Jeff King

Who is Jeff King?

Jeff King is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,100+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska and the 1,100 mi Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada.

King moved to Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976. A successful sled dog racer, he won the Yukon Quest in 1989, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1993, 1996, 1998, and most recently, in the 2006 Iditarod. Four other mushers have won the Iditarod four times and only one, Rick Swenson has won it more often. King was 50 years old when he won the 2006 Iditarod, which made him the oldest musher to win the event, a distinction he held until 2013 when Mitch Seavey won at age 53. As of 2006, he has competed in 16 Iditarods. His "Idita-Rider" for the 2005 Iditarod was a child sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. King has also won many other sled dog races. He continues to race and has a kennel near the entrance of Denali National Park.

Jeff King likes to invent. Several years ago, he added a comfortable seat to his sled.