The 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will see a major change as organizers announced the official restart will take place in Fairbanks, instead of Willow. The decision, made by the Iditarod Trail Committee, comes after trail assessments determined a 20-mile stretch near the Salmon River was impassable due to a lack of snow.
The ceremonial start will proceed as planned in Anchorage on March 1, but the official restart will now occur in Fairbanks on March 3 at 11 a.m.
The ITC’s Race Marshal Warren Palfrey addressed the change in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
“After a heavy discussion with our lead Trail Breaker and other friends of the race including local knowledge, and with no new snow on the horizon, there is simply no way we can allow the teams to progress through that 20-mile stretch just before the Salmon River, 20 miles from Nikolai,” Palfrey said.
The shift marks a rare but not unprecedented change in the race’s history. The Iditarod has previously moved its restart to Fairbanks, most recently in 2017 and 2015, when conditions along the traditional trail were deemed unsafe.
This year’s adjusted route will take mushers from Fairbanks through Nenana, Manley, Tanana, Ruby, Galena, Nulato, and Kaltag before reaching Eagle Island and Grayling. After reaching Shageluk, teams will loop back to Grayling before rejoining the traditional race checkpoints from Unalakleet to Nome.
The decision came just two days after veteran musher Jessie Holmes called for a Fairbanks restart in a since-deleted Facebook post. In it, he shared concerns for the safety of himself and his dog team.
"I've spent my last 20 years building this dream team and I don't feel like I can rightfully put them or myself in jeopardy through those conditions," Holmes wrote.
While the decision will require significant logistical adjustments, organizers emphasized that safety remained the top priority.
“The safety of all participants—including dogs, mushers, and volunteers—remains our top priority,” the committee said in the statement.
The Iditarod Trail Committee will continue to provide updates through official race channels and its website.
