Advertisement

Norway's Ulsom finally adds name to Iditarod winner's list

(Reuters) - Norwegian Joar Leifseth Ulsom became just the third international born musher to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race when he arrived in Nome, Alaska in the early morning darkness on Wednesday to the cheers of gathered spectators. Billed as "The Last Great Race on Earth", Ulsom covered the nearly 1,000 miles (1,609km) of the annual endurance test through the Alaskan wilderness in nine days, 12 hours to claim a winner's check of $50,000 and a new pickup truck. Ulsom, who had finished in the top seven in each of his previous five Iditarod races, finally made it to Nome first to end the reign of the Seavey family. Defending champion Mitch Seavey and his son Dallas had claimed every Iditarod since 2011. When Ulsom crossed under the famed burled arch at 0300 local time (1100 GMT) Mitch Seavey was still out on the course running in third behind Frenchman Nic Petit. (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Radnedge)