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Our 12 favorite photos from the 2026 Iditarod ceremonial start

Alaska Public Media | By Matt Faubion
Published March 7, 2026 at 4:50 PM AKST
A dog team passes through a trail gate party
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Musher Wade Marrs passes through the Iditarod “trailgate” party on the Chester Creek Trail in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.

The 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began Saturday in downtown Anchorage, as 37 teams set off on the city's streets and trails for an 11-mile run in front of thousands of cheering fans.

A deluge of snow characterized the Iditarod's kickoff, which was shortened in 2025 due to a lack of snow. The real race begins Sunday in Willow.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the Anchorage ceremonial start:

A dog team.
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Iditarod musher Travis Beals' lead dogs make their way to the race’s ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A baby in a dog sled.
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Quinn Toggert, granddaughter of four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King, on a dog sled during the Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A dog team
Matt Faubion
/
Alaska Public Media
Iditarod musher Bailey Vitello heads down Fourth Avenue in Anchorage with his dog team during the Iditarod ceremonial start March 7, 2026.
A man in a green jacket kisses a black dog.
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Jeff King shares a kiss with one of his dogs at the ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A boy with two dogs
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Balin Billock with Sygah (left) and Perry (right), two dogs from Iditarod musher Keaton Loebrich’s team at the ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A woman pets a dog.
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Quannah Chasinghorse visited with dogs from various mushers’ teams during the Iditarod ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026. Chasinghorse’s mother, Jody Potts-Joseph, is a rookie in the race.
A man takes a puppy out of a truck
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Veteran musher Lauro Eklund prepares his dog team for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A group of people in onsie costumes
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Cantwell musher Paige Drobny’s crew in onesies for the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A woman cheers holding handmade signs
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Kiana Holland made signs for mushers to read as they passed through Anchorage for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race’s ceremonial start March 7, 2026.
A woman in a dog sled
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
 Musher Jaye Foucher shakes hands with fans at a trailside party in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
A woman with a sign.
Matt Faubion
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Alaska Public Media
Hannah Atkinson held a sign for her friend competing in the Iditarod, Kotzebue musher Kevin Hansen, at a trailside party in Anchorage on March 7, 2026.
Alaska Statewide News
Matt Faubion
Matt Faubion is a multimedia journalist at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at mfaubion@alaskapublic.org.
See stories by Matt Faubion