Mitch Seavey was the first musher to leave the checkpoint at Unalakleet on Sunday during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race took the lead early Sunday and held onto it as he pressed forward along the Bering Sea coastline. Another musher was just 15 minutes behind.
With less than 250 miles to the finish line, Mitch Seavey was the first musher to leave Unalakleet, where he pulled into town earlier at 10:13 a.m. and was able to rest his team for about five hours. Aaron Burmeister pulled into the checkpoint just 15 minutes after Seavey and was the same musher who followed him out.
The mushers arrived at the checkpoint after traveling from Kaltag, the last stop on the frozen Yukon River.
“It was a long run. I think my dogs are kind of tired from yesterday on the river,” Seavey told the Iditarod Insider after pulling into Unalakleet. “So much deep snow and hot, but they are hanging in there. Not as quick as I would like to be, but quick enough for today I guess.”
The 1,000-mile race to Nome began with 66 teams at a ceremonial start in Anchorage March 2, and the race’s competitive start was the next day in Willow. Five mushers have scratched so far.