Musher Dan Seavey passed away on May 9 at age 87. Impermanence is swift.
Dan was instrumental in getting the original race started; his book, The First Great Race, is a behind-the-scenes description of the race's origins. He ran in the very first Iditarod in 1973, coming in third, and in 1974, returning to compete in the race again in 1997 and 2012.
The Seavey family is Iditarod royalty. Dan's son, Mitch, won the Iditarod in 2004, '13 and '17. Dan's grandson, Dallas, won in 2012, '14, '15, '16, '21, and '24, becoming the only champion to win six races. Dallas set the record for the fastest race time in 2016, breaking the previous record that he had set, and in 2017, Dallas's record time was broken by Mitch (Dallas came in second). In 2017, Mitch Seavey became the oldest person to ever win an Iditarod; in 2012, Dallas Seavey had become the youngest winner ever.
Dan put his heart and soul into the race and was a great promoter of the dogs and the race. By all accounts, he and his late wife Shirley were very genuine, honest, salt-of-the-earth, good people. Dan's good common-sense approach on how the race should be run was part of what made the race the grand tradition that it is.
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