Compiled by Outside Online

March 1, 2002 Montana resident Doug Swingley is looking to capture a record-tying fifth victory in this month's 30th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

The forty-eight-year-old, who trains his racing dogs in Montana's Blackfoot Valley outside his Lincoln home, became the first non-Alaskan to win the Iditarod in 1995. After finishing in second in 1996 and 1997, and ninth in 1998, he has won the grueling 1,150-plus mile race the last three years in a row. His 2000 time of nine days and 58 minutes is the current race record.

Currently tied with Susan Butcher's record of four wins, Swingley needs one more to match Rick Swenson's record of five. Despite his victories, many Alaskans continue to view him as an undeserving outsider (see "Dog is My Copilot," Outside magazine, March 2001)

The 2002 race begins March 2 in Anchorage, in south central Alaska, and ends in Nome, on the coast of the Bering Sea. The 64 mushers entered into this year's race will take between nine and 17 days to travel the 1,151-mile route. Mushers are allowed 12 to 16 dogs on their teams. There are 24 checkpoints between the start and finish, with one mandatory 24-hour layover as well as two eight-hour stops.

Top contenders for this year's race are three-time winners Jeff King and Martin Buser, and 2001 runner-up Linwood Fiedler.

For race coverage and history, log onto the official Iditarod Web site at http://www.iditarod.com