Day 4, Update #2

Brent Sass is first to Cripple checkpoint, with Seavey in pursuit

Musher Brent Sass of Eureka was the first to reach the Cripple checkpoint of the 50th Iditarod on Wednesday afternoon, making his the first team to reach the halfway point of the race.

Official standings show Sass pulled into Cripple at 3:50 p.m., with five-time defending champion Dallas Seavey about 20 miles behind and the next closest musher. Cripple is the official halfway point for the northern route of the race, which is being used this year.

Sass was also the first to reach the checkpoint in 2020. He pulled in on Wednesday with 13 dogs in harness, making the run between checkpoints in 11 hours, 43 minutes. According to a press release, Sass has won the Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award. As a prize, he has the choice between either $3,000 in gold nuggets or a smartphone with a year of free GCI mobile service.

Iditarod 2022 Trail Report: Mushers begin declaring 24-hour layovers

Sass and Seavey are pursued by a group of top contenders. GPS tracking of the race Wednesday afternoon showed Hugh Neff about 10 miles behind Seavey, while Ryan Redington and Mitch Seavey were also on the trail from Ophir to Cripple.

Dog teams rested on a mellow day at the McGrath checkpoint of the Iditarod on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 as 

several teams opted to take their 24-hour layovers there.(Jordan Rodenberger/Alaska's News Source)

Meanwhile, several teams have opted to take their 24-hour layover. Some of them, like Aaron Burmeister, are taking that layover in McGrath, while others are taking it in Ophir.