Brent Sass maintains Iditarod lead but cautious about Seavey

Brent Sass hasn't seen another musher in nearly 400 miles, which is a good sign for the leader of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska

Brent Sass hasn’t seen another musher for hundreds of miles, a pretty good sign when you’re leading the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Sass was nearing the checkpoint in White Mountain on Monday. White Mountain is where mushers must take a mandatory eight-hour layover before making the final 77-mile (124-kilometer) push along Alaska’s western coastline and the Bering Sea ice to the finish line in Nome.

“No way, not quite yet,” he told a film crew Sunday night for the Iditarod Insider website when asked if he’s allowing himself to start thinking about the finish line.

“We’re not there yet,” Sass said when he stopped at the checkpoint in the village of Koyuk. “It’s been a good run, but he’s still right back there.”

Sass was referring to Dallas Seavey, the five-time champion who has been running in second place behind Sass.

Sass may be feeling Seavey’s presence behind him, but he hasn’t set eyes on him or any other musher since taking command of the nearly 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race across the Alaska wilderness late last week.

“I haven’t seen anyone since Cripple,” he said of the checkpoint 379 miles (610 kilometers) behind Koyuk on the trail.

According to GPS trackers on the Iditarod website, Sass had a 21-mile (34-kilometer) advantage — or about a three-hour lead for a dog team averaging 7 mph (11 kph) — on Seavey on Monday.

Forty-nine mushers started the Iditarod on March 6 in Willow. Since then, five have withdrawn from the race, including Josh McNeal. He scratched Sunday night at the Galena checkpoint, saying it was in the best interest of his dog team.