The Finnish-born mushing star from the early 1900s was a three-time winner of the All Alaska Sweepstakes, the world’s first organized distance sled dog race. The race was 408 miles from Nome to Candle and back, and in 1910 Johnson set a record of 74 hours, 14 minutes, 37 seconds that stood until 2008. According to historical accounts, Johnson didn’t stop during his record run, which included a stretch when, snow-blinded, he strapped himself to his sled and relied on lead dog Kolyma, a husky that came from Siberia, to keep the team on the trail.
John Johnson
