

You can’t compare it to any other competitive
event in the world. A race over 1150 miles of
the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother
Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain
ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate
tundra and miles of windswept coast at the
mushers and their dog teams. Add to that
temperatures far below zero, winds that can
cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of
overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous
climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.
A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.
From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome
on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12
to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles
in 10 to 17 days.
Earlier today, as heavy morning fog gave way to clear
blue skies, Iditarod XXXIV got underway in downtown
Anchorage. Thousands of race fans from all over the
world were on hand to be a part of the 'Last Great Race
on Earth'.
Less than 260 miles now separate Swingley and King from the finish line beneath the burled arch in Nome. The first one there stands to collect $69,000 and a new Dodge truck, but Swingley said he's not going to try to press.
Jeff King Wins Iditarod XXXIV
The Denali Musher Claims his Fourth Iditarod Title
Under a full moon, with festival lighting strung overhead, Jeff King stood on top of his sled, arms high in the air: And the crowd roared. Early Wednesday morning, revelers headed out onto Nome’s Front Street to welcome the previously three-time Iditarod Champion Jeff King. After 9 Days, 11 Hours, 11 Minutes and 36 Seconds, his team glided under the arch, looking just as strong as they did arriving in Unalakleet two days earlier. Upon arrival, King was reunited with two members of his family: Daughter Ellen and wife Donna were equally excited as he by his fourth Iditarod victory. His two other daughters, Cali and Tessa, couldn’t make it to Nome from the colleges that they are attending, but that didn’t stop Jeff from talking to them: “Guys, we did it!” he said through the camera. After completing one last ‘sled check’, Jeff’s time and win became official. He now joins the elite club of four-time winners, including Martin Buser, Susan Butcher, Doug Swingley and Rick Swenson (who has won 5 Iditarods). King also has the distinction of being the oldest musher to win the Last Great Race, at the age of 50.With one musher in and seventy-one still on the trail, the Iditarod is far from over. Doug Swingley will arrive later this morning, and 6 other teams are currently completing the final run from White Mountain to Nome. Tonight, however, the streets of Nome belong to Jeff King and his team: Another chapter in Iditarod history has been written.