IT'S MARCH...MARK THE DATE,IDITAROD

Jessie Holmes arrived in White Mountain @ 3:10am AKDT this morning.
At White MT every mushers takes an 8 hr mandatory rest before heading off to Nome.

So Jessie can check out at 11:10am AKDT. From there it is 77 miles to Nome which typically takes 8 to 10 hrs to run depending on trail conditions and weather. The weather forecast currently does not indicate any problems!

So it is estimated that Jessie should arrive in Nome between 7-9pm AKDT (5-7pm MDT)!


I'm sad that Paige Drobney could not keep up with the pace set by Jessie Home
I would have loved to see a woman win this race again.

But I'll be happy to see Jessie win his second Iditarod in a row!
Maybe he'll be like Susan Butcher, Lance Mackey or Dallas Seavey and win a bunch of Iditarod races in a row.

Here's the remainder of the teams

In Koyuk (Mile 804)
11 Peter Kaiser
12 Hanna Lyrek
13 Ryan Redington
14 Jessie Royer

Mushing towards Koyuk
15 Josi (Thyr) Shelley MILE 775
16 Sam Martin MILE 772
17 Bailey Vitello MILE 762

In Shaktoolik (Mile 754)
18 Jesse Terry
19 Gabe Dunham
20 Kevin Hansen
21 Chad Stoddard
22 Rohn Buser

Mushing towards Shaktoolik
23 Jason Mackey MILE 739
24 Keaton Loebrich MILE 735
25 Brenda Mackey MILE 727

In Unalakleet (Mile 714)
26 Sydnie Bahl
27 Richie Beattie
28 Joseph Sabin
29 Sadie Lindquist
30 Sam Paperman

Mushing towards Unalakleet
31 Adam Lindenmuth MILE 694
32 Grayson Bruton MILE 676
33 Jody Potts-Joseph MILE 658

It's much too early to estimate when the last team will arrive in Nome. It would be great if it were before the Finisher's Banquet this coming Sunday, March 22 at 6pm AKDT. But that's not going to happen unless the back of the pack mushers volunteer (or are forced) to scratch.

If you haven't tuned in yet, the Insider team is once again offering a 48-Hour Pass to see the exciting finish.

As a 48-Hour Pass Video Insider, you’ll have access to ALL of the Live Finish and all the video content for just $15.00! Even though we call this the 48-hour pass, we keep it live until the last team crosses the Finish Line, so this is really the deal of the century!

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*48+ Hours of Excitement: Get access to the live Iditarod 54 Champion’s Show, packed with race updates and expert insights!

*Insider Live Stream with Fan Chat: Watch the race unfold through our exclusive live stream, and interact with fellow fans in real time!

*Video Clips from the Trail: Catch all the highlights, breathtaking moments, and heart-racing action with hand-picked videos from the trail.

*GPS Race Tracker: Keep track of your favorite mushers as they battle through the Alaskan wilderness with our detailed, real-time GPS tracker.

*Live Musher Finishes: Be there for the moment of triumph as all of the mushers cross the finish line, including our 2026 CHAMPION — it’s the ultimate Iditarod finale!

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Go to Iditarod.com and click on "Buy Subscription" then scroll to the bottom of that page.

Quote:
Iritarod. com wrote:

Rookie Iditarod musher Jodie Potts-Joseph (bib #32) of Eagle Village, Alaska,
scratched from the 2026 Iditarod at 11:19 a.m. today at the Tripod Flats Cabin, located between
Kaltag and Unalakleet, in the best interest of her team.
Potts-Joseph communicated her decision to ITC Race Officials via two-way communication, and
ITC personnel are assisting her with the safe transport of her 10-dog team to Unalakleet via
snow machine.
The Iditarod Trail Committee recognizes Potts-Joseph’s determination, dedication, and
sportsmanship throughout this year’s race and looks forward to seeing her back on the Trail in
the future.


Quote:
Iditarod.com wrote:

Veteran Musher Mille Porsild (bib #15) of Denmark, scratched Tuesday, March 17 at
11:43 a.m. at the Elim checkpoint pursuant to Rule 42. Porsild had 13 dogs in harness when she scratched.


Rule 42 is the "Expired Dog" rule. So so sad, one of her dogs must have died. I don't think I want to know how. At least not today, as it has already been a hard day for me.

Mille's dog, Charley, has been flown to Unalakleet where a necropsy will be conducted by a board-certified veterinary pathologist to make every attempt to determine the cause of death.

If you google "Mille Porsild" I'm sure some of the Alaska news sources will be covering the story. I just don't want to know yet.

Jeesie Holmes could have left White Mountain at 11:10am but he was diddling around with his team, with no apparent sense of urgency. He left at 11:26am.
But since he was hours ahead of Travis he didn't "need" to rush.

Here are the top 10 as of 3:32 pm AKDT
Elapsed race time: 9d 1h 32m

Heading to Nome (Mile 975)
1 Jessie Holmes MILE 927
2 Travis Beals MILE 899

In White Mountain (898)
3 Jeff Deeter
4 Paige Drobny
5 Wade Marrs

Mushing towards White Mountain
6 Matt Hall MILE 879
7 Riley Dyche MILE 864

In Elim (Mile 852)
8 Michelle Phillips
9 Lauro Eklund
10 Peter Kaiser

Jessie Holmes wins the 54th running of the Iditarod!!!!
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :multi: :multi: :multi: :multi: :multi:

He arrived in Nome on March 17th @ 9:32pm AKDT with 12 dogs in harness.
His total run time was 9d 7h 32m 51s

Here are the top 10 as of 12:41 am AKDT

In Nome (Mile 875)
1 Jessie Holmes

Mushing to Nome
2 Travis Beals MILE 964
3 Jeff Deeter MILE 940
4 Paige Drobny MILE 937
5 Wade Marrs MILE 925

In White Mountain (Mile 898)
6 Matt Hall
7 Riley Dyche
8 Michelle Phillips
9 Lauro Eklund
10 Peter Kaiser

Quote:
Insider Wrote:
Veteran Iditarod musher Grayson Bruton (bib #37) of Tok, Alaska, scratched at the Unalakleet checkpoint at 6:16 p.m. today, in the best interest of his team. Bruton had 10 dogs in harness when he arrived at the checkpoint.

The Iditarod Trail Committee commends Bruton for his determination, dedication, and exemplary sportsmanship throughout this year’s race, and looks forward to welcoming him back to the Trail in the future.


Now our "back of the pack" team in 30th place is Adam Lindenmuth.
He is currently just outside of Shaktoolik, on his way to Koyuk.

The current front runner rookie is Sam Martin, 28, from Massachusetts. Right now, he is in 15th place on his way to White Mountain.

Quote:
from Iditarod.com

Rookie of the Year Award
There has been a top finishing rookie in every Iditarod. In fact, rookies won the first three races. It wasn’t until 1976 that the top-finishing rookie was not the winner. For purposes of this award, a rookie is defined as a musher racing his/her first Iditarod. This award is again presented by the Peldiak Family, to the top-placing rookie, who will receive a beautiful trophy, along with a check for $2,000.


The Red Lantern award is given to the last team that crosses the finish line in Nome.

Quote:
from Iditarod.com

Lynden “Committed through the Last Mile” Red Lantern Award
The Red Lantern Award acts as a symbol of perseverance for the Iditarod. According to historians, awarding the red lantern for the last place finisher has become an Alaska tradition in sled dog racing. The award of $1000, presented by Lynden, is given to the final team to cross the finish line in recognition of their perseverance and commitment to completing the job despite unexpected challenges.

HERE'S the end of the trail and the celebration....u r in NOME, the race of a liftime

Congratulations to Jesse!