The Iditarod in a pandemic

WASILLA— The 2021 Iditarod officially kicks off Sunday. The historic race has been altered to accommodate for social distancing, looking quite different than any year prior.

The race will begin and end at Deshka Landing instead of starting from Willow and finishing in Nome. The restart location has been changed numerous times in the past, but this is the first time the Nome finish line has been changed.

“It just wouldn’t be the Iditarod without challenges to face. This year we have many challenges to face… One thing we do know is that perseverance is gonna rule over this,” Iditarod COO Chas St. George stated during a race update webinar in January.

The ceremonial start in Anchorage and the restart in Willow are both widely attended events that draw in massive crowds to cheer on mushers from around the world. Both of those traditional gatherings were cancelled this year to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“I’m highly confident we’ll be able to maintain our bubble, to protect the communities and the villages of Alaska, and yet still preserve the integrity of the race, and sort of the spirit of what it means to complete the Iditarod will feel the same; even though for the first time ever, they are not going to Nome. But, we have a big, challenging course,” Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach told the Frontiersman.

There will not be any parking opportunities for spectators during the restart at Deshka Landing. Iditarod officials are discouraging members of the public from attending the restart in person while inviting them to watch the event unfold virtually instead.

St. George said it’s unfortunate that they can’t pack in the huge crowds of excited people at the Willow Community Center to watch the mushers take off like they normally do, but it’s the best way they can mitigate the spread of the virus.

“We are encouraging people not to come out, simply because we need to keep our area as safe as possible,” St. George said.

The 2021 race route is referred to as the Gold Trail Loop. It spans about 860 miles and it follows a portion of the traditional race route. Teams will make their way through the Alaska Range, the Happy River Steps and the notorious Dalzell Gorge, twice, a unique milestone never seen before at the Iditarod.

“We’ve gotta go up and over the Alaska Range twice, never done before. Then we’re coming up the other way up that gorge, which is probably the most difficult part of the course,” Urbach said.

According to St. George, the Iditarod laid out a comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation plan built on checkpoint “bubbles,” strong testing protocols, and social distancing requirements like mandatory face masks, and physical separation. Iditarod officials also limited their overall staff and volunteers to only crucial positions.

“What we were able to do is build a set of protocols that really do mean something to the state of Alaska… We’re always in that flux and we always know the best for us to be is to be flexible and to make sure we meet our commitment of zero exposure to COVID during this race,” St. George said.

There are currently 47 teams on the 2021 Iditarod roster. To watch the official restart, visit iditarod.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com