Anchorage, Alaska – Veteran musher Brent Sass (bib #27), of Eureka, Alaska, is the first musher to reach the Cripple checkpoint, the halfway point of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Sass arrived at 3:50 p.m. with 13 dogs in harness.

By arriving first in Cripple, Sass wins the Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award, and has a choice of either $3,000 in gold nuggets or a smartphone with a year of free GCI mobile service.

The halfway award honors the late “Mother of the Iditarod,” Dorothy G. Page. The trophy, which is made of Alaska birch and marble and features a photo of Page, remains year-round at Iditarod headquarters.

“As the official technology partner of the Iditarod, we are proud to power one of the most historic sporting events in Alaska,” said GCI Contributions and Events Senior Manager Megan Mazurek. “This race travels through some of the most remote terrain in our state, which we understand very well as GCI works to close the digital divide in rural Alaska. Through our partnership with the Iditarod, we understand how much fans and our neighbors around Alaska really rely on GCI’s statewide network. Congratulations, Brent Sass!”

This award will be re-presented to Sass at the finishers banquet in Nome.

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