The annual Iditarod, without question the most prestigious dog sled race in the world, is upon us once again. Dogs and mushers are tasked with making the trek from Anchorage to Nome in sub-zero temperatures. 

In an unusual twist, the typically frigid Alaska winter was a little warmer than expected by the time the event got underway. Jareen Imam of CNN wrote that the 2015 Iditarod was forced to move a little further north than normal because Anchorage "only" got 20 inches of snow instead of the average 60. 

According to the press release issued by Iditarod chief executive officer Stan Hooley, this is the second time in race history that a move was forced due to weather conditions:

This marks the second time in the history of the Race that the Restart has been moved to Fairbanks because of poor conditions in the Alaska Range. The first was in 2003, when Robert Sorlie of Norway, won his first Iditarod.

'While some snow did fall east of the Alaska Range over the past couple of weeks, other parts of the trail,in very critical areas, did not get much or any of it,' said Stan Hooley, CEO.

Despite the minor inconvenience of moving the race, it wasn't delayed. It usually takes at least nine days to finish, though last year's event was won by Dallas Seavey with a record time of eight days, 13 hours, four minutes and 19 seconds. 

Seavey is competing again this year, looking to win his third career Iditarod with 2012 being his first triumph. He will be joined by 78 other mushers, including Jeff King, who lost last year's race by 122 seconds. 

This year certainly has a lot to live up to after the 2014 version, but the drama got started with the shift in starting points, so who knows what to expect from the Iditarod. 

Iditarod Race Schedule

The 2015 Iditarod began on Saturday, March 7 in Anchorage. It will resume on Monday, March 9 with the restart in Fairbanks. A full list of checkpoints and distances can be found on the Iditarod website by clicking here.

Race Standings

2015 Iditarod Standings Top 10 (Through March 11 at 18:28:43)

 Full standings can be found here. *Indicates racer still on course

March 13 Update

The top two competitors spent most of today resting before making the 86-mile trek from Huslia to Koyukuk. Aaron Burmeister was given the 2015 Iditarod halfway award for being atop the standings at this point, though it's hardly the prize he's after. 

At 39, Burmeister is familiar with this race but hasn't finished higher than fourth (2012). This is shaping up to be his best performance in the Iditarod, though there's still a long way to go. 

Hot on Burmeister's heels is Dallas Seavey, who is looking for his second consecutive win and third in four years. The defending champion entered the race providing a list of top contenders to The Associated Press (h/t AL.com):

"Myself, my Dad (musher Mitch Seavey) and Jeff King hold about 90 percent of the lottery tickets." Seavey said. "There's still 10 percent out there. I don't know who's holding them."

Burmeister falls into Seavey's 10-percent lottery category, which speaks to how far the veteran appears to have upped his game this year. 

Jeff King moved up the standings after reaching the Huslia checkpoint. He's currently in 10th place, though there was some positive momentum as his dogs set an 8.09-mph pace that was the fastest among anyone in the top 10. 

That's not the best strategy to take, as the marathon nature of the Iditarod means pace is more important than speed, but King isn't in a spot where he can wait to make a move. 

March 12 Update

Aaron Burmeister has moved into first place as the racers reach the Galena checkpoint, overtaking Dallas Seavey with a strong run. Burmeister was able to move forward by taking only a brief rest at the checkpoint, though he is still yet to take the required eight-hour layover that could ultimately make a difference.

Seavey has spent most of the race near the top of the field and remains a good bet to overtake Burmeister after his layover. He was one of a number of riders who took the elongated break while in Ruby; his brother, Mitch Seavey, took it a step further by taking his 24-hour break in Ruby rather than Galena where he originally planned.

Strategy here is key as finding the right time to take the mandated breaks can be the difference between winning and losing the race. As it stands, Burmeister is the only top-seven musher who is yet to take either his eight-hour or 24-hour rest.

Among the racers who chose to take their 24-hour break in Ruby, Mitch Seavey is in first place. 

March 11 Update

It's a familiar story at the top of the Iditarod standings as the action moved to Ruby. Mitch and Dallas Seavey jumped into the top two spots, which has become an annual tradition in this event. 

Last year, the father-son duo finished first and third with Dallas coming out on top. This year, the old man is in the driver's seat, though Kyle Hopkins of KTUU Channel 2 in Alaska tweeted out the elder Seavey didn't intend to be in this spot:

Mitch Seavey wins Spirit of Alaska award as first to Ruby, but says he didn't mean to get here No. 1. pic.twitter.com/SBMBaHOZwk

— Kyle Hopkins (@kylehopkinsAK) March 12, 2015

Even though Mitch Seavey didn't plan on getting to Ruby as quickly as he did, there are worse places to be. He's still got a long way to go and little room to breathe. 

Aliy Zirkle, who was leading the race earlier in the day and was the runner-up last year, is still lurking. She's been terrific so far with an average speed of 10.08 miles per hour, per the official Iditarod website. If the veteran musher can keep that going, she will be the first woman to win this event since 1990. 

March 10 Update

Martin Buser held the lead heading into the Manley Hot Springs checkpoint, and he didn't look back from there.

Not only did Buser reach the Manley Hot Springs point before any of the other racers, he wasted little time and headed off to the Tanana checkpoint. As of 16:18:09 in the official standings, he was the only one to have reached Tanana. 

While the Iditarod is a testament to incredible endurance and truly follows the cliche that it is a "marathon and not a sprint," Buser is building a commanding lead in these early stages. That certainly has to put him on the short list of competitors who can actually capture the championship.

Buser wasn't the only one to impress Tuesday. 

Aaron Burmeister made a huge charge, coming from 63rd place into the top 10. Those are the types of moves that can set the racers up for big success down the road, and Burmeister announced to the rest of the field that he is ready to compete at this year's Iditarod.

KTVA Iditarod declared him the mover of the day:

Monday's #IditarodMOTD (Move of the Day) goes to Aaron Burmeister. He went from 63 to 8. #Iditarod

6:18 PM - 10 Mar 2015

Peter Kaiser and Mitch Seavey are also right in the thick of the race, but everyone is chasing Buser on the way to Tanana and beyond.

March 9 Update

Four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser jumped into a slim lead on March 9. He was the first driver to arrive at the Nenana, Alaska, checkpoint and the first to leave. In total, Buser spent 21 minutes at the checkpoint before getting back on the trail.

By the time he left, Thomas Waerner, who sits in second place, hadn't even made his way to Nenana.

Most of the top drivers only opted to make a quick pit stop in Nenana. Among the top 10 mushers, only one stayed more than 16 minutes.

Many of the mushers took advantage of the snowfall that hit Fairbanks, their third checkpoint in the race.

"This is going to be perfect," said Linwood Fiedler, per Suzanna Caldwell of the Alaska Dispatch. "New snow, cool temps. I actually left most of my rain gear at home."

Looking forward to the days ahead, one of the more interesting mushers to watch will be Nicolas Petit. He was among the first to arrive at Nenana but remained for an hour and 39 minutes. That made him tumble from third all the way down to 21st by the time he left.

Petit still has plenty of time to make up ground.

March 8 Update

2015 Iditarod Day 1 Ceremonial Race Results

 Full standings can be found here

Recap

Rob Cooke's first Iditarod has him in a solid position following the ceremonial start. He's wearing the No. 2 bib and will get the advantage coming out of the Fairbanks restart on March. The 48-year-old has plenty of previous racing experience, including finishing 18th in the 2013 Yukon Quest. 

However, this will be the most high-profile race run by Cooke. He's starting in an enviable spot on the restart, but his endurance is going to be tested in ways it hasn't been in the past. 

Per Beth Bragg of Alaska Dispatch News, the No. 1 bib was given to "longtime volunteer" Philip Esai, who passed away last May. 

Moving further down the list, defending champion Dallas Seavey is starting near the middle of the pack by virtue of getting the No. 46 bib at 11 hours and 36 minutes. Here's video from KTVA Iditarod of the 27-year-old taking off:

Will @DallasSeavey do it again? The 2014 champion takes off from the starting line of the #Iditarod2015. #KTVA pic.twitter.com/5m9c12Rk7h

— KTVA Iditarod (@IditarodKTVA) March 7, 2015

Seavey is looking to become the first musher to win consecutive Iditarod races since Lance Mackey won four straight from 2007-10. He's starting from much further back than last year when he was 14th. The defending champion will also be going up against his father, Mitch, once again. 

Mitch Seavey is the one thing standing between Dallas and a three-peat, as the elder won the 2013 race. He is wearing the 18th bib (10 hours, 35 minutes).