Reigning champ leads Iditarod in final push to Nome

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

NOME, Alaska (AP) Reigning Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Dallas Seavey leads the 2016 race as mushers move up the Bering Sea coast.

Seavey reached the village of Elim at 4:09 a.m. Tuesday, stayed two minutes, and headed north with nine dogs in harness.

He has a 26-minute lead over Brent Sass, who reached Elim just before 4:30 a.m., stayed eight minutes and left with 13 dogs at 4:37 a.m.

Seavey's father, former champion Mitch Seavey, was three minutes behind Sass. He left Elim at 4:40 a.m.

Aliy Zirkle (AL-ee ZUR-cul), one of two mushers whose teams were hit by a snowmobile Saturday morning, is in fourth.

Teams must take a mandatory eight-hour rest stop at the village of White Mountain but could reach the finish line at Nome by Tuesday morning.