"2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race"

The City of Nome and many commercial establishments expect to take a financial loss this year as one of Nome’s biggest tourist events falls casualty to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is Seavey’s fifth Iditarod win, tying him with Rick Swenson for the most Iditarod victories ever.

The Iditarod’s five top mushers were running within two hours of each other Saturday as they started their last push to the finish line, with Aaron Burmeister of Nome seizing the lead in search of his first victory.

More than two dozen Iditarod teams are retracing their route back to Willow Friday after reaching this year’s turnaround spot.

Race officials have begun tracing who Johnson may have had close contact with over the last 300 miles of trail and multiple checkpoints.

Gunnar Johnson of Minnesota tested positive for COVID-19 at the checkpoint in McGrath, near race mile 310, more than a third of the way into the Iditarod.

Zirkle was flown to the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage and has since been released from the hospital.

There’s required testing and face masks, plus a shorter trail and a smaller group of mushers signed up to compete.

The sled dog race has called off this year’s 11-mile dash through Anchorage because of coronavirus concerns.

The race will use abandoned mining towns and other unpopulated areas as checkpoints this year.