The final musher has crossed the finish line, the Red Lantern has been awarded to the last finisher, and the 2007 Iditarod is over:
The 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race came to a conclusion early Wednesday morning when Wasilla’s Ellen Halverson crossed under the burled arch in Nome to claim the Red Lantern, awarded to the last finisher.
Halverson and her eight dogs finished just about 2:56 a.m. after 16 days, 11 hours and 56 minutes on the trail to claim 58th place.
Eighty-two teams started the race on March 3; 58 finished, with Lance Mackey claiming victory.
This was Halverson’s third attempt at the Iditarod and her first finish. She scratched in McGrath in 2002 and between Unalakleet and Shaktoolik in 2003.
“There was a series of errors that I made,” Halverson said of her first two attempts at the restart in Willow on March 4. “At that time, I just didn’t understand what had happened. You have to be consistent with the dogs and you can’t change your routine.
“I’ve had the previous experience, which I think is helpful, so I know what to expect, which certainly will be a benefit,” she said.
Dr. Halverson practices psychiatry in Wasilla. She is 46.
In a race as grueling as the 1,100 mile Iditarod any finish is a victory. This year there was an extraordinary number of scratches—23, among them some of the best known names in sled dog racing—testimony to the rough trail conditions.
There are some great pictures of the race at the Alaska Public Radio Network Iditarod special coverage section.
The Iditarod is cruel to dogs. For the facts: http://www.helpsleddogs.org
[Ed. This is an outright lie. Incidents of cruelty to dogs during the Iditarod are very few and punished. Anyone who is genuinely informed on this subject knows you can’t force a dog to pull a sled.]