The Last Great Race
It is 95 years since the legendary serum race, and the wilderness of Alaska is facing another race where the disease is stealing the headlines. The mushers did not give then, and they do not seem to give in now.
The mushers are now closing in to the 16th checkpoint, Nulato. It is a quite close race at the moment and Jesse Royer, Richie Diehl and Peter Kaiser is in front of a group of seven other mushers.
Across the USA, events have been canceled amid concerns about the viurs. The N.B.A. has suspended its season and the NCAA will hold its tournament without fans. The Iditarod confirmed Thursday that there are no plans to call off the race. But a lot of precautions are taken.
Iditarod mushers will still be finishing on Front Street in Nome, but the city will not be hosting any race-related festivities due to concerns about the coronavirus. That includes the annual Lonnie O’Connor Iditarod Basketball Classic, an event that attracts visitors from the across the state.
There is also taken necessary steps along the trail:
The Iditarod continues to utilize best practices and caution regarding COVID-19. In consultation with the community of Shaktoolik and in the continued interest of public health, the Iditarod is moving its official checkpoint to outside the community of Shaktoolik, the 19th checkpoint along the northern route of the Iditarod trail. As in all checkpoints, mushers will be provided with their food drop bags, straw for bedding and HEET, which allows a team to be fed a hot meal, as they continue their journey to Nome.
For continuous updates on Iditarod, visit www.iditarod.com.
