Heeding concerns over hazardous sections of trail experienced in last year’s Iditarod sled-dog race in Alaska, officials have spent the off-season clearing tree stumps and are considering an alternate route, the race director said.
A lack of sufficient snow on parts of the trail in central Alaska has also contributed to organizers considering a route change.
They would move the official start to Fairbanks, some 300 miles (480 km) north of the traditional location in Willow, a small community about 80 miles (130 km) north of Anchorage, in southern Alaska.
The ceremonial start in Anchorage is slated for March 7, and officials will have the route selected by Feb. 15, Hooley said.
Race organizers last moved the race to Fairbanks in 2003.
They also considered a move last year and faced criticism from mushers for not changing the route after several racers had trouble navigating one of the steeper and more challenging sections of the trail. Mushers also said the trail’s snowless sections were too dangerous.
“But we can’t let ourselves get too overly anxious to what the circumstances are today because that could change this afternoon,” race director Stan Hooley said.
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