ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Musher Paul Gebhardt is the front-runner in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Gebhardt was closely being followed Tuesday by Sebastian Schnuelle, who won the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race two weeks ago.

Gebhardt, a two-time Iditarod runner-up, was first out of Rohn, leaving at 8:25 p.m. Monday, followed five minutes later by Schnuelle.

In third place is two-time defending champion Lance Mackey, who was exchanging the lead Monday with Schnuelle.

Mackey left Rohn at 10:10 p.m. Monday for the 75-mile run to Nikolai.

The Rohn checkpoint is 272 miles from Anchorage and almost 860 miles from the finish in the western Alaska town of Nome.