Iditarod Leader Buser Nears The Finish 2-Time Champ Should Hit Nome Today; Rivals Battle For Second

Two-time champion Martin Buser reached Elim on Monday afternoon with his closest rivals in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race having just about given up the chase.

Buser and his team of 11 dogs reached the tiny village on Norton Bay at 4:25 p.m. Alaska time. Barring any difficulties, he’s expected to cross the finish line in Nome and claim his third victory sometime today.

Left behind on the beach at Koyuk was Doug Swingley of Lincoln, Mont., the 1995 winner. Swingley arrived in Koyuk nearly 3 hours after Buser and left at 1:02 p.m. He was down to nine dogs.

“Second place in a race like this isn’t such a bad place,” he said. With the chase over, he was looking forward to a leisurely trip to Nome.

“Here’s where we have a nice time. I am having a wonderful time,” Swingley said as his dogs rested.

Defending champion Jeff King, another two-time winner, arrived at Koyuk more than 4 hours after Swingley, his 10-dog team trotting to the checkpoint in the bright, mid-day sun, with the temperature near zero.

King led at the halfway point, but after catching a head cold, he was forced to take a 3-hour break and was never able to make up that time.

“I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I stopped and collapsed over my sled and I was out,” said King, who has a lock on third place. “We’re on an incredibly fast pace, there just happen to be two teams that are faster.”

King also blamed reporters on the trail. He said their constant questions asking how he would catch Buser made him question his strategy.

Dee Dee Jonrowe of Willow was fourth, arriving in Koyuk at 1:45 p.m. Ramy Brooks of Fairbanks was fifth

Three hours behind Brooks was a pack of six battling for the remaining top-10 spots. Of the 53 teams that began the 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome on March 1, 47 remain. The winner earns $50,000 and a $38,000 truck. The next 19 teams will split $350,000.