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Sled dog racing

SLED-DOG RACING

Sign up for next March's Iditarod on Saturday

The race is more than eight months away, but mushers can sign up for the 38th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race beginning 9:30 a.m. Saturday at race headquarters, Mile 2.2 of Knik Road in Wasilla.

Quest officials move up start date to lure racers

Next winter's Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race will start a week earlier in February, making the possibility of a grueling back-to-back double with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race more feasible than ever.

PETA takes dog deaths rumor and runs with it

As if it weren't painful enough to lose two canine traveling companions to hypothermia during this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Wasilla's Lou Packer now finds himself publicly accused -- in the absence of any evidence -- of somehow causing the deaths of two additional dogs.

Iditarod code dictates musher's actions on the trail

As an evil cold settled over the Innoko River country and the winds roared across its wild desolation, Blake Matray knew his Iditarod dream was dying, and he let it go.

Last musher hits Nome; sixth dog death reported

The Iditarod reached the end of the trail early Tuesday morning with a Red Lantern winner from Michigan and the most dead dogs in more than a decade.

Burmeister wins 2 race awards

Except for the half-dozen mushers still trudging toward Nome, the racing was over and tales of the trail held sway Sunday night at the Iditarod Finishers Banquet in Nome.

SLED DOG RACING

Rasey tops at Tozier

Racing on half a foot of new snow, Kris Rasey claimed the 8-dog title Sunday in the Norma Rasmussen Memorial Challenge at Tozier Track. She completed the 8.1-mile course in 26 minutes, 36 seconds.

Two more reach Nome in Iditarod

Jen Seavey and Tom Thurston reached the end of the trail Sunday, arriving in Nome to complete their 1,100-mile Iditarod journeys.

Ellis wins record 9th North American sled dog title

Willow musher Egil Ellis put together an astonishing run Sunday on the final day of the Open North American Championships in Fairbanks to beat rival Buddy Streeper -- and legendary George Attla.

Iditarod purse slashed whopping 35 percent

Pity Sonny Lindner, who finished 11th in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Twelve months ago, 11th place earned Zack Steer of Sheep Mountain $36,600. This year, the same effort will net the finisher $21,900 -- or $14,700 less.

2 dead Iditarod dogs had fluid in their lungs

Omen and Maynard, the two dogs that died late this week in the Iditarod, had fluid in their lungs, race marshal Mark Nordman reported Saturday.

Number of dog deaths on Iditarod Trail is troubling

Number of dog deaths on Iditarod Trail is troubling

An 8-year-old dog in the team of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher Rick Larson died on Friday, bringing to five the number of dogs dead so far in this year's race.

Rookie of the year finishes

Chad Lindner of Fairbanks finished 30th Friday in 12 days, 4 hours, 22 minutes to earn rookie of the year honors.

Fairbanks musher is Iditarod rookie of year

Rookie of the year Chad Lindner of Fairbanks earned $1,800 for his 30th-place finish in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 12-day effort that paid him about $6 an hour.

Mackey's famed lead dog retires

With more than 12,000 miles of racing and countless miles of training under his paws, life is finally about to slow down for Larry the lead dog.

Changing of the top-10 guard

Changing of the top-10 guard

His face scarred from frostbite, Skagway's Hugh Neff on Thursday crossed the Nome finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Thursday to claim the 15th position.

Schnuelle wins the race for second

While Lance Mackey was in Nome on Wednesday afternoon enjoying a third-straight victory in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the teams of Sebastian Schnuelle and John Baker were on the trail engaged in a dog fight for second that began back in the village of Koyuk.

Mackey's Iditarod triple play

DAY 12: MARCH 18, 2009

Mackey's Iditarod triple play

At the end, the storms that had raked the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for days finally died and the sun shone brightly on Lance Mackey as 15 dogs pulled him down Front Street on Wednesday to a historic victory.

Schnuelle wins the race for second

Mackey hours away from Nome, Iditarod history

Lance Mackey is 22 miles from his third consecutive victory in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Mackey pulled into the final checkpoint of Safety at 8:40 this morning and left eight minutes later. He traveled 8.5 mph between White Mountain and Safety. If he continues at that pace, he should reach the finish line in Nome just before noon.

DAY 11: MARCH 17, 2009

Iditarod winner expected Wednesday afternoon

With the nearest dog teams 45 miles behind and facing a vicious headwind, Lance Mackey pulled into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's penultimate checkpoint Tuesday night nearly assured of his third straight win in the 1,000-mile marathon that started in Anchorage 11 days ago.

Ordeal leaves musher grieving

Iditarod racers face another day of brutal wind

Wait out the wind. That's what dozens of mushers along the Iditarod Trail were doing today as fierce headwinds combined with subzero temperatures to make pushing forward fruitless at best and dangerous at worst for some of the best mushers in the world.

Cause of Packer dogs' deaths remains unknown

Bitter winds delay winner's welcome in Nome

Schnuelle finds a lonely cabin for a rare snooze

Local sports

Check out local sports and recreational events and submit your own to the web site.

CYCLING

Lance's heir apparent in no hurry

Tyler Phinney is the 19-year-old son of U.S. cycling royalty. He has already been in the Olympics, won a world individual pursuit title and then became the first American to win the Paris-Roubaix race for riders under 23. And ultimately, the Tour will be his obsession. But for now, he is in no hurry.

QUICK-HITTING COMEDY

Consuming mass quantites of food inspires

I know mature adults who pretend they didn't watch Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Saturday, says columnist Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer.

ALL-STAR GAME

Four Mariners are deserving

A case can be made that Ichiro, Branyan, Aardsma and King Felix should be in the All-Star Game. With that in mind, here is who is getting in -- and who should be getting into the July 14 mid-summer classic.

SECTION

Mount Marathon

Blistering heat with almost no wind made this year's Mount Marathon race in Seward a harrowing experience for some.

PHOTOS

Hatcher Pass Climb

Course records were set in this year's Arctic Bicycle Club's 24-hour race.

PHOTOS

Mayor's Marathon

Michael Wisniewski set a new record at this year's Mayor's Marathon under a cool spring day.

VIDEO

Run for Women

A record number of runners and walkers participated in the 2009 Run For Women on Saturday June 13, 2009.

2008/09 SEASON

Aces run for the Cup

It was a thrilling run through the Kelly Cup Playoffs, but in the end the Alaska Aces fell just short of winning it all.

PHOTOS

Boys soccer

West faced Eagle River in the first round of the Cook Inlet Conference Championship tournament.

PHOTOS

Track and Field

Area schools compete in the regional championships.

Bitter winds delay winner's welcome in Nome

Cause of Packer dogs' deaths remains unknown

Harsh winds batter mushers as Mackey draws closer to Nome

Mackey takes charge of Iditarod

2 dogs die; musher airlifted from trail

Schnuelle finds a lonely cabin for a rare snooze

Top mushers give up on beating Mackey

Hooked on dogs

Mackey reaches coast; Baker loses dogs again

Mackey widens lead as he reaches coast

Checkpoint of Iditarod offers glimpse into past

Musher carries mementos of useful life cut short

Mackey remains in control

Mackey reaches Eagle Island firmly in charge

Tracking the teams

Mackey first to Yukon, despite a wrong turn

Mackey first to Yukon, despite a wrong turn

Mackey builds up speed - and a big lead

Managing Iditarod team truly amazing

Mackey flies into the halfway point of Iditarod in first place

Schnuelle looking for back-to-back Quest and Iditarod wins

Seriously hurt musher waits days to quit race

Lead pack out of Ophir on tough trail

Leaders take 24-hour rest, worry about snow

Cause of dog's death remains unknown after necropsy

Toilsome trekking on the Iditarod Trail

'Huge Mess' is not messing around in Iditarod

Dog in Holt team dies; cause unknown

Leaders rest in Nikolai as temperature rises

So far, Iditarod setbacks are minor

Swenson and Gebhardt chase Iditarod history

Chezek tops six Beach Lake mushers

Fresh snow slows Iditarod - somewhat

Yukon Quest champion Schnuelle leads pack into Finger Lake

Every Iditarod musher leaves full of hope

Iditarod restart begins a thousand-mile test

Iditarod restart begins a thousand-mile test

Trail conditions improve overnight, but that could change

Iditarod rookie Alexie's mission is twofold

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