Iditarod preps for any scenario as 2021 race plans proceed

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Thursday, September 24th, 2020 3:00pm

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Dallas Seavey pulls in to the checkpoint in Unalakleet, Alaska, during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was one of the few major sporting events not canceled in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the U.S.

Now, race officials are planning for every contingency possible as they make plans to hold the race again next March.

Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach says getting mushers from one checkpoint to another along the 1,000-mile trail in Alaska is the easy part.

Protecting residents in Alaska villages that serve as checkpoints and the roughly 1,800 volunteers needed to stage the race are at the forefront of consideration for officials trying to achieve their goal of zero community transmission.

 

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