Whenever you start last in a staggered-start race, it feels as if youSA国际影视传媒檒l never catch up.

But Marcel Marin didnSA国际影视传媒檛 just catch up. He surpassed almost everyone.

The Yellowknife dog musher is back from La Ronge, Sask., after competing in the Canadian Challenge Dog Derby late last month and ended up as the winner of the six-dog 50-mile event. He crossed the finish line in a time of four hours and 12 minutes and ended up going so fast, he caught up with all the eight-dog racers and even some mushers in the 10-dog main event.

Even the race tracker, which kept tabs on all the mushers out on the various courses, couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 keep up with the pace that MarinSA国际影视传媒檚 team was putting up.

Marin said his dogs did better than even he expected.

SA国际影视传媒淭he mushers were leaving in three-minute intervals and we left last,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e caught everyone in our division, then the eight-dog racers. I thought if we did five hours, that would be good. But my old team just kept up the pace and they were amazing.SA国际影视传媒�

If you do the math, youSA国际影视传媒檒l see MarinSA国际影视传媒檚 pace was nearly 13 miles per hour. In terms of dog mushing, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 fast, and he said part of the reason why his dogs ran so well was because of the trail conditions.

SA国际影视传媒淭he trail was immaculate and it was colder down there than it is here,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淢y leader is an older dog, nine years old (Knuckles), and he was doing great. I had one dog near the back looking back at me, almost asking how much longer, but he got over the finish line.SA国际影视传媒�

Marin also said the dogs were working harder in training back home because of the snowfall over the last little while and the warm-up for the dogs happened out on the course.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey were on the truck for about four days and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a long time for the dogs,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey didnSA国际影视传媒檛 get to trot at all and they had to get into it while out on the run. We havenSA国际影视传媒檛 been able to do a lot of distance training because of the weather and dogs wonSA国际影视传媒檛 run unless theySA国际影视传媒檙e properly trained. But this group has run together for many years and they just know to keep on going.SA国际影视传媒�

Marin is one of the main organizers for the Under Dog 100, an annual derby which he said is designed for small-kennel owners. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 scheduled to get underway just outside of Yellowknife on March 24 and there will be some international flavour for this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 race. Some of the confirmed racers are making the trip in from California and New Zealand with the big draw being Jeff King of Alaska, a four-time champion of the Iditarod.