Basinger pulled into the abandoned cabin that serves as the Rohn checkpoint at the foot of the Alaska Range at 6:55 p.m. Tuesday, with a lead of about five hours over defending champion Jeff Oatley. For racers accustomed to temperatures well below zero, conditions were tropical -- about 40 degrees F.
Numerous prior Invitationals have seen temperatures nearly 80 degrees colder in section of trail.
Basinger traveled a tortuous downhill 45-mile route to Rohn though the Dalzell Gorge in less than 13 hours, faster than some back-of-the-pack Iditarod mushers have managed behind a team of dogs.
The 29-year-old Basinger, a three-time champion, holds the 350-mile race record of 3 days, 5 hours, 40 minutes. He set it in 2007 on a route 30 miles longer through a section called Hell's Gate.
Jay Petervary won 2008, and Oatley captured the title a year later.
"It's time for Pete to take back the title," race director Kathi Merchant posted on the race Web site from the trail. "Looks like Pete may do it again."
After Rohn, an 80-mile passage through the snow-starved Farewell Burn looms. But that could be prove easier on bikers and runners than it was on snowmobilers who passed through last week during the Iron Dog and struggled to keep their machines from overheating.
Another five hours behind Oatley was Petervary of Wyoming, also on a bike.
Louise Kobin leads the women cyclists, leaving the previous checkpoint of Finger Lake at 3:02 a.m. Rajko Podgornik was the first skier, into Finger Lake at 3:20 p.m.
Most racers finish in McGrath, but a few continue on to Nome.
Iditarod Trail Invitational
Top 10 Racers on Tuesday
Out of Rainy Pass -- 1) Pete Basinger, 6:08 a.m.; 2) Jeff Oatley, 11:05 a.m.; 3) Jay Petervary, 4:13 p.m.
Into Rainy Pass -- 4) Dave Pramann, 5:15 p.m.
Out of Finger Lake -- 5) Erik Warkentin, bike, 3:02 a.m.; 6) Louise Kobin, bike, 3:02 a.m.; 7) Phil Hofstetter, bike, 6:33 a.m.; 8) Tim Stern, bike, 8:34 a.m.; 9) Chris Plesko, bike, 8:40 a.m.; 10) Tracey Petervary, bike, 8:49 a.m.
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