The official start of this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race could take place in Fairbanks because of poor conditions on key parts of the nearly 1,000-mile route from Anchorage to Nome.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the Iditarod Trail Committee announced Wednesday that a decision on the location of the restart, which marks the beginning of actual racing, will come Feb. 10.
The ceremonial start kicks off in Anchorage March 4, with the restart currently scheduled for the following day in Willow.
Since the first Iditarod 44 years ago, the restart has been held in Fairbanks twice, in 2003 and 2015.
Iditarod officials considered holding the restart in Fairbanks again last year because of poor snow conditions in south-central Alaska, but ultimately decided to keep it in Willow.
