The world-famous , 1,000-mile journey across Alaska kicked off on Monday in Fairbanks . It usually starts 225 miles south in Willow , but poor conditions this year led organizers to reroute the trail around a mountain range . Aaron Burmeister reclaimed the lead of the Iditarod on Saturday after leaving the checkpoint at Nulato ahead of Jeff King . Burmeister has n't taken his mandatory eight hour layover yet in the rice . King has . Scroll down for video . Stunning view : Under the northern lights , Norwegian rookie Thomas Waerner prepares to leave Huslia , Alaska , for Koyukuk on Saturday , March 14 , 2015 , in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race . In the race : Iditarod musher Matt Failor massages a sore ankle on one of his dogs in the Ruby , Alaska , checkpoint on Thursday , March 12 . Preparing to run : Iditarod musher Ken Anderson rubs ointment into the paws of one of his dogs at the Ruby , Alaska checkpoint on Wednesday , March 11 . Aliy Zirkle and her enthusiastic team arrive at the Huslia , Alaska , checkpoint for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday March 18 . Snow in their eyes ; Mitch Seavey 's lead dogs with frosty whiskers at the Huslia , Alaska , checkpoint for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race . The musher 's kennel and breeding program has spent 17 years building an Iditarod team . The 39-year-old is the son of Iditarod veteran Richard Burmeister . King , 59 , is a four-time Iditarod winner . He has been mushing since 1976 after he heard Jerry Riley 's race finish while listening to the radio . Aliy Zirkle has also checked in at Nulato , a village of 246 people who rely on a trapping and subsistence lifestyle . Zirkle is trying for her first win after finishing second in the last three years . If the 45-year-old pulls in to the finish line at Nome first , she would be the first female Iditarod winner since 1990 when the late Susan Butcher finished first . Need enough snow : A lack of snow in south central Alaska forced race organizers to move the race north where there is more appropriate terrain for the race . Under the northern lights , Ray Redington Jr arrives in Huslia , Alaska , Saturday , March 14 , 2015 , in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race . ( AP Photo/Alaska Dispatch News , Loren Holmes ) Into the night : Jeff King leaves Huslia , Alaska , for the Koyukuk River in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday March 13 . First musher : Iditarod musher Aaron Burmeister was the first musher to arrive at the Huslia , Alaska checkpoint on Thursday , March 12 , 2015 during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race . Showing support : Geir Iver Vikholt puts up a large banner cheering on the Norwegian mushers at the Huslia , Alaska , checkpoint for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday . Nulato is 346 miles from the finish line at Nome . Rounding out the top five are Jessie Royer and Dallas Seavey , who have both left Koyukuk for Nulato . Two mushers scratched on Saturday . Gerald Sousa dropped out at Galena and Christine Roalofs left in Ruby . Both cited the best interests of their teams . The race started on Monday with 78 mushers in Fairbanks . Four mushers have scratched and one has been disqualified . Two dogs have died , including a dog on four-time champion Lance Mackey 's team . Paw rash : Norwegian rookie Thomas Waerner rubs diaper rash cream in his dogs ' feet at the Huslia , Alaska , checkpoint on Friday , March 13 . Shedding some light : Norwegian musher Thomas Waerner talks at the Ruby , Alaska checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday , March 11 . Checkpoint : Iditarod musher Jeff King , from Denali , Alaska , mushes between the checkpoints of White Mountain and Safety , the last checkpoint before the finish line in Nome . Meeting fans : Dallas Seavey signs autographs at the Huslia , Alaska , checkpoint of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Friday March 13 . Hooray ! : Community members cheer for Aaron Burmeister , the first Iditarod musher to arrive at the new checkpoint , on Thursday , March 12 , 2015 in Huslia , Alaska during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race .
The world-famous , 1,000-mile journey across Alaska kicked off on Monday in Fairbanks . It usually starts 225 miles south in Willow , but poor conditions this year led organizers to reroute the trail around a mountain range . Aaron Burmeister reclaimed the lead of the Iditarod on Saturday after leaving the checkpoint at Lance Mackey 's ahead of Jeff King . Four mushers have scratched and one has been disqualified . Two dogs have died , including a dog on four-time champion Nulato team .