Jeff King might have liked to finish higher in the race standings in this year’s Iditarod, but it certainly didn’t seem to be weighing heavily on his mind Wednesday afternoon at the Nome finish line. Far from it.
Even if he won’t walk away from Iditarod 2015 with a championship (a title he came very close to winning last year), King seemed content not only with his 7th-place finish but also with the stories and memories he’s accumulated in the past week. From unique encounters with wild animals (a seal and a wolverine, among others) to time spent among admirable competitors — the “quality group of people” with whom he shared the Iditarod trail in 2015 — King waxed with nostalgia and good humor under the Burled Arch.
This was a year not to “rush,” King told reporters — including KNOM’s Matthew Smith, heard in our live finish audio above — on Wednesday afternoon. Still, even getting to Nome in 7th place took a strenuous effort; the 9-day run from Fairbanks hardly afforded him a leisurely pace (or lots of time to sleep). He spoke repeatedly of his gratitude for an outstanding dog team.
At the finish line, King seemed ready for the comfort and comfort foods that Nome had to offer.
“I’m really hoping Airport Pizza’s still open,” he said. “I’ve got a date with a pizza and a bottle of champagne.”
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