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Some 39 mushers from across the northern Rockies sped away from the starting line for the West Yellowstone sled dog races on Saturday morning.

Running in four classes, 12 dog teams run 32 miles, nine dog teams travel 22 miles, six dog teams go 12 miles and four dog junior teams complete five miles in the races.

The first teams left the starting line at 9 a.m. and the first finishers were arriving back at the start just before 11 a.m. Famed Montana Iditarod racer Doug Swingley raced with 12 dogs, leaving the gate at 9:06 a.m.

All of the six and eight dog teams crossed the finish line by noon and 12 dog teams were expected within another 30 minutes.

Race officials say the times from Friday and Saturday heats will be calculated and added together on Sunday. The final race results are expected to be announced late Sunday or Monday.