Final stretch of Iditarod shaping up to be a very close race

With less than 100 miles to Nome, the race between Jeff King and Lance Mackey is in full swing. Mackey has been able to stay ahead of King for most of the race so far, but with only 11 dogs to King’s full team of 16, that lead may not last for much longer.

If he really wanted to, I think King could have passed Mackey a few days ago and kept the lead all the way to Nome. But at this point in the race, it’s largely about strategy and the psychology of the mushers. I think King has just been holding back these past few days, not pushing his dogs any harder than he needs to keep up with Mackey. I predict that sometime today, King will make his move, overcome Mackey’s team, and be the first musher into Nome, most likely sometime early Wednesday morning.

Whether Mackey or King is the first to reach Nome, it will have been a historic race. If Mackey wins, he will have won the back-to-back Yukon Quest and Iditarod sled dog races 2 years in a row. For King, a win this year would tie him with Rick Swenson, the Iditarod’s only five-time winner.

Either way, it’s been one of the most exciting races in years. Could we have a near-repeat of Dick Mackey’s 1 second victory over Rick Swenson in 1978? I’m looking forward to seeing how this final day of the Iditarod plays out.

Photo from the Anchorage Daily News