Lance Mackey

by Kevin Wells Monday, June 29, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- It may be the middle of summer, but mushers are already dedicating themselves to Iditarod 38. Sixty mushers committed themselves on the first weekend of signups -- but only one from Jamaica. Newton Marshall ran the Yukon Quest last year, finishing in 13th place. Now he's ready for more elite competition in the Iditarod. Marshall, who's likely the only musher sponsored by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, will be training with three-time defending champion Lance Mackey.

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 Lance Mackey won the race last Wednesday, and 15 either scratched or were withdrawn.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 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.

Editor's note : A link to the live stream will appear on the KTUU.com homepage when the live broadcast is about to begin. Early estimates put Mackey's arrival in Nome at between 11:30 a.m. and noon. by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, March 18, 2009 NOME, Alaska -- Lance Mackey has cleared the last checkpoint in The Last Great Race and is on his way to Nome's burled arch to claim his third straight victory. Channel 2 and KTUU.com will air the finish live in approximately two and a half to three hours.

by Kevin Wells Tuesday, March 17, 2009 NOME, Alaska -- Lance Mackey can sense the finish line of Iditarod 37 : the two-time defending champion has left White Mountain and is less than 77 miles from victory. He left White Mountain at 2:11 a.m. bound for Safety, then Nome. His estimated time of arrival at the finish line is roughly noon. KTUU.com will send out e-mail and text message alerts with the approximate on-air time for the live finish from Nome when Mackey reaches Safety.

by Kevin Wells Monday, March 16, 2009 NOME, Alaska -- Chasing Lance Mackey is sort of like chasing a ghost. Leaving an hour after his pursuers arrive in checkpoints, Mackey has been leaving them in his wake. For the trip along the Bering Sea coast Mackey put his cagey veteran Larry, a former Golden Harness winner, back in the lead. And as the sun set on Monday, any realistic chance of catching the Iditarod leader was also receding. By early Wednesday it's very likely the Iditarod will crown Mackey a three-time champion.

by Andrew Hinkelman Wednesday, March 18, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In the span of two years and three Iditarods, Lance Mackey has gone from miracle worker to the undisputed reigning king of The Last Great Race. Mackey won his third consecutive Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday, putting an exclamation point on mushing's latest dynasty. Only two other mushers have won three in a row -- Susan Butcher from 1986-88 and Doug Swingley 1999-2001.

by Kevin Wells Sunday, March 15, 2009 UNALAKLEET, Alaska -- Historically, the Iditarod truly becomes a race at the Bering Sea coast: Lance Mackey won his first two championships by coming from behind after leaving the Yukon River. But this year, it seems the only way Mackey won't win is by making a serious mistake -- something he's already done when he fell asleep in between Shageluk and Anvik , and he still has a monumental lead. Off the vast Yukon River on his way to the frigid coast, Mackey is hours in front and acting on instinct.

by Kevin Wells Saturday, March 14, 2009 UNALAKLEET, Alaska -- Even as a two-time defending Iditarod champion, Lance Mackey has never been in such a comfortable position. Behind what might be his beast dog team yet, Mackey has built a huge lead over the rest of the field. "It's hard to get two minutes on these guys, let alone two hours," he said of his team, which remained intact all the way to Eagle Island before he finally dropped a dog. "Anything beyond that is amazing.

by Channel 2 News staff Friday, March 13, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Two-time defending champion Lance Mackey retook the lead in the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race late Friday night as the trio of competitors who passed him in Anvik  presumably settled in for their mandatory eight-hour layovers in Grayling . Earlier Friday four-time champion Jeff King , Yukon Quest winner Sebastian Schnuelle ...