text and photos by David Dodman
Ramey Smyth is known for pulling out the stops on the final stretch of the Iditarod trail: the 22 miles from the Safety checkpoint to the finish line in Nome.
On Tuesday morning, at Smyth’s 2nd place finish, the Willow, Alaska musher’s vigor was on clear display: Smyth ran with his dogs up to the Burled Arch, leading them, out in front, the last few feet of their 1,000-mile race.
Here are a few photos of Smyth’s run up to the finish line, with the sun directly at his back: