Greg Larson of Napaskiak won the Kwethluk sled dog race this past weekend. Competition ran tight in the sprint race with Larson outpacing Tuluksak’s Joe Demantle by less than a minute and a half.
Mushers competed along a 20-mile trail on Friday and Saturday; their total elapsed time determined the final standings.
Larson and Demantle ran neck and neck over the two days, with Demantle winning the initial race by a slim 16 seconds. On the second day Larson took the lead, finishing 1 minute and 20 seconds ahead of Demantle.
With that, Larson was named the winner.
Twelve mushers competed overall. Gilbert Phillip of Akiak took third, eight minutes behind Demantle, and Bethel’s Maurice Andrews placed fourth after riding a winning streak for most of this season.
The roaster also included two 14-year-olds from Kwethluk: Raymond Alexie and Jason Pavilla. The purse totaled $7,000.
