The two leading mushers in Alaska's 2014 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race were separated by just one minute Sunday evening as they left the Koyuk checkpoint, less than 200 miles from the finish of the nearly 1,000-mile race.
Four-time winner Jeff King left Koyuk at 5:50 p.m. Alaska time, followed at 5:51 p.m. by Aliy Zirkle, runner-up the past two years and seeking to become the first woman to win the race since Susan Butcher in 1990.
Four-time champion Martin Buser was running in third place Sunday evening, about two hours behind the leaders along with Dallas Seavey (fourth) and Sonny Lindner (fifth).
They're on pace to reach the finish in Nome in record time, perhaps as soon as tonight. The race started on March 2.
Musher Nathan Schroeder of Chisholm, competing in his first Iditarod after winning the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon three times, left Unalakleet on the Bering Sea coast at 6:57 p.m. Alaska time on Sunday. He was in 21st place among the 53 teams still on the trail, and was second among rookies -- about 2½ hours behind fellow rookie Abbie West.
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Schroeder had 13 dogs remaining in his team, after having dropped three of the 16 he started with; West's team was down to nine dogs. Unalakleet is 714 miles into the race, and about 260 miles from the finish.
