According to Iditarod.com, the leaders of Iditarod 2010 arrived at the checkpoint in the coastal Norton Sound village of Koyuk early Monday morning. Lance Mackey, the race leader, arrived at 2:48 a.m. local time, just behind him, Jeff King pulled in at 4:02 a.m. Following them, Hans Gatt and his team arrived at 5:09 a.m.

The push to get to White Mountain for a mandatory, eight-hour rest could motivate Mackey and King to make bold moves along the way, and watching the checkpoints between Koyuk and White Mountain could foreshadow this year's outcome. If Mackey and King got a good rest in Shaktoolik, and the dogs had a chance to rejuvenate themselves with a sunny break protected from the wind, the teams might breeze through Koyuk, spending minimal time at the checkpoint, said Iditarod Race Marshal Mark Nordham.

So far, the leader-board is showing that all three leading mushers are still in Koyuk, where the weather Monday is shaping up to be cloudless with light wind. Temperatures in Koyuk should reach the mid-teens below zero by noon on Monday, and later take a run at zero degrees for the high. The next race leg, from Koyuk to Elim, should take between five and seven hours, and since the wind is light, a quick run is certainly possible.