The Iditarod, the world’s most famous sled-dog race, begins on Sunday, with hundreds of dogs and mushers converging on Anchorage, Alaska, to race more than 1,000 miles to Nome, a city near the Bering Strait.
Because of unusually warm temperatures, snow had to be shipped in to Anchorage to prepare the race track. In addition to disrupting the aesthetic, the warm weather can also be hazardous for the dogs.
But despite the weather, many of the dogs seem excited to race, as these adorable Instagram photos show.
In addition to the dogs, there are some other creatures racing around Anchorage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCmkQhylSlm/
If you want to keep up with the pups during their journey, you can follow the race using the Iditarod’s subscription-based GPS tracker.
Photo via susanneinermo/Instagram