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This just in from KTUU:

http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Joar-Leifseth-Ulsom-wins-Iditarod-XLVI-476782563.html

NOME, Alaska (KTUU) - Norwegian musher Joar Leifseth Ulsom has won Iditarod XLVI, pulling into Nome a little after 3:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

After years of hard work, Ulsom arrived under the burled arch in 9 days and 12 hours with eight dogs. “Awesome, fantastic, unreal,” he said to a Channel 2 crew about winning.

The new truck that comes with a first-place finish for Iditarod couldn’t come soon enough for Ulsom. Both tires and his rear axel fell off his truck while driving on a highway before the race start and three tow trucks were needed to bring it to a mechanic.For the estimated $50,000 in prize money, Ulsom said all of it would be going back to the dogs.

In lead for Ulsom were three-year-old Olive and four-year-old Russeren. A veterinarian told Ulsom that Russeren had parvo as a puppy, a much-feared virus for mushers that regularly proves fatal, and that the dog would not survive.

Nicolas Petit came in second to Nome and three-time Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey is set to come third. Congratulations and messages of support came in for Ulsom from across the mushing world, including from four-time Iditarod champions Dallas Seavey and Jeff King.

Seavey’s Facebook page lit up with the hashtag #roarforjoar while King told a Channel 2 crew in Unalakleet that he was “rooting for Joar.” “[He] has shown an air of caution that is serving him well,” said King.

2018 is the first time a member of the Seavey family has not won Iditarod since John Baker took first in 2011. King said he was “ready for a new champion, as much as I love the Seavey dynasty.”

Ulsom, 31, is also the second musher from Norway to come first in Iditarod after Robert Sørlie pulled off victories in 2003 and 2005. Ulsom spoke about the influence Sørlie had on him growing up. “I’ve been watching Iditarod ever since Robert won it, that was huge. I was a kid dreaming about one day maybe winning this race.”

His victory is the first for his kennel Team Beringia and adds to his enviable record at the Last Great Race: He has started six times, finished six times and always placed seventh or higher. His first race in 2013 saw him place fourth, finish as the fastest rookie in the race’s history and win the coveted rookie of the year award.

The 2018 race for first place had been hotly contested by Ulsom, Petit and Seavey but it had not been entirely smooth sailing for the first three: The race leader got lost on the Bering Sea coast, a checkpoint was closed for layovers on the Yukon River and Ulsom enacted a risky strategy pushing on to the Iditarod checkpoint through soft snow for his 24-hour layover.

On Monday morning, Petit was comfortably leading when he took the wrong trail between Shaktoolik and Koyuk, costing him hours backtracking to the right trail. Ulsom was able to leapfrog Petit and pull into Koyuk a full hour in front of the French musher.

“He is going to be thinking about that for a long time,” said Ulsom. The Norwegian had some words of encouragement for Petit, saying “he has an amazing team, he’ll be back and do good.”