The Iditarod Trail Committee announced this morning that the 11-mile Ceremonial Start route for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be shortened due to the lack of snow.
The new route will begin at the traditional Ceremonial Start location of Fourth Avenue and D Street in downtown Anchorage. From Fourth Avenue, teams will travel south on Cordova Street and continue down the Cordova hill, turning left on 16th Avenue and ending at the Sullivan Arena.
“Key personnel within the Municipality of Anchorage’s street maintenance, parks and recreation worked very hard to try to find a way for us to go the full 11 miles to the BLM Campbell Tract. Unfortunately, the warm temperatures and lack of snowfall this season have persisted and it is just not possible this year,” said Rob Urbach, CEO of the Iditarod Trail Committee. “Race fans gathered in downtown Anchorage won’t see any changes to the race start, as the thrill of witnessing some of the world’s top sled dogs in action will continue to create an electrifying atmosphere.”
The Ceremonial Start begins this Saturday, March 1, at 10 a.m., with 33 teams lined up to compete in this year’s race. The Official Restart of the 53rd running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025 at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska. The decision to change the route due to low snowfall this year was announced on February 17, 2025.
