers in the first half of they year, and I'm thrilled by the story because I wrote it! :)

The plan with the project was to shine a spotlight on some of the best stories from the world of adventure so far this year, and we came up with things such as Oh Eun Sun climbing Annapurna and become the first woman to summit all of the 8000 meter peaks. We also mentioned people like Jessica Watson and Jordan Romero of course, along with Roz Savage, Mark Beaumont, and more.

The Ultimate Adventurers is a cool project, and I'm honored that the folks over at Nat. Geo asked me to be a part of it. We'll be updating the site in the weeks and months ahead, as more adventurers accomplish their goals throughout the rest off the year. Be sure to check it out on a regular basis.

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Iditarod 2010: Mackey Wins Number Four! Yes, I Mean It This TIme!

Yesterday I posted a story about the 2010 Iditarod that proclaimed Lance Mackey the winner of his fourth straight race, but it turns it out that the source I used (The Examiner) was a bit premature in their posting, and Lance hadn't even crossed the finish line yet. Worse yet, they claimed that Jeff King took second place, while both men were still out on the course. The article was later removed, and I had to post an update saying that we were still waiting for the results.

Well, the results are now final, and Mackey did indeed win his fourth straight Iditarod, but it was Hans Gatt, not Jeff King, who claimed second place. King would take third, and a host of other mushers have now come into Nome, including Ken Anderson and John Backer, who were fourth and fifth respectively. Ramey Smyth finished sixth and Sebastian Schnuelle seven, with Dallas Seavey eight, and Hugh Neff ninth. As of this writing, those are the only teams that have crossed the finish line. Mitch Seaey is out of the checkpoint in Safety and on his way in however.

As I mentioned yesterday, both King and Mackey are said to be retiring from the Iditarod, so this list of mushers is likely to be the ones that are contending for next year's win. There are a number of good, young sled drivers on that list, so it's clear that the Last Great Race will continue to thrive without these two great champions who now have four wins apiece. Most notably, keep an eye out for Dallas Seavey, who is one of the best young racers out there, and clearly has a bright future ahead of him.

Congrats to all the finishers, and as I said yesterday, so long to Lance and Jeff. Their presence will most certainly be missed next year.

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Iditarod 2010: Mackey Wins Number Four! (Maybe!)

Updated: Apparently, Mackey hasn't quite crossed the finishline yet, and neither has anyone else. The article that I had used for this story was posted by Examiner.com, and has now been pulled from the site, so like everyone else, we'll wait and see who makes it to Nome first, second, and third. I'll update this story as more solid information comes in.


Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. Lance Mackey claimed his fourth straight Iditarod Championship today by reaching Nome ahead of chief rival Jeff King, who was the second man to cross the finish line, and it appears that Hans Gatt will take third.

Mackey left White Mountain this morning, following his mandatory eight hour rest, and had a one-hour, 57 minute lead on Gatt at that time. As he sped off on the final leg, he bid the gathered crowd farewell, telling them "I'll see you in Nome." A few hours later he made good on his promise, and made history in the process. Mackey is the first person to ever win four consecutive Iditarod sled dog races, something that will surely cement him into the lore of that great event.

The end of the 2010 race will be a bit bittersweet for fans, as both Mackey and King have announced that this will be their last go at the Iditarod. Between them, they have eight championships, and have battled one another closely over the past few years. If they hold true to their word, and do retire from the Last Great Race, it will really open up the field next year.

Currently, the leaderboard has Ken Anderson, John Baker, Hugh Neff, Ramey Smyth, Sebastian Schnulle, and Dallas and Mitch Seavey rounding out the top ten. All of those men are reportedly into White Mountain, and will be making the final dash to Nome soon.

Congrats to both Lance and Jeff for amazing careers. You'll be missed.

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Iditarod 2010: Mackey Moves Out In Front

Due to lots of demands at the day job and in my personal life the past week or so, I haven't had the time to follow, or cover, the Iditarod as much as I usually do. I'm hoping that will change this week, as the tops mushers are flying along at the front of the pack, and things should get very interesting over the next few days.

Since I last posted on the "Last Great Race", two familiar foes have started to duke it out for first place. Three time defending champ Lance Mackey and four-time champ Jeff King are, once again, running first and second in the race. As of this writing, Mackey has gone in, and out, of the checkpoint at Elim, while King is still en route, having passed through Koyuk, in hot pursuit. At this point, there just White Mountain and Safety stand between Mackey and the finish line in Nome, and if King is going to catch him, he's going to need to be fast.

Behind King, and also out of Koyuk, are Hans Gatt, currently running in third place, followed by Ken Anderson in fourth, and Hugh Neff in fifth. The next five behind them, which includes the likes of Mitch and Dallas Seavey, as well as Sebastian Schnelle, are all into that checkpoint, but aren't like to contend for one of the top spots.

While we haven't seen any major blizzards like last year, which left the mushers and their dogs hunkered down for hours at a time, the weather has been a challenge none the less. Gusty winds and cold temperatures consistently dropping to -15ºF have definitely taken their toll on the racers and their pups.

As the turn into the home stretch, it's beginning to look like Mackey will become the first person to win four straight times. On the other hand, King, who has already announced his retirement from the race, is looking to join Rick Swenson as the only five-time winners of the Iditarod. He was trailing Mackey by 74-minutes as of this morning, and it seems that lead may have grown since then, but anything can happen out there in the wilderness, and the race isn't over until they're in Nome.

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Iditarod 2010: Familiar Names At The Top of the Leaderboard

The 2010 Iditarod has been officially underway since last Saturday, when the ceremonial start took place in Anchorage. On Sunday, the mushers and their teams moved over to Willow, where the real race began. Now, five days into this year's race, the top of the leaderboard is crowded with familiar names, any of whom could potentially be the first to cross the finish line in Nome.

It has been tough going so far for most of the field, as deep snow has made for slow progress until the mushers cleared the Alaska Range, when speeds began to pick up again. The Hans Gatt and Cim Smyth, top two racers, are currently into Ophir. Gatt has a 53 minute lead over Smyth at the moment, but both could leave the checkpoint at the same time depending on how aggressive their strategies are.

Currently in third place, and into the Takotna checkpoint, is four time champion Jeff King, who always seems to be lurking near the top of the standings. Mitch Seavey and John Baker hold down the fourth and fifth spots respectively, also into Takotna. Sebastian Schnuelle, Hugh Neff, Sven Haltmann, three time defending champ Lance Mackey, and Gerry Willomitzer round out the top ten.

King claimed the Penair Spirit of Alaska Award for being the first musher into McGrath. The award is a specially designed Spirit Mask an includes $500 of airfare or shipping on Peninsula Airways. This is just one of several awards that are given out to mushers for reaching checkpoints first.

Meanwhile, yesterday saw the first teams of the 2010 race scratch. According to the Iditablog, Michael Suprenant, Zoya DeNure, Karin Hendrickson, and Michael Suprenant all withdrew from the race at the Rainy Pass checkpoint. The reasons for the scratch ranged from medical reasons, to a broken sled.

Finally, a scary report from the trail as rookie musher Pat Moon, from Chicago, IL, was also forced to scratch after he crashed in the Dalzell Gorge. Apparently, Moon hit a tree and was found unconscious by fellow musher Sam Deltour. Moon was airlifted back to Anchorage and his dog team was taken into Rohn. All of the pups are said to be in good condition, and they are being transported back to Anchorage as well to rejoin their musher.

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2010 Iditarod Begins Tomorrow!

The 2010 Iditarod will get underway tomorrow with the ceremonial start in Anchorage, Alaska. There is a deep and experienced field of 71 mushers set to hit the trail for the 38th annual running of this event that is called "The Last Great Race", and is legendary the world over for its challenges.

With the ceremonial start out of the way, the true race will begin on Sunday from Willow, where the drivers, and their amazing sled dogs, will set off for Nome, some 1161 miles away. Being an even numbered year, the teams will take the Northern Route this season, which means they'll pass through the remote villages of Cripple, Ruby, Galena, and Nulato along their way to the finish line, with traditional checkpoints in places like Rainy Pass, Rhon, McGrath, Ophir, and many others making their annual appearances as well.

The 1100+ mile course will take anywhere from 10-20 days to complete, depending on conditions out on the trail. The race is quite the test of endurance for both the mushers and their dogs, as they face howling winds, challenging mountain passes, blizzards, and white out conditions. Winners receive a cut of the purse, which varies from year to year, and a new pick-up truck, which comes in pretty handy in Alaska.

The top mushers to watch in the year's race include three time defending champ Lance Mackey, who remains the best bet to win. Past champions Jeff King, Mitch Seavey and Martin Buser always remain threats to take it all, and of course, there always seems to be young, hungry challenger lurking in the pack.

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Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race Begins Tomorrow!

We're less than 24-hours away from the start of the Yukon Quest, the annual 1000 mile long sled dog race that runs from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, located in Canada’s Yukon Territory. The two week long event gets underway tomorrow morning, with the starting line on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks. From there, the trail will wander off into the remote wilderness, following an old mail route that was used during the Gold Rush era.

The official list of mushers currently has 24 names on it, including former champ, and sled dog legend, Lance Mackey, who is returning to the race after electing to not run in it last year. Mackey is the three time defending champ of the Iditarod as well, and back in 2007, he came the first person to win both the Yukon Quest and that race, in the same year.

Over the next few weeks, the mushers, and their sled dog teams, will be enduring some challenging conditions. It is notoriously cold in the Yukon, Fairbanks is currently -10ºF and Whitehorse is hovering around 0º as well. Blizzards can strike the region at any time, with high winds causing whiteout conditions. And yet these men, and their amazing dogs, will be out there anyway, doing what they love. You've got to respect that! For a very cool flyover of the Yukon Quest trail, powered by Google Earth, click here.

Should be a great race and a nice prelude to the Iditarod, which gets underway in 28 days.

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Iditarod 2009: Changing of the Guard?

The 2009 Iditarod is pretty much all wrapped up by now, with the bulk of the mushers coming into the finish line over the past few days. By now, everyone knows that Lance Mackey won his third straight title, cementing his legendary status even more fully. But something else interesting took place in the race, with the emergence of some younger mushers who gave strong performances, giving us a glimpse of the future of The Last Great Race.

Not the least of these young racers is Dallas Seavey, whose father Mitch won the Iditrod back in 2004, and finished 4th this year. Dallas, who is just 21 years old, claimed a 6th place finish for himself this year. A former winner of the Junior Iditarod, the younger Seavey looks poised to leave his mark on the sport for years to come.

While Dallas is clearly the standout for the younger generation in this year's race, there are a number of other good mushers in their 20's and 30's who are now starting to leave their mark on the race as well. It seems the Iditarod has a bright future in front of it, if the competitive field is to be used as a gauge.

But before we clear out the "old timers", lets not lose sight of the fact that Lance is just 38 years old himself, and could continue to dominate the race for years to come.

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Iditarod 2009: Mackey Into Nome!!

Lance Mackey has won the 2009 Iditarod, arriving in Nome this afternoon, and claiming his third straight victory in "The Last Great Race".

Behind Mackey, the race is on for second and third place. Both Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker are through the White Mountain checkpoint and are on their way to Safety, the last stop before the reach Nome as well. Aaron Burmeister and Mitch Seavey, both of whom are into White Mountain, round out the top five. Mitch's son Dallas, an up-and-coming star in the world of dog sled racing, is on his dad's heals in sixth place.

Major congratulations to Lance on an impressive run. He seemed to bide his time early on in the race, while guys like Schnueele and Hugh Neff set the pace early on. But once Lance made his move, he was clearly the strongest racer in the field, and only the inclement weather kept him from crossing the finish line sooner.

For his part, Schuelle has run a very impressive race, especially coming off his Yukon Quest win. And although my track record for predictions this year hasn't been all that great (Jeff King is now in 18h place!), I'm still going to predict that Sebastian will claim second place when it's all said and done.

Keep watching the Iditablog for updates and information as other mushers reach Nome.

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Iditarod 2009: Brutal Weather Impacts The Race!

Yesterday I made the bold prediction that Lance Mackey would cruise to his third consecutive Iditarod title, and that Jeff King would over take Sebastian Schnuelle to move into third place on the way to Nome. I even thought there would be an outside shot that I'd be able to announce the winner of the year's race by now. But, mother nature had other plans.

Yesterday, as the teams approached the coast, weather conditions turned brutal, with temperatures plummeting and nasty winds coming into play. Out on the trail, the mushers and their dogs endured -50º F temperatures, and the blowing snow made it impossible to see their way. Mackey made it into Koyuk, where he ended up staying for most of the day, while plenty of others were caught out on the trail when the conditions went bad. King actually turned around and went back to Shaktoolik, and according to this great post over at the Iditablog, is holed up in an old, run-down shack with a couple of other mushers and their dogs.

As of now, Mackey is into Elim and still in first place. Schnuelle is running in second, with John Baker in third. Both of them are through the checkpoint at Koyuk and are out on the trail somewhere, trying to chase Mackey down.

There has been some trouble at the back of the pack as well, as three rookie mushers got into some trouble yesterday. Race officials became worried when the three, who were traveling together at the time, were long overdue for the next checkpoint. Search teams were sent out and they discovered Lou Packer on the trail, with two of his dogs dead, the cause of which is currently unknown. Lou and his team were lifted off the course at that time. The other two mushers, Kim Darst and Blake Matray ended up scratching as well, and had to be led off the course by a snow mobile team who came to find them. The high winds had covered the trail in snow leaving them stranded and unsure where to go to the next checkpoint.

Hopefully we'll have more news soon. It looks like Mackey still is the odds on favorite to finish first, and the battle is on for second and third. There will be a major scramble for the rest of the spots on the leaderboard once conditions improve.

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Iditarod 2009: Can Anyone Catch Lance?

It was a busy weekend in Alaska, as the top mushers now have their sites set on Nome, and the finish line to the 1100 mile Iditarod. Late last week, two-time defending champ Lance Mackey made a big move and took the lead, and he hasn't given it up since, despite some tough competition nipping at his heels.

As of now, Mackey has blasted through the Shaktoolik checkpoint, which puts him less than 170 miles from his goal of a third straight victory in "The Last Great Race". But he isn't home yet, and Yukon Quest champ Sabastian Schnuelle is still in second place and hoping to get his first win in the Iditarod as well. Not far behind Schnuelle is is four time winner Jeff King, who steadily made his way up the leaderboard this weekend to put himself in a position to make a run at Mackey as well. Schnuelle, King, and the rest of the top ten are all through Unalakleet and heading towards Shaktoolik.

At this point, I personally think Mackey is a lock for his third straight win, but it isn't over yet, and there are plenty of miles to on the trail. But Lance is one of the best racers in the world and knows his team very well, and I think he has them in a position that it is nearly impossible to catch them. I'm also going to go out on a limb and predict that King will pass Schnuelle and claim second place. He seems to be running faster at the moment, and running the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back to back may have taken it's toll. We'll find out soon however, as the winner will probably be in Nome by tomorrow.

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Iditarod 2009: Makey On The Move!

You knew it was only a matter of time before two-time defending champ Lance Mackey made his move, and he did so yesterday afternoon, and as a result, he now has the lead in the 2009 Iditarod. Mackey is through the Shageluk checkpoint, meaning he's now covered more than 600 of the 1100 mile course.

Currently in second place on the leaderboard is Sebastian Schnuelle, winner of this year's Yukon Quest. He's also into Shageluk, but is roughly four hours behind Lance, and as of this writing he hasn't left in pursuit yet. Aaron Burmeister is running in third at the moment, with a number of mushers on the trail behind him hoping to make up ground.

Mackey seems to be putting the hammer down and hoping to put some distance between him and the competition, but with Nome not quite in sight yet, the rest strategy may still come into play. Especially considering the conditions out on the trail are said to be demanding. At the moment, Lance is breaking trail for those that follow, and that's much harder on his dogs. It remains to be seen if he can keep up the pace and claim a third straight Iditarod. I wouldn't bet against him though.

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Iditarod 2009: Crowded Leaderboard into Takotna

The 2009 Iditarod continues to be a very competitive race, with a large group fairly close to one another out on the trail. The bulk of the leaders are now in, and out, of Takotna, and making their way to Ophir, where three mushers have already arrived.

As of this writing, the official leaderboard has Martin Buser in to Ophir first, followed by Jim Lanier, with Aaron Burmeister third. Burmeister has a leg up on the other two however, as he has already taken his mandatory 24 hour rest, which will likely come back to haunt Buser and Lanier, as those lurking behind them on the trail have made the decision to take that break already.

Notables that are chasing the top three include Hugh Neff (4), Sebastian Schnuelle (5), Lance Mackey (6), and Jeff King (8), all of whom have taken their mandatory 24-hour rest as well. Schnuelle and Neff recently went one, two at the Yukon Quest in one of the closest races in the history of that race.

The Ophir checkpoint is 444 miles into the race, leaving 687 miles to Nome. At this point in the race, we're beginning to see the contenders start to separate themselves from the pack, and yet there are still a number of teams that can win this thing. The strategy of when to rest and when to go on, is really interesting to watch, as it can make or break the race for some of these guys. The Iditablog, which has some great content on the race, is also making updates via their Twitter feed. In their latest post, they note that Buser has elected to stay in Ophir, while the others get moving again, and the move will likely cost him a Top 10 finish. That remains to be seen of course, but those who have already rested, will pass him shortly.

Long way to go until Nome of course, but it's beginning to look like a race between Neff and Schnuelle with Mackey and King nipping at their heels. Should be fun to watch the rest of the way.

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Iditarod 2009: Mushers Through Rohn, Gebhardt Leads!

It's been a fast and furious first couple of days at the 2009 Iditarod. The large group of mushers have already gone in and out Rohn and are well on their way to the next checkpoint at Nikolai. A quick look at the current standings shows Paul Gebhardt holds the official lead, with Yukon Quest champion Sebastian Schnuelle in second place, followed by two time defending champ Lance Mackey in third.

Of course, the actual placement out on the course could be vastly different, and according to the Iditablog, Schnuelle and Hugh Neff are actually out in front of the group, battling to be the first to arrive in Nikolai. Gebhardt is said to be just a few miles back, with Mitch Seavey and Aaaron Burmeister are giving chase.

The trail reportedly has a good deal of snow on it now, which means that the pace will slow down some in the days ahead. Temperatures are hovering around 28ºF as well, which should help conditions some, and the run from Rohn to Nikolai is notoriously windy, so the teams are no doubt looking forward to getting this leg behind them.

There are a lot of racers bunched up near the top right now, and I expect that things will begin to shake out in the next few days. I expect Jeff King, who is currently sitting in 14th place on the official chart, to make a move to get near the top once again. He's been running some fast times between the checkpoints, and also is stocking up on rest time as well. That should serve him and his team well down the stretch. But really, the top ten reads like a whose-who of the Iditarod, with any number of good racers sitting in a good place.

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Iditarod 2009: Schnuelle Leads Early On

Sebastian Schnuelle, winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest, currently leads this year's Iditarod as well, with the top mushers already out of Finger Lake. Not far behind Schnuelle is Paul Gebhardt, with Ed Iten currently holding down third place. Two time defending champ Lance Mackey is giving chase in fourth, part of a pack further back.

The race got off to it's ceremonial start on Saturday, where thousands of fans lined the streets in downtown Anchorage to wish the mushers, and their dogs, well. The race resumed yesterday with the official start, and the teams have been jockeying for position ever since. The top racers are through Finger Lake and are now en route to Rainy Pass, having already covered more than 200 miles.

This early in the race it is difficult to make any predictions and you have to temper your enthusiasm some. The course is 1100 miles in length, and the most demanding stages are yet to come, but it is always encouraging to see some of the top names battling out on the leaderboard even in the early standings. Schnuelle looks like he's come to prove that his big, record setting win in the Yukon Quest was no fluke, and he's hoping to join Mackey as the only man to win that race and the Iditarod in the same year. But there are Iditarod vets looming just outside the top ten, biding their time, and waiting to make a move. Should be a great race to watch unfold.

For more news and information, checkout the Iditablog where you'll find thoughts on the race, a good podcast for fan, and more. Also, follow their updates on twitter as well.

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Iditarod 2009: "Last Great Race" Gets Underway Tomorrow

The 2009 Iditarod, dubbed "The Last Great Race", will have it's ceremonial start tomorrow in downtown Anchorage, when 73 of the top mushers in the world will make the 20 mile first leg to Campbell Airstrip, where the race will officially get underway on Sunday.

This year's race will be taking the southern route, as it typically does on the odd numbered years. The course is more than 1100 miles in length and stretches all the way to Nome, recreating the famous route that was taken by sled dog teams that delivered medicine to the remote regions of Alaska back in 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic broke out.

The field or racers for this year's event include two time defending champ Lance Mackey along with his arch-rival Jeff King, who is a four time winner himself. They'll be joined by the likes of Rick Swenson, the only five time winner of the race, and veteran racer Mitch Seavey, amongst many others. Sebastian Schnuelle, the winner of the Yukon Quest a few weeks back, is hoping to become the second man, after Mackey, to win both events in the same year.

It should be interesting to see who dominates the front of the race this year. Last year it was a game of cat and mouse between Mackey and King all the way to Nome, with Mackey pulling out ever trick in the book, including pretending to sleep, to get the edge on the faster and more well rested King. It's unlikely that King will fall for similar tactics this year however. Perhaps we'll see some new names rise to the top of the leaderboard, as the race seems to always have a few surprises waiting for us. Can't wait to see what they are! Go luck everyone!

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Iditarod 2009: Pre-Race Hype!

The 2009 Iditarod gets underway this Saturday, with the ceremonial start in Anchorage, followed by the proper start on Sunday. This year, the 1100+ mile event, dubbed "The Last Great Race" will take the Southern Route, used in odd years, and will pit the worlds best mushers against one another to see who can reach Nome the fastest.

As the race nears, some stories have begun to crop up ahead of the dog sleds taking off this weekend. Outside Online has two nice articles today, the first of which is an interview with Sebastian Schnuelle, who just won the Yukon Quest, in record time no less,and is now gearing up to have a go at the Iditarod as well. The German talks about his background in the sport, what drew him to sled dogs, and what a typical day is like out on the trail during one of these events. It's a good interview and it's nice to see Sebastian getting some recognition in the press.

Of course, only one one man has ever won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year, and that man is Lance Mackey, who will be going for his third straight win when the race gets underway on Saturday. Outside Online has a profile on Mackey as well, calling him "The Other Lance". The article is a bit outdated, as Mackey didn't compete in this year's Yukon Quest, but he is gearing up to defend his Iditarod title against a very strong field of competitors. Lance hopes to join the ranks of the Iditarod legends by winning his third straight, putting him in some very heady company.

I always look forward to this classic race each year. It's generally a lot of fun to follow online and watch events unfold. This year should be no different. Can't wait for it to start!

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Discovery Channel Brings The Iditarod Home

A week from today, on October 14th, the Discovery Channel will air the first episode it's new series Iditarod which will take an inside look at the iconic Alaskan sled dog race as it's never been seen before.

Billed as "the last great race", the Iditarod is run each year from Anchorage to Nome through some of the most remote backcountry in a state that is mostly made up of backcountry. The trail itself, which has two variations, is over 1000 miles in length, and tests the skill and strength of both the men and the dogs who challenge it.

The show will follow the 2008 Iditarod, which took place last March, and saw 96 teams set out from Anchorage. Discovery hopes to give us an inside look at the men and women who compete in the event, as well as the strategies and training sessions of the top racers.

Over at the show's official site, you'll find information about the top mushers, including Lance Mackey, Jeff King, and DeeDee Jonrowe. You'll also find more information about the trail itself, with some history of the event and the places along the route. If that isn't enough, check out the Iditarod Quiz and a great feature on these very special dogs.

I've already got the DVR set for this one. I'm not sure how they can top the coverage provided by Versus last Spring, which was excellent and very timely, airing just a few weeks after the race. But this is Discovery we're talking about here, so I have not doubt that it'll be very well done. By the way, the Discovery website got a makeover it seems and it was long overdue in my book. It's easier to navigate now and loads a bit quicker too.

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Iditarod 2008: Mackey Wins!!!

Lance Mackey made history once again this morning by claiming his second straight Iditarod Championship, arriving in Nome one hour and 19 minutes ahead of his rival Jeff King, who claimed second place. At this time, there are no other mushers into Nome. Mackey completes his "double-double" claiming back to back victories in both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest in the same year. (He's won the Yukon four years running now.)

Mackey's win comes in spite of the fact that we'd been hearing that his team was tired and no match for King's which was well rested and running strong. But according to this story over at the Eye On The Trail Blog, Mackey pulled a fast one on King by sneaking out of Elim just as King laid down for a nap. From there, Mackey ski-poled for six hours to maintain his lead, and in the end, it was enough to see him all the way to Nome, and his second Iditarod win.

As of now, the race is for third place. The current leaderboard has Ramey Smyth running third, with Ken Anderson in fourth, and Martin Buser holding down the fifth spot. We should see quite a few mushers arrive in Nome throughout the day today, as the 2008 race comes to an end.

I want to extend a hearty congratulations to both Lance Mackey and Jeff King. Both men ran a great race, and Mackey pulled out all the stops to get to Nome first, but the competition, strategy, and gamesmanship between these two Iditarod champions shows why this is still The Last Great Race. Hopefully, both Lance and Jeff, along with all their pups are getting some much deserved sleep right about now.

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Iditarod 2008: King Toying With Mackey?

We're already into day 11 of "The Last Great Race" and the two names at the top of the leaderboard remain the same as they have since the first few days. Lance Mackey still leads, and Jeff King still chases. Both men are into White Mountain, with Mackey holding roughly an hour lead.

These two men were the first off the sea ice, and are now setting their sights clearly on Nome, but according to this story over at Eye On The Trail, the official Iditarod Blog, Mackey thinks that King may be just playing with him at this point. He is quoted as saying "wish we had another 24 hour break. I’d definitely take it.” His team is tired, and not as strong as King's, who seems to be just biding his time, waiting to make his final move. The article also says "Mackey was plainly frustrated; King was serene." Which is pretty telling about the state of mind of both men.

Despite these reports however, Mackey is hanging tough, and I'm not going to count him out until the race is over. King is a tough competitor, and holds four wins in the Iditarod already, but Mackey keeps moving, and the last stages are shaping up to be some of the most exciting and tense we've seen in recent years.

Iditarod.com currently has Hans Gatt listed in third place, followed by Ken Anderson and Ramey Smyth.

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