Where to Watch - Iditarod Start

Allen Moore waves to fans as he passes through Anchorage.

The Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod takes place the first Saturday of March every year in Downtown Anchorage, Alaska. This day is also known as Susan Butcher day - which was granted by a proclamation from Governor Sarah Palin's office in March 2008 to provide a way to "remember the life of Susan Butcher, an inspiration to Alaskans and to millions around the world." The Iditarod start in Anchorage draws huge crowds, media coverage, and is a general celebration of sled dog sports and Alaskan tradition.

The Ceremonial Start is a must see for any Iditarod/Mushing fan. People come from all over the world to catch the action. This is the party before game day. Tailgating, cheer leading, fandoms - it's like the Superbowl and Olympic Opening Ceremonies rolled into one. Historically, the Anchorage start played a part in the race, but as the city of Anchorage grew it became increasingly more difficult to safely cross busy streets and run along the highway. Now, the Ceremonial Start is just that: Ceremonial. It's where Iditariders sit in sleds and wave with their musher as teams fun down the streets and trails lined with onlookers.

Downtown at 4th Avenue and D Street is where the action is, and attracts the majority of viewers. From 4th Avenue to Cordova the crowd is three to four people deep all the way down both sides of the street. There are tall barriers and the audience is somewhat removed from the teams. This makes sense as the burst of energy that the teams have out of the gate and the media and officials all need room to breathe. It keeps spectators a little more removed from the sport, however, and many find other places to watch. Go early to see the teams setting up and possibly get to chat with the mushers before go time.

If you just have to be downtown (and I suppose everyone should see it from there at least once) there are other options if crowds aren't your thing. While not up close and personal, standing on the top of the JC Penney Parking Garage is always a favorite, especially for photographers. Even Iditarod Photog Jeff Schultz will shoot a few photos from there. You can look down on the teams as they run by. If heights aren't your thing, though, I don't recommend this.

As I recommended in a previous Get Away post, the Aviator Hotel offers Iditarod packages with rooms that overlook the race start. They also have a viewing party. This is one way to be RIGHT THERE and not have to deal with the crazy crowds. The windows used to open for an unobstructed view. I cannot say if that's still the case.

Further down at the corner of 4th and Cordova is a fun spot to watch, it's the first turn the teams have to make, and the dogs enjoy playing crack the whip. This is where barriers are normally tapering off and you can see the action unobstructed.

The teams pass through the Sullivan Arena sports complex, which is another good spot to catch action (especially if you're worried about parking.) This is where they come off of the city streets and run the trail system beginning at the Chester Creek Trail.

The next spot with ample parking and a scenic setting is the Davenport Ball Fields. In 2017, the Ceremonial Start ended here (and was a logistical quagmire trying to stop dogs just three miles into a run!). Typically there is very little crowd in this spot and those that do stop to watch here are friendly. There's parking at the ball fields as well as up above the trail by the Methodist Church (park in their overflow parking). Teams run under the road through a tunnel here, so stay out of the way of the tunnel and follow any direction from the Volunteers.

Next is Goose Lake - this is a full on trail-gate party and where a lot of Martin Buser diehard fans show up. There is ample parking at this location as well, but get there early to avoid having to wonder if you'll find a spot. Plus it's fun to meet people.

The next spot has become a very busy spot, but it is my absolute favorite. The University Lake/Tudor Crossing has seen a lot of changes over the years, but one constant is the volunteer crew who works it. Yup, you guessed it, this is where my family has trail guarded since the first time they ran through Anchorage. Seriously, this has been the Reitter's spot for going on 40 years (I have to try and find the year they started working that spot). Back in the day the crew had to shovel snow onto the road for teams to cross and stop traffic to let them cross. Now there's a lovely walking/biking/ski bridge they cross over while tons of vehicles move beneath them. In just the last few years the Alaska Native Medical Hospital has grown and there are now tons of buildings where dirt lots used to be. This is a fun spot. Aliy Zirkle's sponsor Matson hosts FREE HOTDOGS for the crowd and all the teams. My heart says "don't give away this spot, it's already busy" but my hear also says come to this spot because it's the best. Plus you can always find me to say hi. (I'm shy and introverted, but not on Iditarod day!)

BLM/Campbell Airstrip is the "finish line" this is where dogs get packed back up into the dog trucks and teams head for Willow. There is a lot of action going on as dogs are snacked and it's this beautiful dance of dog trucks. If you're a photographer you can get some really nice shots as they come down the airstrip. Lots of trees and it looks much less urban. Some areas are off limits due to security and logistics. Make sure to follow all instruction from any volunteer doing crowd control.


Okay, got it, but what time?

Teams leave the starting line at 10am on the dot. If you are watching from Downtown through Goose Lake I recommend getting to your spot by 9am - for downtown even earlier unless you want to park somewhere insanely far away. If you want to be in the front row at 4th and D... be prepared to hang out there for a long while or take turns with people in your group.

It takes them about 20 minutes to get from downtown to University Lake (average show for the first team). Teams do stop along the way for every reason just like they would a race. While they do not snack the dogs like they will while racing (at only 11 miles there's no point to do it before they stop at the BLM) but the mushers may stop at the different spots to say hi to fans or grab food (Matson actually has mushers call in a special order on what to put on their dogs lol). So while it's a parade of awesome, don't expect them to go in bib order. Get to this area no later than 9:30 if you want dibs on a decent spot (or get in line for a hotdog before teams come through).

It takes about a half an hour to forty minutes for teams to start pouring into the BLM. Showing up any time after 10am should work out for you.

Teams leave the chute in two minute intervals, so multiply the number of teams plus one (and if there are any extra ididarider teams add them in, too) by two and then divide by 60 minutes to see how long you'll be standing out in the snow. This is the best way to estimate when you will be done in your area.


Pro-Tips

Grab a copy of the Friday edition of the Anchorage Daily News. In the sports section they have a pull out with full color photos of every musher in bib order. You can also get the bib number list from Iditarod.com. Print it out and checkmark each team as they go by. Note that Bib #1 will not be a musher racing but is the "Honorary Musher" who is in the sled driven by the Jr. Iditarod Champion. Also note that if a musher withdraws prior to the Ceremonial Start but AFTER the Iditarider auction, they will STILL RUN TEAMS so that every rider gets a chance. This is not notated on either list, and so it's just a guess as to when they will show up (they typically are the last sled(s) out of the gate).

If you can head downtown before the 10am start, the staging area is apparently open for fans to walk through from about 8:30am to 9:30am. Just be sure to use your manners and common sense. No petting dogs without permission, and don't try to jump in and help. When they start moving fans out of the staging area, be courteous and head out and find a spot to watch. Security is key, and you don't want to get in the way. We want to keep this opportunity a reality for years to come. (Thank you Linda for this protip!)

You don't have to stay in one place. If you want to watch from downtown but also want to check out some of the other spots listed above (and you have your own vehicle/transportation) watch the first few teams from 4th Avenue and then drive over to another spot. You may miss a few teams, but you can see most of them. If you do it this way  Tudor Crossing or the BLM are your best options as that's at least a 20 minute run for the teams and it should only take you about 10-15 minutes by car.


Where's your favorite spot along the trail? Have any questions about viewing I didn't answer - shoot me a message in the comments below.

So you want to come to the Iditarod...

Kelly Maxiner celebrates during the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 46.
March 3, 2018. Anchorage, AK.

For many a mushing fan, attending any part of the Iditarod is a bucket list item. The cost of travel, plus the unknown of what to expect detours a lot of fans from ever making the trek. So often when thinking of Iditarod people think of the cold, icy, remote parts of the trail that seem impossible to reach. While the vast majority of the race is like that, the Ceremonial and Official Starts are much more accessible, and close to the largest travel hub in the state.

In the coming weeks I'll give off tips, tricks, and answer frequently asked questions I've gotten over the years on how best to plan and prepare for a trip to the Last Great Race on Earth. So often, for me, it's hard to come up with answers because my experience is not one of travel and care - I've lived in Alaska my entire life. I have routines and being born and raised here I am used to the weather, the lack of sunlight, and other concerns "outsiders" typically have. I've reached out to others who have traveled to this great state for this race, and will share their tips along with my own.

All recommendations come without any kick back to myself or anyone else. I am not giving advice as a way to financially gain or get any sort of perks for sending anyone their way. All opinions are my own unless stated otherwise, and I can only go by what I have researched or experienced first hand.

When to come

This is the million dollar question. While the race runs about 2 weeks from start to finish, champion to red lantern, most fans cannot take off that kind of time, so the question becomes - when do you want to come and what do you want to see?

The start of the Iditarod is the first weekend of March - every year. It's tradition and there's no way they're going to change it any time soon. The entire mushing season in Alaska keeps the Iditarod tradition in mind when they schedule their races. The Ceremonial Start is Saturday and begins at 10am. Teams leave from the chute on 4th Avenue and D in Anchorage, AK and run roughly 11 miles through Anchorage to end at Campbell Airstrip where they load up the teams and head up the road to Willow, Alaska to prepare for the Re-Start (also called the official start). I plan on doing a blog post about the Ceremonial Start later on in this series, so for now we'll just work with the time and date.

Like most other sled dog races, the Iditarod has a staggered start. Each team leaves in bib draw order in two-minute intervals. The first musher out of the chute is typically the Jr Iditarod champion (Jr Iditarod takes place the weekend before Iditarod) and is carrying the Honorary Musher (or if that person was awarded the honor posthumously then a member of their family rides). They get Bib #1, so all racing teams get bib numbers 2 and up. Depending on how many teams sign up, you're looking at 2+ hours of watching teams take off in a celebration of pure Alaskan tradition.

But let's back up a couple of days. Before the ceremonial start, the mushers come together for a Musher's Banquet. Thursday before race weekend at 6pm the Dena'ina Center is filled with music, food, and lots of alcohol. This is where the mushers will thank their sponsors and draw their bib numbers. Their official media photos are taken for the Anchorage Daily News and Iditarod.com. They eat food and mingle. There is a silent auction as well as an outcry auction. And the best part? Fans can be a part of the action! As of 2018, autographs are no longer allowed during the banquet, however there is a Musher Meet and Greet prior to the banquet which begins at 4pm. Iditarod does not show a Meet and Greet on this year's calendar events, but when asked they would not confirm that it would or wouldn't be happening in 2019. All mushers must be in attendance at both the Meet and Greet as well as the Banquet. Both the Meet and Greet and Banquet are ticketed events, with the Meet and Greet being included with Banquet admission. Tickets go on sale by January.

In between Thursday's official events, and Saturday's Ceremonial start is Friday's "freebie day". This is a day that many mushers's sponsors host meet and greets with the mushers they support. Inlet Towers typically holds a meet and greet for Mitch Seavey and Jeff King. Comfort Inn/Matson host one with Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore. Other meet and greets also happen. Most of these are not known about until the last minute unless you know where to look, or are on musher newsletter/emails/etc. A lot of mushers stay at the official hotel The Lakefront, and there are several book signings typically planned with different authors and mushers. If you have a few hours to kill you can hang out around the lobby and talk with other fans, eat food at one of two restaurants on property, or just people watch. There's also the official swag tables, and the registration desk for volunteers. (I'll have another blog about volunteer opportunities.)

Sunday is when the real race begins. The Re-Start takes place on the lake in Willow, Alaska. That's about a three hour drive from Anchorage - but don't worry! There are lots of options to get you there if you don't want to make the drive. I know I sound like a broken record, but there will be a blog in the coming weeks to give you a look at some ways to get there. The Re-Start is the official start of the Iditarod. It's what all of the mushers have waited for all year. For the rookies, it's the day they've dreamt about for years - some of them their entire lives. The teams take off starting with Bib #2 (remember earlier when I said Bib #1 was for the honorary musher? they only run in the Ceremonial Start), and leave in two-minute intervals. This will be made up later when teams take their mandatory rest along the trail. Teams hit the lake to start getting ready as early as 8:30am (maybe earlier, I never get there that soon). Spectators are allowed to walk around the chute that is "barricaded" by that lovely orange plastic fencing. You're able to take pictures, talk with the mushers and handlers, and see all the dogs. Most mushers don't get too chatty as they are in race mode, but there's a buzz like no other on race day. Spectators then line the chute on both sides all the way across the ice and into the woods. It continues for miles. It's a sporting tailgating party, a must do.

For the next 10 days the race is run through Alaska's rugged and most beautiful terrain. There are ways to get out onto the trail and watch teams come into different checkpoints. This is expensive, and I'll leave you to decide if you want to add it to your itinerary - there will be a blog for these options coming, but this blog is just about planning how long of a trip you want.

Like I said, it will take about 10 days for the teams to start coming in. If you're wanting to see the finish in Nome, most have to make the painful choice of attending either the start or the finish, otherwise you're looking at a lot of time off from work/home... and a huge credit card bill when all is said and done. Alaska is not cheap - and it gets significantly worse the further away from Anchorage you get. So keep that in mind when planning your trip. The top teams average finish is in 9 days, bringing them in on a Tuesday evening/Wednesday Morning. Mitch Seavey holds the fastest time in just over 8 days. There are only two flights into Nome a day during that time on a commercial airline (Alaska Airlines), the Sunday evening flight gets you in with typically a day, possibly two, to get your bearings and see the sights. There is A LOT to do during Iditarod week in Nome. If you can swing a week in Nome you have a good chance of seeing all of the mushers come in under the burled arch.

The sun shines bright over the burled arch in Nome, Alaska. March 2017.

The Finisher's Banquet in Nome takes place two weeks after the ReStart (Sunday). This is a pay at the door event and is where the mushers all come together and swap stories, mingle with friends, family, fans and the community of Nome. Sometimes the banquet happens before all of the teams come in - but lately the red lantern has come in in enough time to participate in the festivities. The Banquet begins at 4pm and tries to end in enough time for folks to make it to the airport should they be flying out on Sunday night. The final flight of the day leaves around 9:30pm, so you may miss a few of the awards, but for the most part you should be fine. You don't need to be at the airport 2 hours before hand. Their TSA is... interesting. But that's for another blog (yes, soon).

Suggested time-frame

So what do I recommend for a bucket list Iditarod trip? Well, I could just be cruel and say blow 3 weeks worth of savings and come from beginning to end. I mean, we're talking bucket list, right?! But, if you are like me and have a limited income and so time and money are precious, I can suggest a few ideas.

For the Starts:
Fly in Tuesday Evening, Spend Wednesday touring locales near Anchorage like Girdwood and Portage, Thursday Mushers Meet and Greet/Banquet, Friday tour Anchorage and check out some Meet & Greets or hang out at the Lakefront and people watch, Saturday attend the Ceremonial start, Sunday attend the restart (at some point in those two days make a trip to the official Iditarod HQ in Wasilla to get a pic with the Iditarod signs as well as Joe Redington's statue!), Monday fly home.

For the Finish:
Fly in Sunday settle in and take in Nome, Monday if possible take a tour to see musk ox or the tour of Nome (both spendy, but it's on my personal bucket list), Tuesday is a possible Iditarod Champion Finish day, Wednesday is a for sure finish day, fly out Thursday evening or Friday Morning... if you can swing a full week then stay through the Finisher's Banquet on Sunday and fly out Sunday evening.


One more (important) note

Now, not to throw a wrench into things but... well... Mother Nature has had the control of late and we've seen Fairbanks come into play for the restart. This has happened now three times in the last 15 years, most recently in 2015 and 2017. Should that happen forget everything I said about ReStart Day and pay attention. SHOULD the race's restart and trail be moved further north the FAIRBANKS RESTART will take place Monday following the Ceremonial Start. The Anchorage Start stays the same, but they need Sunday for travel time to get the teams up to Fairbanks. This is a 10-12 hour drive in the best weather, and if there's snow and ice and wind as there often times is, the drive can be longer. But, don't dispair, there are other travel options on how to get to the ReStart. Flights from Anchorage to Fairbanks are regular and have several airline options. The flight is about an hour and half long. There is also the option of the train, they have rides running but you're at the mercy of their schedule, and it is based on track and weather conditions. Air travel is your safest bet.

The Fairbanks ReStart would take place at 10am on Monday morning, so you would want to fly up the day before and snatch a room. The restart takes place right outside Pike's Landing (which is a fantastic hotel, btw) on the river. I'll talk more about the logistics and planning of a Fairbanks restart in a later blog, but just make sure that when planning your bucket list trip for the start that you are aware of the possibility of things changing. These changes are typically announced TWO WEEKS before the start of the event - so there's not a lot of time to change plans, but if you have a contingency plan and budget in place it's doable.



Hopefully this gives you a basic blueprint to plan your trip for Iditarod - as the weeks go on I hope to have more information on all aspects of trip planning, but this gives you an idea of the timeline you're looking at. Do you have any questions on this or other topics in planning your trip? Comment below or shoot me a note on social media ( @tonichelleak on twitter ) and I'll give you the best info I can. Are you planning a trip? Let me know in the comments when you're hoping to make it, I'd love to know how your planning is going!



*Note: I am not an official travel planner or guide. All advice is from my own experience/knowledge.*