It was an experienced dog handler from Slussfors in northern Sweden who came across the finish line in Alta on Friday morning.

– This feels really good, smiles Karlsson after finishing.

In bright sunlight and about 10 degrees below zero, the veteran entered with eight tall and eager muzzles at the front of the sled. The top athlete has pulled the sled for exactly 1,209 kilometers since last Friday.

Even so, some dogs stand up and pull on the leash when they’re done, and want to run more.

From before, Karlsson had ten previous Finnmark races in his trunk and two previous first places.

This time he was able to walk to the finish line for 1st place and the long distance sled dog world title.

– It’s about time, I thought, he laughed as he parked his bucket over the finish line.

– There have been a few years now where it hasn’t worked, said the world champion recently, referring among other things to the year he and the dogs had colic.

– What made it work now?

– I haven’t run any races this year and wasn’t sure what the team’s capacity was, but halfway through the race I started to feel like this was a winning team.

Karlsson was concerned that the dogs needed to quickly find something to eat in the target area. The lead dog gets a little extra.

– Bandits have done very well. He has been the lead dog from start to finish, Karlsson compliments his lead dog.

– This is the funniest team to ride. It gave me a really great feeling, said Karlsson.

Already after 873 kilometers he was in a solid lead after the checkpoint at Varangerbotn. He has covered the remaining 336 kilometers as the sole majesty on the track.

Hiss from competitors

Petter Karlsson came in with a dog in a sled when he checked in at Jotka at 04.21am Friday morning.

Four minutes later, he started at the checkpoint, and took off on the 49-kilometer stage to the finish in Alta.

Back then he had long sensed that victory was almost within his hands. On the way to Levajok, Karlsson and his dogs picked up speed and cruised through, while rival Steinar Kristensen rested for two hours on the track on weatherproof stilts.

It is very important to get victory.

– It’s a bit of a gamble, but the dogs are fine. I have to do something so that he doesn’t bother me all the time, Karlsson laughs at Levajok.

After going in first to finish, he was satisfied with the tactic.

– After the Varangerbotn, there’s a Steinar behind me. I was driving slightly away from it the whole time, but it didn’t feel like it was going to last – I had to find something else.

The Swede said that he also wanted to take a break on stage, but did not dare.

– The team is working very well and I feel I can do something here. Kristensen probably didn’t expect me to drive, so I did.

Karlsson is known as a racer who has speed in his team. He is also known as a racer who is not afraid to set big goals for himself – such as trying to win Femundløpet and Finnmarksløpet in the same year.

Sometimes it exits completely, while other times it enters completely.

Kristensen followed

At the rear of the track emerged the man who was Petter Karlsson’s biggest competitor, especially in the last part of the race.

Alta racer Steinar Kristensen did well throughout the race, but had to give up the top step of the podium after Levajok.

He checked in at Jotka, the final checkpoint of the race, at 08.45. At 08.55 he and the team back off the track.

However, Kristensen has a weakness compared to its competitors. He had to take the dogs, who had run almost 1,200 kilometers, to run past his own kennel.

Kristensen is a caretaker at Jokta fjellstue, where her dog also lives. This is the final checkpoint in intense competition, and if the dogs get tired, they may be reluctant to run any further.

– I’m not scared right away, but if they get a little bored when they get there, they likely won’t. We haven’t had much practice driving there, we were a little sloppy with that this year, said Steinar Kristensen himself at the start of the race.

However, her daughter and recent world champion in junior class, Elisabeth Kristensen, was well on her way when she rode from Jotka to the finish line in Alta.

– The dogs are very disciplined, and if I have the right leader in the pack – then it goes well, says Steinar Kristensen.

Battle for 3rd place

Niklas Rogne is currently in 3rd place in FL1200, and within hours can depart from the Karasjok checkpoint after the mandatory rest.

But there is a big competitor right behind it.

Trine Lyrek, Thomas Wærner, Kristian Walseth and Roger Dahl were on their way to the Karasjok checkpoint. They have taken most of the mandatory break at Levajok.

Lyrek had 3.22 hours left of the rest, Wærner had 3.38 hours, Walseth had 4.5 hours left and Dahl had 2 hours 45 minutes.