The restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race begins Sunday afternoon at Willow Lake — and that’s when real racing really begins.
The Willow restart provides one more chance for spectators to watch mushers and their teams before they venture to more remote sections of trail on their nearly thousand-mile journey to Nome.
Dog teams will be staging at Willow Lake before departing in two-minute intervals starting at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Iditarod’s official website will host a livestream of the restart, for those who can’t make it in person.
Iditarod parking in Willow costs $20, cash only. Race organizers are also encouraging fans to make use of shuttle bus services from Anchorage and Wasilla.
Here are the shuttle schedules and prices, according to the Iditarod website:
Anchorage
Cost: $30 round trip for spectators, $20 round trip for Iditarod volunteers; buy passes at the Iditarod volunteer registration desk at the hotel
Location: Departing from the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road
Departure times: 7 a.m. (for Iditarod volunteers only), 9:30 a.m. (volunteers and spectators) and 11 a.m. (for spectators)
Bus return times from Willow to Anchorage: 4, 5 and 7 p.m.
Wasilla
Cost: $5 round trip; tickets available on site
Locations: Depart from Wasilla High School, 701 E. Bogard Road, or the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, 1001 S. Clapp St.
Departure times: Wasilla High — 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:15 p.m., 12:30 p.m., 12:45 p.m. and 1 p.m.; Menard Center — 8:45 a.m. (for Iditarod volunteers only), and 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon (for spectators)
Bus return times from Willow to Wasilla: 4, 5, 6 and 7 p.m.
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