Overview
- The race held its ceremonial launch in downtown Anchorage on Saturday in 19°F snow, followed by the competitive Northern-route start on Sunday.
- Thirty-four eligible mushers are racing nearly 1,000 miles to Nome, with the winner expected early in the week of March 16.
- Kjell Rokke’s backing lifts the purse by $100,000 to $650,000, with about $80,000 projected for the winner and $170,000 directed to 17 Alaska Native checkpoint villages.
- A new Expedition Musher Program adds three honorary entrants, including Rokke and Canadian entrepreneur Steve Curtis, who may receive outside assistance from 2020 champion Thomas Waerner and four-time winner Jeff King.
- The field features defending champion Jessie Holmes, 2023 winner Ryan Redington and 2019 champion Pete Kaiser, as ongoing coverage notes animal-safety concerns after recent dog deaths and risks such as frostbite.