Iditarod – run – ran – run!!!

In the cold dark morning of March 18, 2015, the lone musher “Hike’d” his team up the last white hill, into the waking town, between the waiting police escort running beside him with their flashlights, over the snow-packed streets, past the gathering cheering crowds, and under the finish arch of the 2015 Iditarod.

Exhausted, Dallas Seavey knelt, hugged his dogs and posed for pictures with Reef and Hero, his two lead dogs. Ten dogs had started the run from Safety to Nome to bring them home. One dog, too worn to pull, had been lifted to ride the last miles in the sled. The rest pulled and Dallas mushed. They were a team. They ran together. They won together.

By Iditarod standards, Dallas is young. He is only 27, but he is a local, state, national and world wrestling champion, he was the youngest person to have run the Iditarod, this is his tenth race, and now he and his team have run to that far distant place for their third Iditarod championship.

It runs in the family.

Dallas’ grandfather ran the first Iditarod in 1973. With this year’s race, Dallas’ father, Mitch, has run 23 Iditarods, and Mitch Seavey has two Iditarod championship trophies of his own. For the 2015 race, Dad Mitch and his team crossed under the arch in Nome second behind his son.

It runs in the family.

For the reporters, Dallas had these words: “It takes a whole team to get any of us here. . . . As long as you take care of the dog team, make good decisions, good things will happen. Wins are a result of doing what we love.”

Good advice from a young champion who loves what he does so well.

Congratulations, Dallas, and now get some well earned rest.

Your Dad will be along soon and then, you know.

You can start the planning for next year.

Run – Ran – Run!!!

Iditarod!

Grandpa Jim