Sled Dog Race Shaping Up for Photo Finish

Mushers Joe Runyan and Susan Butcher were racing one behind the other today in a dash down the last stretch of trail to Nome in what could be a photo finish in the 1,168-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

Hundreds of people have gathered in this historic Gold Rush town to await the finish today as race narrowed to a two-team contest.

Runyan left Safety, 22 miles from finish, at 11:22 a.m. Alaska time (12:22 p.m. PST). He dropped three of his team at the final checkpoint and headed for Nome with 11 dogs.

Three-time champion Susan Butcher last was reported trailing Runyan by about five miles.

Runyan arrived in White Mountain, about 77 miles from the finish early Wednesday an hour before Butcher, meaning he and his dogs benefited from additional rest.

Race officials expected the winner to claim the $50,000 first-prize sometime around 3 p.m. PST.

Rick Swenson, the only musher ever to win the race four times, arrived in White Mountain an hour before Runyan left, but said Runyan’s team was just too strong for him to catch.

Runyan pulled into White Mountain, the last inhabited checkpoint before Nome, at 1:01 a.m. today and said, “I ran faster than Susan all day (Tuesday). Unless there’s a dramatic shift, I should be faster today, too.”

Butcher arrived at White Mountain one hour later than Runyan but left on his tail. That means she rested her dog team less time in order to catch up with him.

The question being asked in Nome was whether Runyan’s extra rest would give his team the strength and endurance for a stronger push to the finish line or whether he waited too long, allowing Butcher to catch up and mount a winning sprint to the finish line.

Resting Team Important

Runyan attributes great importance to resting his team. “It’s like a battery that gets run down and needs charging up again.”

Although Runyan voiced confidence that he could snap Butcher’s three-year winning streak, he was worried.

When he pulled in to White Mountain alone, he said he was safely ahead and would stay that way unless Butcher was 10 minutes or less behind him. She was an hour behind him coming into White Mountain, five minutes behind him going out.

Runyan, 40, and Butcher, 34, both have large kennels that raise Alaska sled dogs. Runyan lives south of Fairbanks near Nenana, and Butcher lives in a tiny community west of Fairbanks called Eureka, near Manley.

Runyan has won sled dog races in Europe, Canada and Alaska, but not the Iditarod.

Forty-nine mushers left Anchorage on March 4 on what is called the world’s longest sled dog race.