Iditarod organisers consider moving part of race to Fairbanks

Iditarod sled dog race. Image by Frank Kovalchek / CC BY 2.0

The Iditarod Trail Committee has announced that they are considering moving a portion of the famous 1000-mile dog sled race to Fairbanks, Alaska. Due to minimal snow on the ground near the Iditarod’s traditional Willow start location, which is just northwest of Anchorage, race organizers might have to hold a ceremonial start in Willow, and then have the competitors restart in snowier Fairbanks. Last year the race was criticised for unsafe conditions as a result of rocky, snowless terrain, and a number of mushers had to pull out of the race. The committee renovated a 20-mile section of the trail in hopes to ease concerns, but volunteers and participants say the section of trail in south-central Alaska is still too rough to mush. Read more: adn.com