The first musher, Aaron Peck, and his dogs are now leaving Deshka Landing for the start of the Last Great Trail Race, the 49th running of the Iditarod!
This will be Aliy Zirkle’s last race as she heads into retirement following 20 years in the sport.
Many other races have been cancelled during this year of COVID19 but the Iditarod has made some significant changes to allow it to carry on. The route has been made into a circle, beginning and ending in Deshka Landing rather than riding all the way to Nome, and many of the checkpoints have been set up away from town centers to keep the mushers isolated from native communities. In addition, no spectators are allowed.
The grandaddy of all dog sled races begins this Sunday! The 49th Iditarod race includes 13 women and 34 men, made up of 12 rookies and 35 veterans. Four former Iditarod champions are back in the race and four countries are represented in the field. Five competing mushers have participated in 18 or more Iditarod races.
Here’s what you need to know about the build-up to the big race:
***TONIGHT*** (Thursday, March 4, 2021) Pre-Race Show at 9 pm Eastern. Broadcast free on Iditarod.com
Friday: Rookie Musher Panel at 8 pm Eastern, Women in Mushing Panel at 9 pm Eastern. Both require a subscription to Insider Ultimate PLUS on Iditarod.com Continue reading Everything Iditarod→
Although today the race could be held in Texas, The Iditarod will, as always, be held in Alaska, starting on March 7th. However, they have made some significant changes due to COVID-19. Here’s the scoop:
The Iditarod Trail Committee confirmed that both the restart and the finish of the Last Great Race on Earth will take place at Deshka Landing. The decision was mutually made by the Iditarod and the Willow Area Community Organization due to concern for COVID-19 risk mitigation at the Willow Area Community Center, which is also undergoing construction projects on facilities regularly utilized by the Iditarod.
Deshka Landing, located approximately 7.5 road miles from Willow Lake, serves as a year-round access point to the Lower Susitna Drainage consisting of the Susitna River, Deshka River, Yentna River, Alexander Creek and all tributaries. This change for the 2021 race, along with the Iditarod Golden Trail Loop race route, further allows race organizers to safely execute and continue to protect the communities along the trail, the mushers, volunteers and Iditarod personnel. Continue reading Iditarod Starts in 18 Days!→
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