Seventeen-year-old Alea Robinson of Eagle River matched her mentor by beating her Tuesday to win Montana's Race to the Sky, a 350-mile sled dog race.
Robinson reached the finish line in Lincoln, Mont., at 9:51 a.m., 30 seconds ahead of Jessie Royer, Robinson's mentor and an Iditarod veteran.
Now 36, Royer was 17 when she became the first woman, and the youngest musher, to win the Race to the Sky.
Royer and Robinson got to know each other while Royer lived in Alaska. Royer recently returning to Montana. Both were running dogs from Royer's kennel.
Robinson passed Royer on the final leg of the race, a 72-mile run from Seeley Lake to Lincoln. Royer left Seeley Lake with a seven-minute lead on Robinson.
Third place, about 2.5 hours behind Robinson, was Warren Palfrey of British Columbia.
Anchorage Daily News