Mushers draw their starting order at the gala, which features a plated dinner and plenty of time to meet the mushers. The Musher’s Banquet is the Thursday before the start at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. Hop on the runners of a sled and try dog sledding for yourself. In the weeks leading up to the Iditarod, mushers open their kennels for tours and many offer teach the tricks of managing a team of dogs. The course stretches approximately 1,000 miles, from Southcentral Alaska to the town of Nome. After a restart at Willow the following day, Iditarod mushers and their dogs battle the elements and test their own limits across the trail. Spectators flock to the start line downtown or stake out a spot further down the 11-mile route through Anchorage. Onlookers get a close-up view of the teams. The traditional Iditarod course begins on Fourth Avenue at D Street and runs all the way to Campbell Creek Science Center. The race start is set for Anchorage on Mamarking the 52nd anniversary of the 'Last Great Race.' A Downtown Start for Iditarod The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of Alaska’s iconic winter events, and the excitement traditionally starts in Anchorage on the first Saturday of March each year.

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