Iconic arch that served as Iditarod finish line collapses in Alaska. Wood rot is likely the culprit
ANKERAGE, Alaska — The famous studded arch finish line for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has collapsed into a pile of wood in Alaska, officials said.
Nome Mayor John Handeland told Anchorage television station KTUU that wood rot was the likely cause. He heard about the collapse on Saturday evening and recovered pieces of wood for safekeeping.
The iconic arch, which is moved to Nome’s Front Street every March for the Iditarod finish line, was in a city park in the middle of the city when it collapsed. Mushers start the race in Willow and complete the 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race across Alaska by leading their dog teams under the arch.
Messages seeking information about the bow replacement sent to both Handeland, who was traveling Monday, and Iditarod race officials were not immediately returned to The Associated Press.
This year’s Iditarod was marred by the deaths of three sled dogs during the race and serious injuries to another. That prompted the race’s biggest critic, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, to renew its call for the race to end.
When the animal rights group learned Monday that the arch had collapsed, it posted on the social media platform X: “Nothing like the #Iditarod finish line arch rotting. & collapsing to indicate that the race is on its final leg.
The arch that collapsed was not the original. The first arch was built by musher Red “Fox” Olson. It weighed 5,000 pounds (2,267.96 kilograms) and took approximately 500 hours to complete in 1974.
That arch was damaged in 1999 when it was moved from Front Street. It has been restored and hangs on the wall of the recreation center in Nome.
A new arch was completed in time for the 2000 race, but cold, salty winds blowing from the Bering Sea necessitated frequent repairs, including major work in 2013.
The sign was a popular selfie spot for tourist photos, whether it was on Front Street or moved to another location after the race.