Lance Mackey

  Residence: Fairbanks, Alaska Age: 38 No. of Iditarods: 8 First Iditarod: 2001 Best Finish: 1st, twice (2007, 2008) Courtesy Jeff Schultz/ Iditarod Click photo for more information

by The Associated Press Tuesday, March 4, 2008 TALKEETNA, Alaska -- Defending champion Lance Mackey was the first musher out of the Nikolai checkpoint today in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.      Mackey rested his dog team for over four hours and then took to the trail, taking the lead with him.      Norway's Kjetil Backen had been the first musher into Nikolai, 401 miles into the race.

by Kevin Wells Wednesday, March 18, 2009 In an interview with Channel 2 News, 2009 Iditarod champion Lance Mackey talks about his team's outstanding performance on the trail. Kevin Wells: The dogs coming into today look great. It was like they had just started the race. That had to be the sight to see. Lance Mackey: That's the highlight of my race right there, not winning another new truck, not winning gold along the way, but my team made it to the finish line acting like they were leaving the starting line.

by Channel 2 News staff Saturday, February 27, 2010 A missing lead dog from Lance Mackey's team has been found. Mackey says a female dog named Girlfriend took off Friday as he was taking her out of her truck kennel in the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriott on Spenard Road. She was spotted by a number of people in the Sand Lake area, including Mackey, but none of them were able to get close to her because she was scared. Mackey says at about 4 a.m. Saturday, employees from Million Air Company found her near the airport and turned her in. Mackey called it a nice ending to a bad day. "It was just heart-wrenching," Mackey said.

Interview by Steve Mac Donald Wednesday, March 12, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- More than nine days and one long trail did little to separate Lance Mackey and Jeff King. After duking it out mile after mile, the two joined Channel 2 News for an interview. Channel 2 News: You told Channel 2 early this morning that the race was won in the village of Elim. Take us back to the checkpoint, tell us what happened. Did you really sneak out of there? Lance Mackey: That's exactly what happened.

Iditarod Champions 1973-2011        1973  Dick Wilmarth  20:00:49:41  1974  Carl Huntington   20:15:02:07  1975  Emmitt Peters  14:14:43:45  1976  Gerald Riley   18:22:58:17  1977  Rick Swenson   16:16:27:13  1978  Dick Mackey   14:18:52:24  1979  Rick Swenson   15:10:37:47  1980  Joe May ...

by The Associated Press Tuesday, March 24, 2009 NOME, Alaska -- The last musher has reached the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race finish line. Rookie Timothy Hunt of Marquette, Mich., finished early Tuesday morning, the 52nd musher to arrive in Nome. Sixty-seven mushers started the race March 8 near Anchorage. Lance Mackey won the race last Wednesday, and 15 either scratched or were withdrawn. The 43-year-old Hunt completed the 1,100-mile race in 15 days, 14 hours and 6 minutes.

by Channel 2 News Staff Tuesday, March 11, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In a poll conducted Tuesday, March 11, Channel 2 News asked viewers who they thought would be the first to Nome. Nearly three-fourths of the 823 respondents think Mackey will repeat. Here is the official question and results: Who's your best guess to win this year's Iditarod? Hans Gatt                         0% Jeff King                         23% Lance Mackey              74% Another musher               3% All polls conducted by KTUU.

As of Sunday evening, only a few dogsled teams in the Copper Basin 300 had made it out of Wolverine Lodge. Musher Jake Berkowitz was leading the way, about an hour and 20 minutes ahead of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Rage champion Lance Mackey. Brent Sass was in third. Check KTUU.com and watch the 5:00 Report Monday for updates on the race. Contact Charlie Sokaitis at csokaitis@ktuu.com

by The Associated Press Sunday, January 31, 2010 FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Three mushers have dropped out of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. The field for the 1,000-mile race has narrowed to 24 mushers after the withdrawal of Jason Mackey, Becca Moore and Ramey Smith. The race begins in Fairbanks at 11 a.m. Saturday en route to Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory. Four-time champion Lance Mackey -- a three-time Iditarod winner -- and original Quest winner Sonny Lindner are among contenders who remain.

Lance Mackey narrowly retained his lead in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Wednesday afternoon, pressured by other mushers on his heels and Martin Buser's rise through the ranks after an unconventional fast run to Rohn. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, GPS tracking and race standings showed Mackey leading the race about 20 miles out from the town of Iditarod, with Sonny Lindner's team in second place about five miles behind him. Jeff King, the only other musher to leave the previous checkpoint of Ophir, was about in third 15 miles behind Lindner.

The 66 mushers competing in Iditarod XLI drew for start positions at Thursday night's start banquet.  Six past champions are in the race, including defending champion Dallas Seavey.  His father, 2004 champion Mitch Seavey is also entered in the race, as are four-time winners Martin Buser, Jeff King, and Lance Mackey, plus 2011 winner and record holder John Baker.  The ceremonial start begins at 10am Saturday on 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage.  ...

Iditarod Champions 1973-2011        1973  Dick Wilmarth  20:00:49:41  1974  Carl Huntington   20:15:02:07  1975  Emmitt Peters  14:14:43:45  1976  Gerald Riley   18:22:58:17  1977  Rick Swenson   16:16:27:13  1978  Dick Mackey   14:18:52:24  1979  Rick Swenson   15:10:37:47  1980  Joe May ...

The ceremonial start begins on Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. on 4 th Avenue in Anchorage. 67 mushers have signed up including last year's champion Dallas Seavey, Willow. Former Iditarod champions are also back in the running and they include five-time champ Rick Swenson, four-time champs Lance Mackey, Martin Buser, and Jeff King. The field of teams are mainly from Alaska, with some hailing from the U.S. and Canada and several other International teams. The 2013 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Starting Position 1, Jan Newton, 2013 Honorary Musher 2, Martin Buser, Big Lake, AK 3, Scott Janssen, Anchorage, AK 4, Jodi Bailey, Chatanika, AK 5, Lance Mackey, Fairbanks, AK 6, Ken Anderson, Fairbanks, AK 7, Michelle Phillips.

Hugh Neff has won the 2012 Yukon Quest crossing the finish line in Whitehorse at 5:14 a.m. Tuesday and winning by 26 seconds, the closest finish in race history and the only time the first two teams have come in less than one minute apart.   Neff captured victory in the 1,000 mile sled dog race by beating Allen Moore in a wild sprint to the finish.  At one point, Moore had a 42-minute lead out of Braeburn.  Neff, traveling...

Anchorage police arrested Tonga Mackey, the wife of four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Lance Mackey, at a Spenard hotel on misdemeanor assault charges Monday night. According to APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker, witnesses say Mackey, 42, assaulted one of her family members in the foyer and parking lot at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Mackey was held overnight Monday without bail and arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Police believe alcohol was a factor. Email Amberia Hill

With less than two months to go until the start date, previous champions Lance Mackey and Sonny Lindner headline the field for the 2012 Yukon Quest.  The early signup period for the 1,000 mile sled dog race expired late last week, bringing the number of entries thus far to 32 teams.  Any other interested mushers can sign up for the race by the drop-deadline of January 7th, but there is an increase in the entry fee from $1,500 to...

Saturday marked the first day for the 2012 Yukon Quest signups. Among other notable mushers, Lance Mackey has decided to return this year. The legendary musher has won the one thousand mile race four times, from 2005-08.  This year's purse is set at a minimum of $150,000. With that incentive, other mushers who signed up for the 2012 Yukon Quest are: 1. Brent Sass 2. Kyla Durham 3. Lance Mackey 4. Judy Currier 5. Abbie West 6. Jason Weitzel 7. Sonny Lindner 8. Mike Ellis 9. Paige Drobny 10. Becca Moore 11. Tony Angelo 12. Misha Pedersen 13. Gus Guenther 14. Allen Moore 15. Colleen Robertia

The 39th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has officially come to an end. Ellen Halverson made history as she crossed the finish line in last position. She is the first musher to get the Red Lantern award twice. Halverson, of Wasilla, finished the race in 13 days, 19 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds with nine dogs on her team. She finished last in the race in 2007 as well. The award banquet was held Sunday night. Musher Aliy Zirkle was presented with the humanitarian award by the race’s chief veterinarian.

The Top 36 Teams in the Iditarod have crossed under the burled arch. Since Thursday morning, six more teams have arrived. Rookie Jodi Bailey became the first musher to finish both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod as a rookie in the same year with her 31st-place finish Thursday afternoon. Lachlan Clarke finished just three minutes later. Rookie Magnus Kaltenborn finished early Friday morning. Paul Johnson finished Friday morning at 9:18 a.m. Cain Carter, the stepson of four-time winner Lance Mackey, came in at 10:39 a.m. Friday.