Race to the Sky canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

The Race to the Sky board met on Jan. 10 to make final decisions about the race and whether or not to proceed.

"We canceled for this year because of COVID," said race manager Chris Jewett. "We couldn't make it work. The rock got too hard to push up the hill."

The race had been scheduled from Feb. 12-16.

Jewett attributed many factors to the overall cancelation, and noted that all of them were related to COVID-19.

"We're sorry it got canceled, because everybody looks forward to it. It's just another COVID casualty," said Jewett.

Prior to the cancelation, organizers met to make accommodations for holding the race during COVID-19. These changes included canceling any spectator events, like the annual banquet, as well as moving the start point to White Tail Ranch to control the flow of people. The Race start had last been moved out of Lincoln in 2015, when poor snow conditions here prompted a move to the Morrell Creek Trailhead north of Seeley Lake. This is the first time the Race has been canceled since 2005, when warm weather and a lack of snow forced organizers to scratch it entirely.

This change had also necessitated a revision of the actual race course to meet the 300 mile requirement as a qualifying race for the Iditarod. The Iditarod is scheduled for Mar. 6 this year. Jewett said she believed Race to the Sky was the last qualifying race for the Iditarod.

Next year, Race to the Sky plans to return to Lincoln for the regular race event, including the start at Hi Country, and the additional events like the banquet and 300-mile awards ceremony.

"Next year, we'll have our regular blow-out race," said Jewett.