The 2022 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is scheduled to kick-off March 5th with the ceremonial start in Anchorage. This year’s Iditarod will be the 50th running of the race and, with Covid-19 mitigations in place, 53 mushers have signed up to compete.
The Upper Susitna Valley will provide a strong showing. Anja Radano and Dallas Seavey from Talkeetna are both registered to compete. Seavey is the reigning Iditarod Champion, with five Championships under his belt.
Lev Shvarts, Ramey Smyth, Matthew Failor and Karin Hendrickson all hail from Willow and are registered for this year’s race. None of the Upper Valley competitors are rookies.
The ceremonial start, the official start, and the finish in Nome will all allow spectators this year. Last year, the Iditarod chose a closed loop for the route, with the race starting and ending in Willow. The loop was designed to avoid exposure to Covid-19 in villages along the traditional trail.
This year, the route will be following the classic Northern Iditarod Trail that the race uses in even-numbered years.
Covid-19 mitigations will be strict. All mushers and volunteers must be fully vaccinated and will be tested daily. Mask wearing and social distancing are recommended in indoor areas, but are not required unless positive test results occur. Volunteers will wear armbands to identify themselves, and interaction between mushers and the general public will be regulated.
This is the 50th Anniversary of the Iditarod. The race began in 1973 through the efforts of Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr, among others. According to the official website of the Iditarod, Page and Redington had two reasons for wanting to help organize the long-distance race. They wanted to preserve both Alaskan sled dog culture and the historical Iditarod Trail between Seward and Nome.
The winner of the first Iditarod was Dick Wilmarth, taking close to three weeks to reach Nome.
