One day and four hours into the centennial commemorative running of the All-Alaska Sweepstakes (the 408-mile classic from Nome to Candle and back), 51-year-old musher Jeff King has made it to Candle! Lance Mackey and Sonny Lindner can hardly be very far behind him; the times of all three were quite close at the previous checkpoint of Gold Run.
The original race rules (which still govern the event) provide that the winning driver must return to Nome with all the dogs with which he started, and no others. This means that NO DOGS CAN BE DROPPED. Race veterinarians can insist that a dog be dropped, but in that case the driver is out of the running. This rule is highly controversial. The drivers insist that it mandates the utmost in dog care. Others are less sure of that.
I don't have the old race records handy to compare the times into Candle for Leonhard Seppala, Scotty Allen, John Johnson and the rest. The record set by Johnson in 1910 was some 74 hours -- around 3.5 mph average, because there are no obligatory rest stops on this race; time run is continuous, and all mushers are deemed to have started at the same time, though actually teams start at two minute intervals. (The late starters have to make up that time deficit.)
Jeff King's average to Candle is around 7.5 mph. Whether he can keep that up on the return journey remains to be seen.
Posted by ditkoofseppala at March 27, 2008 04:22 PM