Big Lake musher wins Kobuk 400

KOTZEBUE — Big Lake’s Cim Smyth survived a late push by defending champion Jeff King, racing into Kotzebue early Sunday morning to win the Kobuk 440.

Smyth hit the finish line at 6:12 a.m. Sunday to claim his $11,135 prize. Smyth finished 46 minutes ahead of King, a legendary musher with four Iditarod titles to his credit. Kotzebue native John Baker arrived at 8:48 a.m. Sunday to finish third. Big Lake’s Kristin Bacon, a Kobuk 440 rookie, hit Kotzebue at 12:07 p.m. to finish third, and earn $3,135 of the race purse. Bacon finished nine minutes ahead of fifth-place Ken Anderson.

King had a lead over Smyth leaving Ambler. With two more checkpoints before the finish in Kotzebue, King left Ambler at 5:40 a.m. Saturday, 24 minutes ahead of Smyth. By the time the mushers made the trek to the next checkpoint, Selawick, Smyth had taken the lead. Smyth hit Selawick at 7:01 p.m. Saturday. King arrived at 7:52 p.m.

Smyth held a lead of just more than an hour leaving the final checkpoint in Noorvik.

Kobuk 440

Final results

Into Kotzebue — 1. Cim Smyth, 6:12 a.m. Sunday; 2. Jeff King, 6:58 a.m.; 3. John Baker, 8:48 a.m. 4 Kristin Baker, 12:07 p.m.; 5. Ken Anderson, 12:18 p.m., 6. Hugh Neff, 3:53 p.m.; 7. Andrew Brown, 8:23 p.m.; 8. Jim Bourquin, 2:54 a.m. Monday; 9. Paul Hansen, 6:55 a.m.