Sebastian Schnuelle

Dallas Seavey stated prior to the 2011 Yukon Quest that he was mainly using his rookie run as a conditioning test for his dog team in preparation for the upcoming Iditarod.  Consider that mission accomplished.  Seavey didn't merely contend, he won the 1,000 mile sled dog race at 11:05 PM on Tuesday night, topping Sebastian Schnuelle by 33 minutes and Ken Anderson by two hours and 31 minutes.  Seavey's winning time was 10 days, 11 hours, and 53 minutes. Seavey, only 23 years old, joins Lance Mackey and Sonny Lindner ( who won the first Yukon Quest in 1984 )

by Jason Lamb Sunday, March 14, 2010 UNALAKLEET, Alaska -- With all the talk about Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race mushers' dogs in Unalakleet Sunday, there's one important dog that hasn't arrived in town yet -- one that's about to help a family and child in need. Watching dogs is one of Logan Erickson's favorite activities when mushers come through Unalakleet . But perhaps the most important dog in Logan's life isn't even here yet. "He doesn't talk," said Donna Erickson, Logan's mom. "He suffers from a condition called autism.

by Kevin Wells Friday, March 5, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- As the  Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race enters a new decade, there is little question that Lance Mackey is the musher to beat. But if 2009 gave a glimpse into the future, a new cast of mushers is beginning its pursuit -- each hungry to add their name to an exclusive list of first-time winners. Since 2007, Lance Mackey has been playing a game of sled dog racing solitaire, a record-tying three consecutive Iditarod titles -- two of them on the heels of another 1,000-mile race, the Yukon Quest.

An elite group of mushers followed John Baker’s historic run to Nome on Tuesday. The top six: Ramey Smyth: 8 Days 19 Hours 50 Minutes 59 Second s   Ramey Smyth may have come in second, but his run also bested Martin Buser’s previous 2002 record. Smyth’s dogs veered toward the Polar Cub Café on Front Street and Smyth hopped off his sled and ran in to the finish line with his team.  “We gave everything we had,” said Smyth, of Big Lake.

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 Kevin Wells Tuesday, March 10, 2009 MCGRATH, Alaska -- Iditarod 37 was shaping up Tuesday to be a close race as mushers headed out of Nikolai . There was already some drama developing, with some very close checkpoint arrivals. It was two-for-one night in Rohn , with Paul Gebhardt and Rick Swenson arriving almost simultaneously. The pair made it clear: The race is on, but the camaraderie never takes a day off. "He had a little problem in the one spot during the gorge I helped him," Gebhardt said.

by Andrew Hinkelman Thursday, March 11, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The 2010 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race reaches the halfway point Thursday. Four-time champion Jeff King arrived in Cripple Thursday afternoon to rejoin the lead pack. He moved on at 5:21 p.m., after just about five hours of rest, to re-take the lead. King, who completed his mandatory 24-hour layover in Takotna , arrived at the Iditarod's halfway point at 12:10 p.m. Thursday.

by Andrew Hinkelman Wednesday, March 10, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Rest seemed to be the order of the day for mushers in Day 4 of the 2010 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race . As of 11:45 p.m. only nine of 65 mushers were officially listed as on the trail, though the official standings page may have been delayed. Many mushers were presumably taking their mandatory 24-hour layover. Farther along the trail, Dallas Seavey and John Baker have left Cripple in their wake.

by Andrew Hinkelman Monday, March 15, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Jeff King essentially abandoned all hope of winning the 2010 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Monday afternoon, stopping to rest in Elim after race leader Lance Mackey blew through the checkpoint and continued on to White Mountain . Barring an unexpected calamity, Mackey will win his record-setting fourth Iditarod sometime Tuesday. All mushers are required to rest for 8 hours in White Mountain, meaning there's no place left on the trail to cut into the lead.

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.