Rested group chases Iditarod leaders

A pack of six mushers has reached the halfway point of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race today, with Seward musher Dallas Seavey leading the group into the Cripple checkpoint.

Seavey was followed closely by Kotzebue musher John Baker. Martin Buser, Bruce Linton, rookie Michelle Phillips and Robert Nelson round out this leading group.

However, none of these mushers have taken their 24-hour layover yet. The pack out front is being chased by a formidable group of veterans who have dispensed with the first of their two mandatory stops.

Jeff King, Hugh Neff, Mitch Seavey, Sebastian Schnuelle and Lance Mackey are all out of Ophir and racing toward Cripple in that order. All of these mushers, as well as the 17 others close on their heels, have taken their day-long break and are racing toward Cripple. Realistically, 30 mushers, including most of the big names, are still within striking distance of the lead.

From Cripple, the mushers have 497 miles to the burled arch at the finish line in Nome. The trail turns to run down the Yukon River at the next checkpoint in Ruby, then the mushers will head north along the frozen coast. Weather reports show mushers can expect double-digit below zero temperatures the rest of the way, but no major weather systems are predicted yet.