LINCOLN — A 17-year-old Alaska musher won the 350-mile Race to the Sky sled dog race in Montana, edging her mentor by just 30 seconds.
Alea Robinson of Eagle River, Alaska crossed the finish line in Lincoln at 9:51 a.m. Tuesday, edging 36-year-old Jessie Royer of Darby.
Royer won became the first woman and the youngest musher to win the 500-mile Race to the Sky in 1994, when she was 17 and was running dogs owned by eventual four-time Iditarod champion Doug Swingley. Royer has since competed in the Iditarod 10 times, finished in the Top 10 three times and once was named the Rookie of the Year.
Robinson was running dogs from the Royer Alaskan Huskies Kennels. This was her first 350-mile race and she finished with all 12 dogs.