Non-Alaskan Breezes in Iditarod
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NOME, Alaska — The trail-savvy veterans of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race chuckled at Doug Swingley’s strategy of running way out front early in the race, figuring his team would eventually fade.
Proving them wrong, the rancher from Simms, Mont., drove the nine dogs left through the cheering fans lining Nome’s historic Front Street to win the 23rd Iditarod.
His official time for the 1,100-mile race was 9 days, 2 hours, 43 minutes, by far eclipsing the previous race record of 10:13:03 set last year by Martin Buser of Big Lake. But the times aren’t comparable because the first 24 hours of this year’s race didn’t count against elapsed time, as they did last year.
Swingley, running in his fourth Iditarod, earned the top prize of $52,500 and a new pickup truck as the first non-Alaskan to win the race.
“That’s a personal victory for myself because I’ve got a lot of competitors in the Lower 48,” he said.
Buser was second, six hours off Swingley’s pace.
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