Stiff contest ahead in Yukon Quest's 2nd half

The lead mushers in this year's Yukon Quest are expecting a close contest as they embark on the second half of the 1,600-kilometre sled-dograce.

The top 10 dog teams began leaving the halfway checkpoint in Dawson City, Yukon, on Friday, having finished a mandatory 36-hour layover.

Whitehorse musher Hans Gatt, who arrived in Dawson City first, was also the first to depart at 6:35 a.m. PT for the remaining 725 kilometres of the Arctic quest from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Whitehorse.

Hugh Neff of Tok, Alaska, and Annie Lake, Yukon, departed next at 9:07 a.m., followed by Lance Mackey of Fairbanks at 9:28 a.m., according to the race's website.

When his team pulled into Dawson City on Wednesday night, Mackey a four-time Yukon Quest champion was running almost three hours behind Gatt.

"The thing that most people would have a hard time with understanding, you know, [is] I've won the last four Quests that I entered; I should be able to win the fifth one, right? And if I don't, what happened?" Mackey told CBC News.

'Dogs are doing good'

"Nothing happened, you know. Dogs are doing good, but we've got competitors who are out here to get me, and they're serious about it, and the teams are capable.

"That's just part of racing: you can't win them all," he added. "But I'm damn sure going to try."

At least five veteran mushers are in the top pack heading into the second half of the Yukon Quest.

Other mushers expected to leave the Dawson City checkpoint on Friday are Alaskans Zack Steer, Ken Anderson, Brent Sass, Sonny Lindner, Abbie West and Joshua Cadzow, as well as Gerry Willomitzer of Shallow Bay, Yukon.

To date, none of the 24 teams that left the starting line in Fairbanks on Feb. 6 has scratched from the race.