Nome tri-weekly nugget., 1919-04-30
NEWS NOTES
sEPALLA sMAsHEs BORDEN CUP RECORD IN REMARKABLE
 DRIVE

In one of the most remarkable dog team contests ever held in this section of the North, Leonard Seppala, several times winner of the famous All Alaska sweepstakes and othe- famous dog contests, has smashed to flinders the John Borden Marathon Cup Race rec ord established hy F. NJ. Aver q week or two ago by driving his famous team of Siberian dogs over the Cape of one hour. fifty minutes, twenty five and three fifths seconds. This is two minutes fifty five and three fifths sec onds lower than the best previous rec ord and stamps his team as one of the most remarkable bunch of canines that ever faced a starting line in ., race. here or elsewhere.
 Seppala started at q. m. this morn ing The getaway was witnessed by but few people. owing to the early hour. and the remarkable dash was ov- CT long before the average Nomelte had decided that it was about time to get at his daily tasks.
 The street in front of Barrack' $ Square was gaily decorated with flags and streamers in the vicinity of the starting line and presented dccidely i,, of .1l sence of the customary crowd. After the usual inspection by the officials of the Nome Kennel Club. under the aus pices of which the speed trial was held. the word was given and with q few farewell shouts from the spectat- ors. the Siberians and their doughty little driver dashed away toward the looming bulk of Cape Nome over the measured Marathon course of 26 miles 3S5 yards. designated as the distance of the John Borden Cup race by the founder of the contest, John Borden of Chicago.
 According to the official time table of the contest. the run to Ft DavlS was accomplished in Is minutes ana go seconds. which is somewhat behlnd the time in earlier contests. The woody Siberians were not hitting their best pace, however, and dld not com mence to show the speed they were capable of until they had covered practically half the course. Hasting creek was passed in 40 minutes and lo seconds after leaving the starting llno The few miles between Hastings and the turning flag, situated on the shore ice opposite Cape Nome. were covered in l5 minutes, 55 seconds making ''e total time to the stake 56 minutes .'' seconds. Up to this point the lone team had displayed no inclination to break records but after passing the turning flag. the canines hit their pest stride and the return journey was ac- complished at rate that astonisheo the oldest dog fans when ne repofts came in from the various timing points Never before in the history of the con test has a dog team tore over the rround at more remarkable speed than the Seppala racers displayed in mak- ing their way back to the starting s line. Every mile of the return jour nev saw several seconds clipped from the record and by the time the team reached Hastings creek again. the previous record runs up to that nolnt had already gone aglmmerins. The total time at that point was hour' i- minutes. 30 seconds, which is said to be nearly minutes ahead of the best time made in the three annual races held up to the present. Alter passing Hastings creek, the team con- tinued the same remarkable pace until the woody little animals dashed