2025 Iditarod Race Kicks Off from Fairbanks, Alaska

The 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officially kicked off today, with mushers beginning their journey from Fairbanks to Nome

This year’s race starting point was moved north due to a lack of snow on part of the initially-planned trail, marking the fourth time mushers have started out from Fairbanks (along with prior races in 2003, 2015 and 2017)

33 mushers took to the trail this year, hailing from four countries - the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway. The field is comprised of 17 race veterans and 16 rookies

This is the 53rd annual Iditarod race, with the first race held in 1973. The race distance this year is 1,128 miles

The race will once again conclude in Nome, a city of a few thousand on the southern Seward Peninsula coast in Alaska