Iditarod to run Southern Route for 2025 race after earlier concerns

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The warmer than normal winter and lack of snow across Southcentral was raising concerns about whether or not the Iditarod would continue as normal or would face the same challenges as other sled dog races this season, but good news came Friday as teams received the green light to run the Southern Route.

The Iditarod Trail Committee announced Friday that the Southern Route of the race will be run as they originally planned. The committee performed trail fly-overs and received information via snowmachines and checkpoint communities that confirmed the snowpack would allow it.

The committee still left the possibility of other modifications needed for the course, which may include the Official Restart — usually held in Willow — depending on snow coverage.

Warmer weather and low-snow conditions on the trail forced the postponement of another big sled dog race, the Kuskokwim 300, earlier this month. The race will now start Feb. 7, two weeks later than originally scheduled.

The Willow Lake start of Iditarod may be impacted but the committee says if modifications are needed, the rest of the Southern Route should not be affected.

The Ceremonial Start is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 1, in downtown Anchorage.

This year’s race is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Serum Run, the famous 1925 run that saw multiple mushers and dog teams carry life-saving medicine hundreds of miles to Nome for children ill with diptheria.

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