Europe’s longest sled-dog race: Four women thrive in 2015 Finnmarksløpet

Molly Jones Norwegian American Weekly On March 7, mushers and their hardworking sled dogs gathered in Arctic Norway at the start line of Europe’s longest sled-dog race—Finnmarksløpet. The challenging race is split into three distances—1,000 kilometers, 500 kilometers, and a 200 kilometer junior race—and can last anywhere from two days to over a week. The race starts at finishes in Alta, located at 70° N. The race was also the world championship for sled dog racing this year, raising the stakes of the competition. But the competitors lived up to the pressure, and four dedicated and perseverant women secured victories. For the second year in a row, Norwegian Sigrid Ekran won the 1,000 km race, becoming the first woman t