Yukon quest news

Jason Weitzel has scratched due to musher injury at Circle City.

It's before dawn on Day 4 and the lead mushers - Hugh Neff, Brent Sass, Allen Moore and Abbie West - are well on their way to Eagle. All four left Slaven's Roadhouse before midnight last night, according to official race times, and the live-tracking shows Sonny Lindner right up with them, too.

This is one of the longest checkpoint-free stretches of the race. The mushers are largely on their own as they run upriver, supported by unofficial hospitality stops at cabins owned by local residents, and by the National Park Service at Slaven's Roadhouse. When they reach Eagle they'll have a mandatory four-hour layover before heading to the Canadian border and Dawson City.

Further back in the pack, all 1000-mile racers have reached Circle City checkpoint. Some are still resting there, and others are heading up the Yukon in pursuit of the leaders. Rookie musher Jason Weitzel scratched at Circle last night due to musher injury.

In the YQ300, winner Josh Cadzow is resting at Central, while Rob Cooke and Ava Lindner have left Circle City less than two hours apart and are racing for second place.