NOME, Alaska (AP) — Last year, the youngest musher ever to win Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race said his 25-year-old stamina gave him the advantage.

Just one year later, his own father proved youth doesn't always win out. Using careful strategy and an all-out sprint to the finish, Mitch Seavey became the oldest winner ever of the grueling, 1,000-mile race.

Dog mushing is among the few extreme sports with such a huge age range. That's because the true super athletes in the game are the dogs.

Also, while older mushers may not have the vigor of their younger counterparts, they have more experience. And they are often better prepared to handle things like the numbing sleep deprivation on the trail.