The 2010 Yukon Quest has come to an end, with musher Hans Gatt reaching the finish line in Whitehorse on Monday afternoon. Gatt finished the 1000 mile long race from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada, in nine days and 26 minutes, setting a record in the process.
For the 51-year old Gatt, this is his fourth victory in the Yukon Quest, tying him with Lance Mackey, who came in second place, a little over an hour back. Hugh Neff completed the podium, arriving in third place, nearly three hours off of Gatt's pace. Complete results can be found on the leaderboard, and as of this writing, there are still several teams out on the course and making their way to the finish.
Yesterday, less than 24-hours after his record breaking win, Gatt announced that he'll retire from long distance sled dog racing at the end of this season. He is planning to make one more long run with his team, competing in the 1160 mile long Iditarod which is schedule to get underway on March 6. After that, he'll continue to race, but only at shorter, less demanding events.
You can't blame the guy for wanting to retire. Being out on a 1000+ mile long course in the dead of the Alaskan/Canadian winter has to take it's toll on a person. He's also proven himself several times over in the Yukon Quest. I'm sure he'd like to add the Iditarod championship to his resume before he bows out however. Congratulations to Hans and good luck in the "Last Great Race" in a few weeks time.
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