Girdwood musher Nicolas Petit was living up to his nickname — Quick Nic — Saturday in the Copper Basin 300 sled dog race.
Petit recorded the fastest time from the start line in Glennallen to the first checkpoint at Sourdough Lodge 70 miles away.
He made the run in 7 hours, 42 minutes, one minute faster than defending champion Matt Hall of Two Rivers and five minutes faster than Allen Moore of Two Rivers.
Petit lingered for less than an hour at Sourdough Lodge and was the first musher to begin the 34-mile run to Meiers Lake.
From Meiers Lake, mushers go 70 miles to Tolsona and then 50 miles to Mendeltna. The final 60 miles take teams to the finish line back in Glennallen.
The winner of the 300-mile race should reach Glennallen sometime Monday morning.