Dallas Seavey crossed under the burled arch in Nome at 4:13 a..m. Wednesday, securing his second-consecutive Iditarod win and his third four years.
This is his third win in four years.
The 27-year old musher says he’s not the only young member of his team. Many of his dogs are only three years old.
“This team’s going to have a long future, and we’ve trained them that way all the way back to 2013 when we kind of put the brakes on and finished in a strong fourth, rather than trying to race for third or second,” Seavey said. “We were preserving this team because there is so much talent.”
Some sled dogs can race beyond the age of eight. Seavey says is team has a long future of competitive mushing ahead.
“You’re going to see these guys coming back again and again and again. That’s our focus is consistently being in the top.”
The repeat champion says he has enjoyed his previous wins, but he says this year’s championship is particularly meaningful.
“This team was a team that could dominate, and they did, so that was pretty awesome,” he said. “So as far as them being able to easily do what I asked them to do? This team was the most fun to run in that regard.”
He finished the race in 8 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 6 seconds.
Seavey made the 22 mile run from Safety, the Iditarod’s final stop before the finish line in Nome, in three hours.
Josh: APRN trail reporter Emily Schwing is in Nome. Good Morning Emily.
Emily: Good morning, Josh.
Josh: Emily, what’s it like in Nome this morning?
Emily: Well, there is a crowd, but compared to previous years, it’s a little smaller and people aren’t nearly as exuberant as I’ve seen them at previous Iditarod finishes. However, they were in great spirits when Dallas Seavey crossed the finish line with 9 dogs this morning and one in the [sled] bag.
Josh: This is Dallas Seavey’s third championship. What do you think is different about this win in comparison to others.
Emily: Yeah, this team that he’s running is a real special team to Dallas. This is the first time he’s run this race where he’s working with dogs that he’s had since they were puppies. In previous years, you know, he’s had dogs that he’s purchased from other kennels. But, I think his attachment to his team on this one is a little bit more meaningful.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
