Iditarod winner ties record with 5th championship

DESHKA LANDING, Alaska — Alaskan Dallas Seavey made history Monday morning by capturing his fifth championship in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, matching Rick Swenson as the race’s winningest musher.

Driving an all-star team of sled dogs, Seavey, of Talkeetna, reached the Deshka Landing finish line at 5:08 a.m., completing this year’s shortened race in 7 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds.

His family was among a small crowd gathered at the finish line. After walking down his line of dogs and petting each one, Seavey joked about the meaning of No. 5 before getting serious about it.

“It comes after 4, I guess,” he said with a grin, and then his tone changed.

“Ever since I won my first Iditarod and was the youngest to win, people have been asking about ‘Oh, you’re gonna get five,

you’re gonna get five,’ and I’ve always said, ‘I’m gonna get the next one and someday five may be the next one.’ Now that’s today, it’s finally the next one and we got it.

“That’s huge, man.”

It was the fifth win in 12 Iditarods for Seavey, 34. His previous victories came in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2012.

One of his main leaders, 8-year-old Gamble, was a member of his 2016 team.

“He was with me in ‘16 and five years later he wins again,” Seavey said. “Sweet, sweet guy.”

Gamble is the offspring of Guinness and Diesel, leaders from the 2012 title team. Two other team members, North and West, are the offspring of Reef, a Golden Harness winner who was on three of Seavey’s championship teams.

“It’s pretty fun to be here with his sons now,” he said.

Seavey seized early Sunday morning on the 40-mile run from Finger Lake to Skwentna. He left Finger Lake with a 15-minute lead over Aaron Burmeister and reached Skwentna with a 61-minute lead.

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