IDITAROD
Seavey wins for 2nd time
3/13/2014NOME, Alaska — Two hours, 38 minutes.
That's how long musher Aliy Zirkle spent waiting out a storm at the final checkpoint, 22 miles from the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Nineteen minutes.
That's how much of a lead Dallas Seavey had over Zirkle in leaving the checkpoint, in Safety.
Two minutes, 22 seconds.
That was Seavey's winning margin over Zirkle early Tuesday morning.
Seavey ran a blistering pace to rally from third place and win his second Iditarod in a record-breaking finish. The twist ending to the 1,000-mile long competition came after a sudden storm blew front-runner Jeff King out of the competition.
The victory was so strange that Seavey said he didn't even realize he won the race until about 90 seconds after he crossed the finish line.
The race began March 2 in Willow with 69 teams — 18 mushers had dropped out and one was withdrawn.
The Iditarod winner receives $50,000 and a new truck. The 29 teams after that get cash prizes decreasing on a sliding scale. All other teams finishing the race receive $1,049.
John Baker had held the fastest finish in Iditarod history, covering the trail from Anchorage to Nome in eight days, 18 hours and 46 minutes in 2011.
Failor finishes 15th
NOME, Alaska — Ohio native Matt Failor and his team of 11 dogs finished 15th in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Failor took nine days, 16 hours, 42 minutes and 30 seconds to traverse the course. He is a 2007 Ohio State graduate who was making his third run in the historic race. He finished 47th as a rookie, and then was 28th last year. He currently lives in Willow, where he cares for his 20 sled dogs.
His mother graduated from Notre Dame Academy and his dad graduated from Rossford High School. His parents were waiting for him as he completed the race.