The race is on: Iditarod 2019 is officially underway

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Musher Matt Hall waves to the crowd gather on Willow Lake during the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Sunday afternoon, Mar. 3, 2019. (Bill Roth / ADN)

The race is on.

The 47th Iditarod began Sunday afternoon at Willow Lake, where 52 teams left in two-minute intervals to being their 1,000-mile race across Alaska.

The finish line is several days away in Nome. Among the challenges teams will encounter to get there is a big one they’ll face early in the race: The Alaska Range.

Most if not all teams should make it as far as Skwentna on Sunday. Skwentna, the race’s second checkpoint, is about 70 miles away from Willow and about 40 miles away from the checkpoint at Finger Lake, where teams begin their climb up Rainy Pass.

Copious amounts of snow should make the going good early in the race.

On Saturday, thousands of spectators watched the teams run in Anchorage for the ceremonial start of the race. Mushers will see some fans at the early checkpoints, but once they’re past the Alaska Range, the race becomes a more solitary endeavor.