Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race late Tuesday night to become the oldest winner in the race's history at 53-years-old.

The year's event started on March 2 with a ceremonial run in Anchorage and Seavey finished the 1,000 mile plus course in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes, and 56 seconds.

After Seavey and his 10 dogs crossed the line at about 10:39 pm local time last night, he said: "This is for all of the gentlemen of a certain age." 

Of the 66 mushers who started the race, 10 had dropped out of competition as of Tuesday night.

This is not the first time that Seavey has won the race as he also took the top spot during the 2004 Iditarod.

Seavey took the oldest Iditarod champion title from four-time winner Jeff King who trailed this year's leader by around a dozen miles, according to The Associated Press.

The Seavey family has another Iditarod record holder with his son Dallas who became the youngest person in history to win the race when he crossed the finish line last year at the age of 25.

Second place for the 2013 race went to Aliy Zirkle who came in at 24 minutes behind Seavey. If she had won, she would have been the first woman to nab the top spot since the 1990 Iditarod.

Seavey took the top prize for winning the race this year which consisted of $50,400, a 2013 Dodge Ram pickup truck, and yellow garlands for his dogs. The 29 dog sled riders who came after Seavey will get to split $600,000 for their share of completing the race.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commemorates a 1925 rescue mission that carried diphtheria serum to Nome by sled-dog relay. It is also one of the few major U.S. sporting events where both men and women compete on an equal playing field.

 

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