FILE – March, 2023, Alaska’s famous Iditarod kicked off in Anchorage with thousands of cheering fans lining the streets.
WILLOW, Alaska – The 54th running of the Iditarod sled dog race is set to begin Saturday afternoon in Alaska, under slightly warmer than ideal conditions.
According to the official race website, the dogs run best below 20 degrees to prevent overheating — with ideal temperatures closer to 0 degrees.
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ANCHORAGE, AK – MARCH 07: Aliy Zirkle (Two Rivers, AK) drives her team during the ceremonial start of the 2020 Iditarod Sled Dog Race on March 7, 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska.
(Photo by Lance King)
WILLOW, AK – MARCH 08: Sled dogs of Brent Sass’ (Eureka, AK) team run during the restart of the 2020 Iditarod Sled Dog Race at Willow Lake on March 8, 2020 in Willow, Alaska.
(Photo by Lance King)
ANCHORAGE, AK – MARCH 07: Linwood Fiedler (Willow, AK) drives his team during the ceremonial start of the 2020 Iditarod Sled Dog Race on March 7, 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska.
(Photo by Lance King)
WILLOW, AK – MARCH 08: Lead dogs of Aliy Zirkle’s (Two Rivers, AK) team run during the restart of the 2020 Iditarod Sled Dog Race at Willow Lake on March 8, 2020 in Willow, Alaska.
(Photo by Lance King)
WILLOW, AK – MARCH 08: Kristy Berington (Knik, AK) hugs one of her lead dogs at the starting line during the restart of the 2020 Iditarod Sled Dog Race at Willow Lake on March 8, 2020 in Willow, Alaska.
(Photo by Lance King)
A musher and sled dog team in a snowy Alaskan landscape.
(Jean-Erick Pasquier / Gamma-Rapho)
Thirty-seven mushers will participate this year in the roughly 1,000-mile race from Willow, Alaska to Nome. The journey to the state’s western shore typically takes between eight and 10 days to complete.
The race generally takes place in March, during the peak of the Alaska winter.
Iditarod forecast Saturday.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
Temperatures will rise above 20 degrees on Saturday, but a fresh layer of morning snow is forecast for Willow, which helps sleds travel smoothly down the trail, according to the race officials.
The biggest gains in the Iditarod sometimes happen overnight when temperatures are lower.
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According to organizers, the race honors Alaska’s long tradition of transportation by sled dog, which is still the most reliable means of transportation across the Alaskan wilderness.
The National Park Service (NPS) still maintains sled dogs in Denali National Park to navigate parts of the backcountry where trucks and snowmobiles are prohibited or unable to traverse.
