Many races are held to stave off cabin fever in the dead of winter, such as the longest running race in Concully, Washington in January, and the competition held at the Fur Rondy Festival in Anchorage, Alaska, in March.

BBC: Toilets take to the streets in annual US outhouse races

There are a number of events in and around Anchorage leading up to the Iditarod start, such as the Mushers' Banquet, various Iditarod educational seminars featuring mushers and race officials, and even a competing annual festival and parade in Anchorage, the Fur Rondy.

CNN: Iditarod: A spectator's guide