Iditarod Race Underway After Lack of Snow Forces Major Changes to Iconic Alaskan Event

Sled dogs on the team of Michelle Phillips (14), of Canada, run during the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska., on March 1, 2025. Amanda Loman/AP Photo

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—The rugged Iditarod started Monday, but a dearth of snow forced the iconic dog sled race to start further north and added a new route that allows mushers to bypass barren land, lengthening by more than 100 miles an unforgiving journey often measured in grit and attrition.

The new course reroutes mushers and their dog teams around a difficult stretch of trail north of the Alaska Range, which is treacherous with snow and ice but mostly unpassable in dry conditions for sleds.