Merrimack Native Finishes Second in Iditarod

Merrimack native Aliy Zirkle finished second in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Tuesday.

Zirkle, who was born in Nashua and lived in Merrimack until she was 8, finished two minutes behind winner Dallas Seavey. The 44-year-old was leading the race earlier this week, but was passed by Seavey early Tuesday morning. She was also the runner-up in 2012 and 2013.

The nearly 1,000-mile sled-dog race began March 2 in Willow, Alaska with 69 teams, though more than a dozen were later forced to drop out. The winner receives $50,000 and a new truck. Other top finishers like Zirkle get lesser cash prizes.