The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race reached Koyuk Monday morning, marking the occasion with another change of its hotly contested lead as four-time champion Jeff King blew through in only six minutes.
Mitch Seavey pulled into the Koyuk checkpoint at 7:42 a.m. with 10 dogs, becoming the first musher to arrive -- but not the first to leave. King checked in with 11 dogs at 8:16 a.m., but was back on the trail at 8:22 a.m.
On Sunday evening, Iditarod veteran Gerry Willomitzer was withdrawn from the race in Shageluk after spending many hours searching for a lost dog, Montego. Montego was found by someone who wasn't affiliated with the race and returned to the Iditarod checkpoint, but race officials decided that Willomitzer "had fallen too far behind to return to Iditarod to retrieve Montego and continue the race in a competitive nature."
Contact Jessica Ridgway
