Alaska's Great Race - Leaving Takotna

" Up in Takotna, former champions Jeff King and Lance Mackey are finishing their 24 hour breaks and getting ready to head back out."

" Over the past day they've lost nearly eighty miles to the teams who have gone on ahead."

" With only minutes left before departure, the race official calls out the count."

" You have seven minutes-"

" The enthusiasm may be back in his team but with only a days recovery the dogs are still hovering around their breaking point."

" He has a remarkable dog team, and they have the highest attitude of any dog team I've ever seen."

" For Mackey the next hours on the trail will be a run-rest balancing act, and could ultimately decide his fate."

" what I was hoping for......"

" you know even coming off my 24, I think I left like eighteenth or something from Takotna. "

" For a bemoaning, sad dog team they sounded like they were starting the Iditarod on the other side of that building. They were going berserk, and I'm on the other side my dogs are still laying down listening to that and I'm listening to them and holy crap! They're mentally raring to go."

" At 5 AM Mackey sets out for the Yukon."

" I also know that some dogs downfall is their enthusiasm they don't even know what their own body can do, they don't know what they're energy level is, and they're just really dumb."

" Thirteen minutes later it's King's turn."

" He's keeping his usual calm approach, as he faces the next leg of the trail."