Photos: Mushers arrive in Unalakleet

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Aaron Burmeister relaxes in the Unalakleet checkpoint after arriving there first on Sunday, March 15, 2015.

Nome's Aaron Burmeister led the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to the icy coast of Alaska's Bering Sea and the checkpoint of Unalakleet on Sunday afternoon, but he didn't get much of a chance to celebrate.

Less than four hours after the frosted, 39-year-old musher received the warm welcome for which the checkpoint is famous, defending champ Dallas Seavey from Willow pulled in behind a string of 12 very strong-looking dogs and was almost as quickly gone into the howling coastal winds.

Seavey told bystanders he didn't plan to stop until Shaktoolik, another 40 miles north along the trail. Burmeister, who'd been planning grab a nap, was immediately up and awake. He started checking gear hung to dry in the checkpoint and then got himself a cup of coffee. A little more than an hour after Seavey left, Burmeister took up the chase.

READ MORE: Dallas Seavey blows through Unalakleet, swipes Iditarod lead