Top 2 Mushers Separated by Minute in Race

Joe Runyan overtook Susan Butcher and Martin Buser early today as the half-dozen leaders in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race moved from the Yukon River to the Bering Sea Coast, setting up the final sprint to Nome.

Runyan, a musher from Nenana, checked into this Norton Sound community just a minute ahead of Butcher. He logged in at 6:45 a.m. local time Monday, with the three-time champion in at 6:46 a.m., and Buser, from Big Lake, reporting in at 7:14 a.m.

9-Minute Stay

Butcher of Manley had left the Yukon River village of Kaltag at 6:55 p.m. Sunday, with Buser a minute behind her. Runyan, running 16 dogs to Butcher’s 12 and Buser’s 11, pulled out at 7:45 p.m.

Then came Dee Dee Jonrowe of Willow, logging out at 9:13 p.m., four-time champion Rick Swenson of Manley, 9:14 p.m., and Lavon Barve of Wasilla leaving at 10:19 p.m.

From Unalakleet, the mushers race 38 miles up one of the windiest stretches of the trail to Shaktoolik.

Waiting for the first musher into Nome is $50,000 of a $250,000 jackpot.

The leaders--Butcher, Buser, Runyan, Swenson, Barve and Jonrowe--have been out front of the pack since they left the gold mining ghost town of Iditarod, 558 miles into the race and its half-way point.