The latest Iditarod winner is no stranger to the race — or the victory. Lance Mackey followed his 2007 Iditarod win with another victory this year.
The Iditarod (for those who aren’t familiar) is an eleven hundred mile dogsled race. It commemorates a 1925 sled dog run that brought diphtheria medication to Nome, Alaska. The 2008 race was the thirty-sixth year of the grueling competition. New to the race this year: a tracking system that allows fans to follow the progress of the top eighteen mushers online. Future races may include the ability to track ALL competitors — a bonus for friends and families of racers who may not be at the front of the pack.
When it comes to dogsled racing, Mackey is pretty amazing. In 2007, he won both the Iditarod and the one thousand mile Yukon Quest. 2008 marks his second Iditarod victory and his fourth Yukon Quest crown. Mackey’s father and brother are also previous Iditarod winners.
Even more amazing? Lance Mackey is a throat cancer survivor. (What is it about athletes named Lance?)
Mackey says that he is “blessed with an incredible dog team.” But that team didn’t sail through the race without difficulties. During the early part of the race, the dogs suffered from diarrhea; a scuffle between two strong alpha dogs left one dog injured and unable to continue the trek.
Nature also made the way difficult. The trail normally crosses frozen rivers and runs along sea ice. Unseasonably warm weather made travel slower than usual. But even that didn’t stop Mackey from completing the race in just over nine day’s time.
Out of eighty-two teams that started the race, twelve have dropped out and one has been withdrawn. Three dogs did not survive the Iditarod — one was struck by a snowmobile. The deaths of the other two are being investigated.