Alyeska Pipeline Mayors' Cup Race

The first annual Alyeska Pipeline Mayors' Cup Race passenger sleddog race was held at the Jeff Studdert Mushing Trails on Monday, February 19.  The 3.7-mile race was held to build community interest in the upcoming IFSS Mushing World Championships that will be held in Fairbanks February 27-March 4, 2001.  

Each passenger was teamed up with a "professional" musher from the Alaska Dog Mushers Association.  Passengers had the option of riding in the sled basket or driving their own sled in tandem with a second sled.  Alyeska managers swept the top four places of the event, with Fairbanks Northern Business Unit Manager Rich Skvarch teaming up with Rob Downey of Pennsylvania to take top honors.

Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Rhonda Boyles beat City of Fairbanks Mayor Jim Hayes to win the Mayors' Cup.  Mayor Boyles arrived at the finish line with a smile on her face despite getting dumped from the sled in which she was riding at the turnaround point.  

Place

 Passenger Affiliation Musher Time
(min:sec)
1 Rich Skvarch** Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Rob Downey 14:29.5
2 Earnest Maxwell Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Carol Kleckner 14:48.1
3 Bill Howitt** Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Kathy Frost 15:12.4
4 Sara Pate Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Sarah Conn 15:15.3
5 Rhonda Boyles* Mayor Fairbanks North Star Borough Mike Malvick 15:18.7
6 Betty Monthei Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Magali Philip 15:27.6
7 Rachel Kavapil** Fox News Mike Malvick 15:36.4
8 Diana Burton Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Judy Cooper 16:24.6
9 Jim Hayes Mayor City of Fairbanks Loy MacIver 17:03.2
10 Sharon Richey Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. Lisa Moore 21:28.3

*Winner of the Mayor's Cup rotating trophy.
**Drove own sled.

Note:  The Frost/Howitt team was penalized three minutes for taking the correct turn! (The fence and the turnaround marshal were stationed at the wrong location, and all other teams went to the fence, instead of turning at the correct turn.)