Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska starts with pageant, crowds

Aliy Zirkle and her dogs head out at the ceremonial start of the 47th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Kerry Tasker

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Fifty-two mushers and their dog teams drove through Alaska's largest city in bright sunshine on Saturday to start the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Downtown Anchorage was temporarily converted into a noisy dog lot, with trucked-in snow covering the streets. Bundled-up spectators – including dignitaries such as Governor Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski – gathered to cheer, snap photos and get autographs from the dog drivers headed out on the annual 1,000-mile (1,609-km) trek to Nome.