Iditarod competitor Jeff King has continued his preparations for the Last Great Race (LGR) with a win at this year’s Tustumena 200 (T200).

The Denali Park-based veteran beat off the likes of Cim Smyth, DeeDee Jonrowe and Scott Smith to take the title on the 200-mile course.

Meanwhile, Lance Mackey – tipped to be in with the chance of his fourth LGR title in a row in March – finished in sixth.

Other high-scoring Iditarod racers included Ramey Smyth in eight and Ryan Redington in tenth. Only five of the 28 who started out did not finish the course.

The T200 regularly attracts mushers from as far afield as Germany, Japan and Spain and offers amateur class courses to those not wanting to run the full 200 miles.

It was first established in 1984 and forms part of the training for many mushers entering the Iditarod.

This year’s LGR kicks off on March 6th 2010 in Anchorage, before covering a 1,000-mile course to Nome.