Mitch Seavey, 53, becomes oldest person to win Alaska's Iditarod

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NOME, Alaska, March 13 (UPI) -- Mitch Seavey, 53, has become the oldest person to win Alaska's grueling Iditarod 1,000-mile sled dog race.

Seavey and his 10-dog team crossed the Nome finish line Tuesday night following a dueling sprint against last year's runner-up Aliy Zirkle, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Led by a 6-year-old husky named Tanner, Seavey coasted down Nome's Front Street at 10:39 p.m., local time.

"I gotta congratulate my lead dog Tanner," Seavey said after the team came to a stop. "He's probably the best I've ever had."

Seavey's winning margin of 23 minutes, 39 seconds made it the fourth-closest race in Iditarod history.

He finished in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes, 56 seconds. Zirkle finished in 9 days, 8 hours, 3 minutes and 35 seconds.