Volunteer Registration – Start, Restart, Trail, and Other

Register for Anchorage, Wasilla, Restart in Willow, and Trail during the 2020 Iditarod. You must be 18 years or older to register as a volunteer. If you have already filled this form out, DO NOT FILL IT OUT AGAIN. Each individual must register separately. If you have questions about any job area on this form, please view this page of our website for additional information-https://iditarod.com/resources/volunteers

Contact Information















Note: Preference may be given to Members.
If you are not a Member yet and would like to learn more about it, click here.
Some volunteer positions are granted only to ITC Members.

Visitors to Alaska Complete the Following

Arrival:
Departure:

Race Headquarters - The Lakefront, Anchorage, A Millennium Hotel
Please check the areas you wish to work

yes Volunteer Registration Desk
yes Assist with Educational Events held at various places around Anchorage.
yes Call Center: Customer Service, Technical assistance, Race Information.
yes Return Dogs at the Lakefront. This area is closed. All positions have been filled. Check here if you wish to be considered in the future or if there is an unexpected opening for volunteers in this area or vet center jobs.

Anchorage Start, Saturday
Please number your top 3 preferences for the areas you wish to work..

Musher Parking - Early Saturday Morning
Provide early morning security and assist Mushers in locating their staging/parking place.
Trail Guard - Public Relations/Safety, Start Day (Saturday)
Positions available from 4th Ave to BLM Headquarters. Duties include keeping trail clear of pedestrians; adding snow back to the trail at roadway/trail crossings.
Security - Public Relations/Safety
Duties include keeping public separate from race participants, staffing public crossings of staging areas and keeping the trail open within the staging area.
VIP Liaisons - Public Relations
Assist Idita-Riders and family members in locating their mushers. Provide escort to Public Officials and Honored Guests.
IditaRider Program Volunteers - Assist with the Friday IditaRider meeting and as needed, may include some assistance on Saturday.
Dog Handlers, Special training & certificate required. Volunteers should be physically fit! Volunteers will assist mushers from parking space to Starting Line on 4th Ave..

Yes Check here if already certified (MUST be 18 years or older). If you are not certified you will need to take the Dog Handler class, contact Dog Handler Coordinator to register. Class is filled on a first come basis. Limit 75.

Wherever Needed, Start Day
End of Anchorage Start at the BLM
BLM Volunteers needed in multiple positions: Dog Handlers, Security, Trail Guard, and VIP Liaison. Volunteers should be familiar with Anchorage and have transportation.

Re-start, Sunday
Please check the areas you wish to work..

yes Volunteer Check-in, 6am first shift - 4pm last shift.
Check in and registration of volunteers as they arrive for duty. Includes verifying registration status, dispensing armbands, and helping volunteers locate their assigned position. (Restart Day: Sunday)
yes Load Truck - (Saturday) Wasilla ITC
yes Unload Truck - Willow, Saturday, usually late afternoon or early evening -
Load/Unload areas: Involve loading all equipment and fencing at the storage facility in Wasilla and transporting it by truck to Willow and unloading it. Some set up maybe included. This takes places on Saturday afternoon/evening. (The equipment is then reloaded on to the truck on Sunday evening after the event and transported back to Wasilla, where it will be unloaded and returned to storage Monday morning.)
yes Early Sunday Morning Setup, Restart Day -
Includes assembly of fencing to secure staging and chute areas as well and set up of other equipment required at the event. These activities occur on the the early morning of the Restart.

Yes Check here if you have any physical restrictions that would prevent you from walking through potentially deep snow or impair your ability to lift/carry heavy objects. (For areas of Load/Unload/Set Up)

yes Sunday Morning Musher Parking, Restart Day/Sunday
Provide early morning security and assist Mushers in locating their staging/parking place.
yes Sunday Morning and Afternoon
Grill burgers for volunteers

yes Trail Guard
A trail guard is an individual that would be placed at a street or road crossing to control vehicle as well as pedestrian traffic. These locations typically are somewhat further away from the re-start line. The goal being to ensure the safety of both dog teams as well as spectators. You might have to walk thru deep snow or lift and carry heavy objects or be required to add snow back to the trail at crossings that are heavily trafficked.
yes Security - Public Relations/Safety
Typically positioned at public crossings in and around the chute and staging area. Their goal is to keep the public separated from the competitors, controlling the flow of spectators passing through those crossings, maintaining the integrity of fencing, and keeping the trail cleared for the competitors.
yes Traffic Control/Parking
yes Staging and Chute - Only indicate this area if the coordinator has approved you for this job assignment and/or you have worked this area a previous year..
yes Dog Handlers - Special training & certificate required. Volunteers should be physically fit! Volunteers will assist mushers from parking space to Starting Line..

Yes Check here if already certified (MUST be 18 years or older). If you are not certified you will need to take the Dog Handler class, contact: Dog Handler Coordinator to register. Class is filled on a first come basis. Limit 75.

yes Tear Down, Evening after Restart

Race Communications

Yes Headquarter Comms at Lakefront Anchorage
Yes Checkpoint Comms (Trail dates depend on checkpoint assignment)

Before Race Week

Yes Make Foot Ointment - Wasilla HQ
Yes People Food Drop - Airland Transport, Anchorage.
Yes Straw Drop - Airland Transport, Anchorage.
Yes Musher Food Drop - Airland Transport, Anchorage.
Yes Hauling Food Drop Load Out - Willow Airport, Anchorage
Yes Jr. Iditarod - Wasilla.
Yes Media Conference
Yes Banquet Hostess..

Additional Needs During the Year

Yes Office Help - Wasilla HQ
Yes Help at Volunteer Picnic (Last Saturday in June) - Wasilla HQ
Yes Unloading Trailers at ITC - Date to be announced (after the race, about 2nd week of April)

Checkpoint Trail Positions - (This is not Race Communications/Comms - please read the description carefully before checking this area.)
Checkpoint Trail positions for volunteers are limited. These volunteers are generally responsible for set-up, maintenance, and dis-assembly of the Checkpoint. Assignment to these positions is most often based on previous experience and current skills. Many positions are held by volunteers who live along the Trail Route. These positions require long hours and work is performed outside in the winter weather during the Race. The time availability requirement for these Checkpoint Trail positions is a minimum of 6 days and some assignments can be as long as 16. To be considered for a Checkpoint Trail position, prior experience as a volunteer in other areas of the Race is a must. You must also be a member of the Trail Committee. Please renew your membership in advance. (DO NOT SIGN UP HERE for Trail Comms positions. Comms volunteers: please sign up in the appropriate area even if your assignment is at a checkpoint. Thanks!)

Yes Checkpoint Trail Position - (Do not check here if you are registering for COMMS)

Additional Information

Any additional information you would like us to know?

Important: Before you can continue with the application process, you must declare your acceptance of the terms outlined in the Release Form (PDF 44k)*. If your application is accepted, you will be required to sign the Release Form before or while checking in at Iditarod Race Headquarters at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel for assignments.

*Requires Acrobat Reader .

Please note: *Volunteers are not permitted to be taking photographs or video while on volunteer shifts. Going live on Facebook in restricted areas is not permitted under any circumstances due to copyright and media policy. Thank you. I agree to the terms of the Release Form (PDF 44K)

The application can take a moment to send.
Please click the submit button only once! If you get an error message or asked to try again, most likely you have not filled out all required information or if you are using Internet Explorer, try clicking the button again or using a different browser. In addition, make sure you have checked the acceptance box above before you submit. Email djohnson@iditarod.com if you are having problems. Thanks!