Mitch Seavey

  Residence: Seward, Alaska Age: 49 No. of Iditarods: 16 First Iditarod: 1982 Best Finish: 1st, 2004 Courtesy Jeff Schultz/ Iditarod Click photo for more information ...

by Channel 2 News staff Monday, March 3, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Mitch Seavey was the first musher into Rainy Pass, checking in at 11:10 this morning. Rainy Pass is the highest elevation on the this year's route at 3,771 feet above sea level. There are 95 mushers on the trail.      G. B. Jones dropped out Saturday night before the restart Sunday.      Mushers are competing for part of an $875,000 purse. It will be split among the top 30 finishers to reach Nome.

A hand injury early Thursday morning has caused Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officials to withdraw 2004 champion Mitch Seavey from the race at Ophir. According to the Iditarod Trail Committee, Seavey was cutting open a bale of straw at the Ophir checkpoint when he injured his fingers. Race Marshal Mark Nordman examined Seavey’s wounds and determined at 4:11 a.m. that they were severe enough to warrant his withdrawal. ”I literally flinched. I felt like I cut my own hand again.

Mitch Seavey has captured another championship in the Iditarod XLI Trail Sled Dog Race , covering nearly 1,000 miles from Willow to the burled arch in Nome, after an intense showdown with last year's runner-up. The 53-year-old Seavey, of Seward, checked in first around 10:39 p.m. Tuesday, marking his second victory. Seavey and his 10 dogs crossed the finish line on Front Street ahead of contender Aliy Zirkle. The showdown began Tuesday within the last 77 miles at White Mountain where the race boiled down to under 15 minutes between Seavey and Zirkle, however that gap expanded at the last checkpoint in Safety.

STORY UPDATED AT 5:42 p.m. 3/10/13: After spending nearly 5 hours in Unalakleet, Mitch Seavey checked out of the Norton Sound community in first place at 3:10 p.m. Sunday. 15 minutes behind the leader was Aaron Burmeister who also spent nearly 5 hours at the checkpoint. 4-time champ Jeff King and his 13 dogs leapfrogged the competition to third place from Kaltag and left Unalakleet shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday. Here's what the Iditarod standing look like as of 5:13 p.m. Sunday: 1. Mitch Seavey - Unalakleet (Out)

STORY UPDATED AT 10:45 p.m. 3/11/13: The race to White Mountain started Monday night with race leader Mitch Seavey heading out in first place. The 2004 champ and his 10 dogs hit the trails at 9:25 p.m. after reclaiming the lead earlier in the evening. Last year's runner up Aliy Zirkle rested only 1 hour and 43 minutes at Elim and took off with 10 dogs less than an hour after the race leader. Teams must take a mandatory eight-hour layover in White Mountain and the following checkpoint is in Safety with less than 100 miles to Nome.

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.  ...

Aliy Zirkle arrived first in Unalakleet Sunday morning at 7:28 a.m. winning the Wells Fargo Gold Coast award and $2500 in gold.  Gaining ground behind Zirkle was Dallas Seavey, who arrived at 8:19 a.m. and Aaron Burmeister at 8:30 a.m.  Rounding out the top 5 is John Baker and Mitch Seavey.  Baker arrived at 9:08 a.m. and Mitch Seavey is still en route.  Zirkle is currently taking a break in Unalakleet before heading out to Shaktoolik....

The signup deadline for Iditarod XL has passed with 65 mushers commited to the world famous sled dog race, but expect the field to grow past 70 teams by the time eligible entries that were postmarked prior to Wednesday night's deadline are accepted. Iditarod Executive Director Stan Hooley confirms that Rick Swenson, the race's only five-time champion, is among those who have entries that are currently in the mail.  Swenson, who also holds the Iditarod career record of 34 finishes, had not signed up prior to this week but it looks like he will participate in the 40th Iditarod.

STORY UPDATED AT 8:26 p.m. 3/12/13: Less than a half-hour separate Mitch Seavey and Aliy Zirkle from Iditarod victory. Both teams immediately checked in and out from Safety. Mitch Seavey remained in the lead wasting no time and left the last checkpoint in the Iditarod at 7:37 p.m. with his 10 dogs. Aliy Zirkle trailed behind with her 10 dogs and checked into Safety at 8:01 p.m. and checked out at 8:02 p.m. Only 22 miles remain from Safety to Nome. STORY UPDATED AT 6:28 p.m. 3/12/13: Iditarod officals said early Tuesday evening that veteran Iditarod musher Jan Steves, of Edmonds, Washington scratched at Eagle Island at 5:54 p.m. Steves scratched in the best interest of her team," with 15 dogs, according to Iditarod officals.

The Iditarod Trail Committee says it wants to put dogs on flights back to Anchorage within 24 hours of being dropped from the race. The ITC says avoiding another dog death during the Iditarod is a top priority. “It's one of those things I never want to see happen again,” Race Marshal Mark Nordman said. “We're addressing conditions to make sure our system doesn't let this happen again.” Last week, Dorado, a five-year-old male from the team of Paige Drobny, died of “asphyxiation as the result of being buried by snow in severe wind conditions,” according to ITC. Nordman says several dogs in Unalakleet had been moved inside a hanger with straw, during the storm, others, like Dorado, were left outside in an area people thought was safe from the wind.

The Iditarod XLI Trail Sled Dog Race finished on Sunday, March 17 with the last remaining teams checking into Nome with rookie Christine Roalofs capturing the Red Lantern award. Mitch Seavey, this year's winner, pulled into the burled arch on Tuesday night, winning his second championship, in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds. Roalofs, of Anchorage, checked into Safety Sunday morning. She made it to Nome in 13 days, 22 hours, 36 minutes, and 8 seconds, crossing the finish line at 1:36 p.m. Roalofs marks the 54th team to complete the nearly 1,000 mile journey from Willow to Nome.

Mitch Seavey has captured another championship in the Iditarod XLI Trail Sled Dog Race , covering nearly 1,000 miles from Willow to the burled arch in Nome, after an intense showdown with last year's runner-up. The 53-year-old Seavey, of Seward, checked in first around 10:39 p.m. Tuesday, marking his second victory. Seavey and his 10 dogs crossed the finish line on Front Street ahead of contender Aliy Zirkle. The showdown began Tuesday within the last 77 miles at White Mountain where the race boiled down to under 15 minutes between Seavey and Zirkle, however that gap expanded at the last checkpoint in Safety.

Less than a day after Mitch Seavey won the 2013 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, nearly two dozen mushers have made it to Nome -- but there are still a few slots left to end the race in the money. Seavey's Tuesday night repeat of his 2004 victory won him a new pickup truck and $50,400 from the Iditarod's $600,000 prize pool, with the remainder being divided among runner-up Aliy Zirkle and the rest of the race's top 30 mushers. As of about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday, race standings show 22 mushers across the finish line, with four-time champions Jeff King, Martin Buser and Lance Mackey taking third, 17th and 19th place respectively.

STORY UPDATED AT 8:26 p.m. 3/12/13: Less than a half-hour separate Mitch Seavey and Aliy Zirkle from Iditarod victory. Both teams immediately checked in and out from Safety. Mitch Seavey remained in the lead wasting no time and left the last checkpoint in the Iditarod at 7:37 p.m. with his 10 dogs. Aliy Zirkle trailed behind with her 10 dogs and checked into Safety at 8:01 p.m. and checked out at 8:02 p.m. Only 22 miles remain from Safety to Nome. STORY UPDATED AT 6:28 p.m. 3/12/13: Iditarod officals said early Tuesday evening that veteran Iditarod musher Jan Steves, of Edmonds, Washington scratched at Eagle Island at 5:54 p.m. Steves scratched in the best interest of her team," with 15 dogs, according to Iditarod officals.

STORY UPDATED AT 10:45 p.m. 3/11/13: The race to White Mountain started Monday night with race leader Mitch Seavey heading out in first place. The 2004 champ and his 10 dogs hit the trails at 9:25 p.m. after reclaiming the lead earlier in the evening. Last year's runner up Aliy Zirkle rested only 1 hour and 43 minutes at Elim and took off with 10 dogs less than an hour after the race leader. Teams must take a mandatory eight-hour layover in White Mountain and the following checkpoint is in Safety with less than 100 miles to Nome.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race reached Koyuk Monday morning, marking the occasion with another change of its hotly contested lead as four-time champion Jeff King blew through in only six minutes. Mitch Seavey pulled into the Koyuk checkpoint at 7:42 a.m. with 10 dogs, becoming the first musher to arrive -- but not the first to leave. King checked in with 11 dogs at 8:16 a.m., but was back on the trail at 8:22 a.m. On Sunday evening, Iditarod veteran Gerry Willomitzer was withdrawn from the race in Shageluk after spending many hours searching for a lost dog, Montego.

STORY UPDATED AT 5:42 p.m. 3/10/13: After spending nearly 5 hours in Unalakleet, Mitch Seavey checked out of the Norton Sound community in first place at 3:10 p.m. Sunday. 15 minutes behind the leader was Aaron Burmeister who also spent nearly 5 hours at the checkpoint. 4-time champ Jeff King and his 13 dogs leapfrogged the competition to third place from Kaltag and left Unalakleet shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday. Here's what the Iditarod standing look like as of 5:13 p.m. Sunday: 1. Mitch Seavey - Unalakleet (Out)

STORY UPDATED AT 7:19 p.m. 3/9/13: Aliy Zirkle pulls ahead and now finds herself in first place, checking out of Kaltag at 6:11 p.m. Saturday. Zirkle spent only 19 minutes at the last spot on the Yukon River and dropped two dogs, leaving her with 11 dogs on the trail to Unalakleet. A fifth musher has scratched in the Iditarod at the Iditarod checkpoint. Race officials said veteran musher Michael Suprenant officially scratched at 1:40 p.m. Saturday out of concern for his 12 dogs.

STORY UPDATED AT 8:00 p.m. 3/5/13: Aaron Burmeister checked into McGrath with about 45-minute lead Tuesday evening in Iditarod XLI. Burmeister was the first into McGrath, securing the Spirit of Alaska award, which he last won in 2009. Aliy Zirkle held onto the number two spot and checked into McGrath at 7:17 p.m. Lance Mackey followed in third place and Mitch Seavey in fourth place. The top four teams spent little time at the stop and immediately checked out, heading to Takotna.