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Tired dogs end Riley's run Jerry Riley, the 1975 Iditarod champion, scratched at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday after leaving Koyuk with nine dogs. The reason, he told the Iditarod Trail Committee, was "tired dogs." Riley had been running in the top-20 - often just outside the top-10 - most of the race. The trail committee had voted to allow Riley back into the 2000 Iditarod after he had previously been banned for life for mistreating dogs. He began the race with 16 dogs and dropped seven from his team along the way. Greger bows out, too Rookie Rob Greger of Bozeman, Mont., also scratched on Tuesday, saying "it would be too hard on the dogs to continue." Greger, who had just eight dogs left in his team, pulled out in Galena. So far, 11 mushers have scratched and one was withdrawn, leaving 69 mushers on the trail or in Nome. Willis looks like to rookie Anchorage musher Tony Willis had an advantage in the rookie of the year competition. Willis, running in 27th place Tuesday, had already left Koyuk. The next-fastest rookie was Bryan Imus of Fairbanks, in 32nd place. Swingley averages 5.02 mph Five mushers finished on Tuesday, but only one averaged more than 5 mph from Wasilla to Nome: champion Doug Swingley, who clocked 5.02 mph. Second-place finisher Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof, who finished at 4:04 p.m., averaged 4.91 mph. Jeff King of Denali Park, the third-place finisher, averaged 4.85 mph. He arrived in Nome at 6:44 p.m. Ramy Brooks was fourth, arriving at 7:20 p.m. after averaging 4.84 mph. Charlie Boulding of Manley took fifth, arriving at 9:16 p.m. and averaging 4.8 mph.
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