It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline.
Quite unbelievable, Lance Mackey wins. He is from,
Fairbanks, AK, USA
Bib Number: 6
Final Position: 1
Checkpoint: Nome
Time In: Wed, March 12, 2008 02:46:48
Dogs In: 11
Finishing Time: 9 Days 11 Hours 46 Minutes 48 Seconds
Average Speed: 4.56 MPH
Lance Mackey, 36, was born and raised in Alaska. The 2007 Iditarod champion and three time Yukon Quest champion (and current record holder) says he began mushing “at birth.” “I grew up around racing and the Iditarod. I was at the finish line in 1978 to see my father, Dick Mackey, win by one second. In 1983, my older brother, Rick, won. Both my father and brother won wearing bib #13 in their sixth Iditarod.” Last year was Lance’s sixth Iditarod and he won wearing bib #13, just as he had planned. He says, “I like old stuff, my wife calls junk.” He and Tonya are the parents of Amanda, 19, Brittney, 17, Alanah, 16 and Cain, 15.
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The Iditarod races started this past weekend in Alaska.
Historically protested by animal rights groups, the race pits sledding dogs against the worst forces of nature in our country in a 1,150 mile race in the Alaskan wilderness. The official Iditarod site even says,
Mother Nature…throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra, and miles of windswept coast…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…”