25 Toughest Athletes; Mackey #2
April 14, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Lance Mackey
Sports Illustrated has published a list of the 25 Toughest Athletes. Our very own Lance Mackey finished number two, although many on the SI comment boards thought he should be first. SI tells us what makes him tough:
Caginess and steadfast refusal to quit in the face of throat cancer (2001), hostile terrain and 40-below temperatures. He did the impossible in sled dog racing — win the 1,000- mile Yukon Quest and 1,100-mile Iditarod within a month - not once, but in two straight years, most recently this year on frostbitten feet that hadn’t fully healed after the Quest.
Check out our coverage of the Mackey toughness, then leave a comment and let us know why you think he should be #1.
2008 Open North American Pictures
April 3, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Open North American, Photos
The GCI Open North American Championship has been blazing through the streets of downtown Fairbanks since 1946. A field of the best sprint-mushers in the world were on hand again this year. Here’s a few pictures from the event.
For more pictures and final standings visit the Sled Dog Central ONAC page. If you would like to plan your own dog mushing adventure in Fairbanks, enter the search term “dog mushing” in one of our interactive guides. You may also want to visit the Inside Alaska dog mushing tag.
More from the Trail
March 12, 2008 | Tags: Audio, Dog Mushing, Iditarod, Jeff King, Lance Mackey
In the process of writing the last post about Lance Mackey’s historic Iditarod win, I came across a fantastic radio package recorded last night on the trail in White Mountain. Fairbanks’ own KUAC reporter Libby Casey filed the piece for APRN. In contains some great quotes from both Lance and Jeff King as they battled for the top spot in the race. View the original APRN post or click play below to listen.
Another Phenomenal Win for Lance Mackey
March 12, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Iditarod, Lance Mackey, Yukon Quest
For two years in a row, Lance Mackey has crossed the finish line first in the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest, and the 1,049 mile Iditarod. The feat is unsurpassed in mushing history and has secured Mackey’s place among the greatest dog-drivers ever. Our Fairbanks, home-town favorite is making news worldwide with tales of on the trail trickery, overcoming obstacles and unparalleled competitive spirit. Congratulations Lance, you have shown the world our indomitable Fairbanks spirit!
Fairbanks Musher Pulls Ahead (for good?)
March 11, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Lance Mackey, Yukon Quest
If Lance Mackey wins the 2008 Iditarod, he will not only be the first musher ever to win the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back to back, he will have done it twice - in a row. One of the greatest stories in mushing history will have been formed in Alaska’s Interior by a musher who grew into this championship form on the toughest trail - not from Anchorage to Nome - but from Fairbanks to Whitehorse.
While the Last Great Race has built a following for being the most prestigious in mushing, the Yukon Quest has built its own on the basis of sheer difficulty. As a four time winner, Lance has seen his dogs harden into some of the best in the world. So…if you’re an Iditarod fan who hasn’t heard about the “toughest sled dog race in the world”, it’s time to get up to “speed”. Perhaps you should even begin making your plans to be in Fairbanks for the finish in 2009, as Lance tries for his fifth consecutive win.
Here’s the latest from the trail to Nome. By the way, three of the top five mushers are from Alaska’s Interior!
Mackey in the Hunt Again
March 4, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Iditarod, Lance Mackey, Yukon Quest
Fairbanks musher Lance Mackey is making another attempt at winning the Yukon Quest and Iditarod back to back. After his fourth Quest victory in a row just a few days ago, Lance is setting a competitive pace on the Iditarod trail. Keep up with Lance, and several other Interior Alaska favorites as they journey over 1,000 miles to Nome.
Fairbanks is home to some of the best dog mushers (and dog mushing) in the world. If you are planning a visit, be sure to check out the many dog mushing attractions and activities we offer. Start planning your Alaska adventure today by leafing through our interactive Fairbanks Winter Guide (for mushing), or Fairbanks Visitors Guide for other activities, events and attractions year-round.
Four in a Row for Mackey
February 20, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Lance Mackey, Yukon Quest
Lance Mackey cruised across the finish line in Whitehorse to win his fourth Yukon Quest in a row this morning. The Fairbanks musher was trailed by only fifteen minutes, as his nearest competitor, and next-door neighbor Ken Anderson made a remarkable finish to his rookie Quest in second place. The Fairbanks duo left much of the competition hours behind, making it a two-man race through the last few checkpoints. Both men will go on to race in the Iditarod, which begins in just nine days. Mackey was last year’s Iditarod winner, while Anderson finished seventh.
Read the official Quest site for more finish line details. You may also want to catch the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner story or the CBC piece on the Quest.
Keeping up with the Quest
February 13, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Yukon Quest
The 2008 Yukon Quest is underway now, and mushers are at this very moment traversing the 1,000 mile trail from Fairbanks to Whitehorse, Yukon. You can keep up with the action by checking the current standings at the official Yukon Quest site. News from the trail is also regularly appearing on both the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and the Yukon News.
Some other great stories have been published on the race in the past few days including this update from APRN, and a story about photography on the trail by Patrick Endres.
25th Annual Yukon Quest
January 25, 2008 | Tags: Dog Mushing, Yukon Quest
The 1,000 mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is being run for the 25th time this year. The race begins on February 9th, and will take 29 mushers from their Fairbanks starting point through 15 checkpoints on their way to the finish line in Whitehorse, Yukon. One of the major story lines for this year is the return of Fairbanks musher Lance Mackey. He is a three-time Quest winner, and the only musher ever to win both the Yukon Quest and Iditarod in the same year.
The 2008 Yukon Quest festivities begin with their Start & Draw Banquet on February 7th. The race begins on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, just two days later. Come early to find a good spot, and dress warm!
