Winner crosses finish line in Yukon Quest race

Alaskan musher Allen Moore has won the Yukon Quest sled dog race.

He and his team crossed the finish line in Fairbanks, Alaska just before 7 a.m. local time.

It's the first time Moore has won the race.

This is the 30th runningof the Yukon Quest. Twenty-six mushers started the 1,600 km journey from Whitehorse to Fairbanks on Feb. 2. There are four mandatory rest points.

The prize money is $100,000 US split among the top 15 finishers. The first place musher, Moore,will take home about $18,000 US.

The 2013 trail for the Yukon Quest was a bit shorter than in past years. Quest officials re-routed the trail between Dawson City and Eagle, Alaska for safety reasons.

That means mushers did not go over American Summit, reducing the race distance by approximately 80 kilometres.

The winner of last year's Yukon Quest, Hugh Neff, was leading the pack early in this year's race.

Neff was the first to hit the halfway point in Dawson City. That guaranteed him a prize of four ounces of gold after he crossed the finish line in Fairbanks.

Neff came in second place Monday, finishing at 8:10 a.m. local time. This wasNeff's 13th time competing in the quest; he says he doesn'tthink he'll race again.

Four-time Yukon Quest championLance Mackey dropped out of the raceon Feb. 7, soon after the Alaskan musher got into Dawson City.

Mackey said his small team and the well-being of the dogs was the reason for pulling out. Mackey had dropped five dogs and was down to seven when he got into Dawson.

Last week,race officials announced that a sled dog had diedwhile being transported to Whitehorse by a race veterinarian.

The dog belonged to musher Jake Berkowitzs team, who was in third position behind Neff and the winner, Moore.