U.P. 200 winner Ryan Anderson mushes his sled dog team toward the ceremonial finish line at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette during the 2019 race. (Journal file photo)

GRAND PORTAGE, Minn. (AP) — A Wisconsin musher won his fourth John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon title by a wide margin.

Ryan Anderson had a one-hour cushion in finishing the 300-mile sled dog race in northeastern Minnesota Tuesday evening.

Anderson, of Cushing, Wisconsin, also won the race in 2011, 2015 and 2017 and joins Nathan Schroeder and Jamie Nelson as the event’s only four-time winners.

“I don’t get too excited or show a lot of emotion that way, but obviously I’m super happy and super proud of what I’ve accomplished,” Anderson said. “I’m more proud of the confidence that the dog team has now moving forward with them. They feel like they can accomplish anything.”

Anderson is also an eight-time champion of the U.P. 200, including the current two-time defending champion from its most recent runnings in 2019 and 2020, and is listed as an entrant for this year’s race that starts and ends in Marquette and will be held Feb. 18-20.

About a dozen mushers, roughly half the field of contenders, had dropped out of the Beargrease race by midday Tuesday. Race officials used the word “punchy” to describe the snow conditions.