Alaska musher Lance Mackey won the sprint to the finish to take the 22nd edition of the Yukon Quest.

Mackey won the Quest this afternoon, arriving at the finish on the Chena River in Fairbanks at just after 2:00 Yukon time.

Carcross musher William Kleedehn was reported to be just a few minutes behind Mackey in second place.

ANGEL CREEK, Alaska The Alaska Creek Lodge was teeming with excitement last night as the Yukon Quest's frontrunners ate their last meal before race victory day.

This afternoon, five mushers will madly make their way toward the Fairbanks finish line.

Last night, Lance Mackey, the first out of North Pole at 9:00 this morning, was surrounded by supporters as he read race coverage in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

'I thought it was the damn finish line,' Mackey said about arriving into Angel Creek where his father, Dick Mackey, the founder of the Iditarod, met up with him.

Lance said he was fairly nervous about coming into Fairbanks, now that he had William Kleedehn 'on his ass.'

Kleedehn, from Carcross, was 15 minutes behind Lance out of North Pole. The two were barrelling toward Fairbanks at around 1:00 this afternoon.

Lance said the race is very emotional.

'I've just been cruising along, daydreaming about crossing the finish line first,' said Lance. 'It's been a life-changing run.'

Lance's last meal before race victory day were onion rings and a cheeseburger.

Dick said he is very proud of his son, but said Lance's impressive performance is to be expected since he grew up around dog mushing.

'When Lance's dog team came in (to Angel Creek) crying, ready to run some more, it's an awesome feeling,' said Dick, who has won the Iditarod.

Dick, who flew all the way north from Phoenix, AZ., said the Quest is making him nostalgic for his Iditarod experience.

Last night, a tired-looking Kleedehn said he wasn't trying to catch up to anyone after he sprinted into Angel Creek.

Kleedehn, riddled with dog problems for the entire race, said travelling toward the back of the frontrunning group gave his dogs time to rest up.

Jon Little, who left an hour and a half behind Kleedehn and Mackey, thinks Kleedehn's troubles were all a ploy to give the leaders false confidence.

It's about 160 kilometres from Angel Creek to Fairbanks the kind of run Kleedehn's been training for all winter.

'My team looks very good right now,' he said while enjoying a meal with his partner, Catherine Pinard, who scratched from the Quest in Scroggie Creek.

Kleedehn believes Hugh Neffwho arrived an hour behind him into North Pole doesn't stand a chance of winning this race, as Neff may have pushed his dogs too hard into Dawson City, and then again too hard up Eagle Summit, where he helped break trail for his friend, Lance Mackey.

Kleedehn, on the other hand, let four mushers go up the strenuous summit ahead of him, beating down the path for him.

While Little was resting at Mile 101, Kleedehn blew right past the dog drop, stopping only to put on booties.

Little is predicting Lance will win the race.

The first mushers to Fairbanks are expected to be Lance, Kleedehn, Dave Dalton, Neff and Little.

The last-place musher, Dan Kaduce, is a good day behind the frontrunners, not having left Central.