The 2012 Iditarod is likely going to end later Tuesday night with a Minnesotan being the first person across the finish line. Dallas Seavey, who also competed with his grandfather and father in the annual dog sled race, made it through to the last checkpoint first and is expected to have smooth sailing the rest of the way.
Seavey was the first musher that left the last checkpoint, leaving "Safety" and heading to Nome nearly about an hour and 10 minutes before second place Ally Zirkle. There's nothing keeping him from first place ... except a toe injury, according to the blog on Iditarod.com.
The biggest test physically for Dallas is the first third of the trail to Nome, where he certainly will be jogging up the long nine mile climb up and over Topkok hill. His blistered big toes has to be a killer, but he wasn't complaining in the checkpoint. Running on the hill is regarded to be a true way to get time.
Dallas's father Mitch is currently in seventh place while his grandpa Dan, a Crosby, Minn., native is in 53rd place (out of 55 mushers remaining). Other Minnesotans still in the race include Ken Anderson in 12th place, Paul Gebhardt in 16th place and Willmar native Rick Swenson is in 32nd place.
Stay tuned to our Iditarod 2012 StoryStream for more coverage of the dog sled racing taking place in Alaska this month.