This year’s 1,128-mile sled-dog race follows a novel route through Interior Alaska with a loop on the Yukon River. “We are all rookies,” Big Lake musher Nicolas Petit joked.

A last-minute plan to change the route went off without a hitch despite significant changes to the original trail.

Rookie Emily Ford said her dog team cannot wait to get into some snow. “I think they're gonna be so stoked and be like — finally.”

Approximately 80 volunteers are in Fairbanks making sure the 2025 Iditarod blasts off Monday without any problems.

Editor’s note: This story will be updated as the mushers advance in the 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Check back for more details. Eight-time Iditarod veteran Jason Mackey held a narrow lead Tuesday, March 4, in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.