Photos: Iditarod leaders pause in White Mountain before run to Nome

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Jeff King feeds his dogs minutes after arriving first into White Mountain. March 10, 2014

It's Jeff King's race to lose.

The expected soon-to-be-five-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champ pulled into White Mountain just after 7 a.m. Monday, his team of 13 perky huskies ready for rest after the long, cold and icy run into the checkpoint.

In his run in, King of Denali Park only extended his lead over two-time Iditarod runner-up and former leader Aliy Zirkle of Two Rivers. The two left the checkpoint of Koyuk only a minute apart on Sunday, and spent much of the next 48 miles traveling close together, only a mile or two apart.

But upon leaving Elim after taking only a short rest of about 90 minutes, King began to pull away, moving swiftly with veteran lead dogs Zig and Skeeter, who particularly excelled at traveling over the glare ice of Golovin Bay.

"That was an an icy son of a bitch," King said Monday morning, as he bedded his dogs down in White Mountain, sprinkling straw over his leaders.

READ MORE: As leaders prepare to leave White Mountain, a fifth Iditarod win for King all but certain

See all of our slideshows from the trail and more on our Iditarod page. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, for more great images from The Last Great Race. Contact Alaska Dispatch photojournalist Loren Holmes at loren(at)alaskadispatch.com.