Three dozen dog teams and three expedition teams, which include four previous champions, were hot on the snowy trail to Nome on day three of the 54th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
By the third day of this year’s 975-mile race one rookie had dropped out and leaders including former Iditarod champions Jessie Holmes and Ryan Redington were heading out of Rohn with 16 dogs still pulling their racing sleds. Redington is the grandson of Iditarod race founder Joe Redington Sr.
The big addition to the 2026 race is expedition class teams, designed for experienced mushers to traverse the trail without competing for prize money. They include Norwegian-Swiss billionaire Kjell Inge Rokke, who has contributed more than $300,000 to the race, and Canadian investor Steve Curtis, who has contributed $50,000 to support village programs for youth sports.
Rokke is leading his own team, but former Iditarod champion Thomas Waerner of Norway is traveling with him for support. Rokke and Waerner are not eligible for any prize money but are to receive a special finisher’s belt.
Their financial contributions to the race are sorely needed, given the rising cost of everything connected with the race – from transport of dogs mushers and bales of straw provided for every team at every checkpoint, to insurance and trail maintenance.
Nearly half of the Iditarod Trail Committee’s revenue – some $2.5 million – came from grants, membership dues and donations.
The mushers themselves count on sponsorships from friends, relatives and a variety of for-profit and nonprofit businesses to pay the thousands of dollars it costs to train for and run the race.
The race itself is a major Alaska winter economic booster, attracting thousands of visitors every year to watch and also volunteer to help with the race in Anchorage and Willow, and along the trail to Nome.
