Rick Swenson, sometimes known as the "King of the Iditarod", (born 1950 in Willmar, Minnesota), is an American dog musher who was first to win the 1,049-mile (1688.2 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska five times, a record he held for 30 years, until Dallas Seavey matched it by winning the 2021 Iditarod.

The next year, he beat Jerry Riley by just 4 minutes and 52 seconds, and became known for close finishes.

The most controversial finish in the history of the Iditarod is his 1978 loss to Dick Mackey.

Swenson believed he had won—he personally crossed the finish line before Mackey.

Swenson moved to Alaska in 1973 to run sled dogs.