NOME, Alaska, March 17 (UPI) -- As Mitch Seavey coasted to victory in the 1,100-mile long Alaska Iditarod Trail sled dog race Wednesday, he knew he had realized his childhood dream.
"I'm sort of in disbelief," the 30-year-old musher told a cheering crowd in the Seward Peninsula town of Nome sortly after crossing the finish line early Wednesday EST, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
He crossed the finish line at 10:22 p.m. Alaska time Tuesday night after starting the race March 7.
Seavey told the newspaper he witnessed his first Super Bowl of long-distance sled dog racing in 1973 when he was only 12 and when his father, Dan, drove a dog team to third place.
Ever since then during the 32-year history of the race, one Seavey or another has been seeking a victory. Mitch's best previous finish was fourth in 1998.
But this time it was very different.
"We actually won it," Seavey said. "I kept looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is catching me."
He was hours in front of Denali Park's Jeff King, who finished second.
"This dog team was a monster,'' Seavey told the Daily News. "It just brings tears to your eyes seeing them get stronger and stronger."
