Late March 17, 1998

Jeff King outpaced the rest of the pack to win the 1998 Iditarod on Tuesday.

Associated Press Report
Be sure to check previous days' reports for additional race info!

Things can certainly change quickly on the Iditarod Trail. The weather has taken a major change for the worse and it is stormy between Elim and Nome. Many planes were grounded yesterday and there are pockets of ground storms.

According to a very reliable source in Elim, the team just needed a good rest. They looked good coming in to checkpoints and leaving checkpoints but some of their spark was, obviously, gone. Martin was planning to give them some time to recharge and saw no sense in driving a tired team in a battle for 3rd, or 4th or 5th place. The last word is always to do what's right for the team at the time. I know for Martin it is a time when he feels most accountable to those 8 dogs with him. He has to look them in the face and they trust him to do what's right for them. He's just not good at driving a tired team into ugly weather. It's just not in him. I'm proud of that!!!

The weather between White Mt. and Nome is deteriorating. In a couple of hours Jeff should be approaching Topcock, the last big hill, and the infamous blow hole at Solomon. Winds are reportedly 40 - 50 up there with white out conditions. The trail is well marked but anything can happen!

Happy trails from NOME!!!
Kathy

The start photos are not yet available.

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