In the early morning hours of March 11, musher Aliy Zirkle of Two Rivers was on her way to winning the 2014 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. But in the end, she lost by just 2 minutes and 22 seconds to Dallas Seavey of Willow. Minutes after finishing the race, Zirkle, a crowd favorite, talked with KUAC and Alaska Public Radio Network trail reporter Emily Schwing about the decision to stick around the Safety checkpoint, about 20 miles from the finish line in Nome, during a fierce windstorm. It was a decision that ultimately allowed Seavey to pass Zirkle and take home the win.
Correction: This article originally did not identify KUAC trail reporter Emily Schwing as the reporter conducting the interview. We regret the omission.