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Quebec Musher Wins Can-Am Crown Race For 10th Time

Robert F. Bukaty
/
Associated Press
Quebec musher Martin Massicotte sets off on his 9th winning run of the Can-Am Crown last year in Fort Kent, Maine.

Canadian musher Martin Massicotte has just won Maine's biggest dog sled race for the 10th time.

Massicotte, of St. Tite, Quebec, crossed the finish line of the 250-mile Irving Woodlands Can-Am Crown at 7:02 a.m. Monday, about 29 minutes ahead of Andre Longchamps, of Pont Rouge, Quebec. Taking third was Katherine Langlais, of Glenwood, New Brunswick.

 

Racers and organizers of the 250-mile Irving Woodlands Can-Am Crown had to contend with significant snowfall this year. Maine has already received more than 100 inches.

 

Can-Am spokesman Beurmond Banville describes the race's last leg: "Martin Massicotte took over the lead from Andrew Longchamps just before arriving at Allagsh last night," he says. "And they both left Allagash at about 1:35, 1:37 this morning, and Martin kept the lead all the way all the way to Fort Kent."

 

Banville says that's big news, both for the Canadian musher and the race. "He's the winningest musher that Fort Kent has had. And it crowns things for him because next year Martin has already said he will be running the Iditerod. So next year he will not be in Fort Kent."

 

The race kicked off Saturday in Fort Kent and included two rookie racers. The grueling wilderness course takes mushers to Portage Lake and then to the town of Allagash before looping back to Fort Kent.

 

Each race has been different. In the first Can-Am Crown, the temperature plummeted to -38 degrees Fahrenheit. A year later, it soared to 61 degrees.

 

Originally published March 4, 2019 at 8:20 a.m. ET.