Nome, Alaska – Sunday, March 11, 2012 – Aliy Zirkle (Bib# 14) of Two Rivers, Alaska arrived into Unalakleet as the leader in the 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at 07:28 Alaska Time. Zirkle arrived into Unalakleet with 12 dogs and was greeted by a crowd of race fans. Zirkle’s run from Kaltag to Unalakleet earned her the Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award.

The Wells Fargo Gold Coast Award includes a beautiful gold cup and $2,500 in gold nuggets. Zirkle was presented the award and gold nuggets by Scotty Watkins, Branch Manager for the Nome Wells Fargo along with Loren Prosser, Community Bank President for Northwest Alaska and Tracy Cooper, Community agent.

The gold nuggets are local Nome gold nuggets and were purchased from longtime resident and gold miner, Jim Hanson.  There is a perpetual trophy that resides at the Nome Wells Fargo Branch for this award.

Unalakleet is located on the coast of Norton Sound, just north of the Unalakleet River. There are only six more checkpoints remaining between Unalakleet and the burled arch of Nome.

The award will be re-presented to Zirkle in Nome on Sunday, March 18th, during the Iditarod Awards Banquet.