Iditarod Update: Zirkle, King Lead the Way Out of Shaktoolik

Riding on less than four hours of rest, Aliy Zirkle has decided to grab a head start on Jeff King and head north toward Koyuk. (Anchorage Daily News)

The Two Rivers musher in search of her first Iditarod victory left Shaktoolik at 7:12  this morning with 11 dogs and a 48-minute lead over King, a four-time champion looking to capture his first Iditarod since 2006. 

When Zirkle reached Shaktoolik earlier this morning, she was almost 12 hours ahead of the pace John Baker set during his record run in 2011. In Unalakleet, Zirkle didn’t get the opportunity to check the run times of her competition.

“Ignorance is bliss,” she told Iditarod Insider.

Zirkle and others could face  tough trail conditions along the sea ice on Norton Sound. The National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies today with 20-plus-mph winds and gusts up to 35 mph.