The Iditarod Board of Directors decided this morning that the world’s most famous sled dog race will begin in Willow as planned, with the ceremonial start scheduled to happen one day before in Anchorage.
Last year low snowfall forced the the starting line to be moved to Fairbanks. A final ruling on the ceremonial start will be issued in the coming weeks.
Stan Hooley, the Iditarod’s top officer recommended to the race board this morning that this year’s March 6 start should remain in Willow.
He said places like Dalzell Gorge and Farewell Burn, where mushers have been injured due in part to lack of snow over the past few years, are seeing the best snow conditions recorded in the past 15 years.
Hooley did express concern about not having enough snow to truck in to Anchorage for the ceremonial start on March 5 however. The state’s largest city is experiencing near record low snowfalls for the second year in a row.
