Overview
- Thirty-seven teams are entered, with 34 eligible for prizes and three racing as expedition mushers under the new honorary category.
- The competitive start launches Sunday in Willow on the northern route to Nome, a roughly 975-mile course with first arrivals expected the week of March 16.
- Race officials forecast temperatures above 20°F Saturday with new morning snow in Willow, noting dogs perform best below 20°F with ideal conditions near 0°F.
- Expedition entrant Kjell Rokke added $100,000 to the purse and pledged about $170,000 for 17 Alaska Native checkpoint communities, with the winner’s payout projected near $80,000.
- Defending champion Jessie Holmes headlines a field that includes 2023 winner Ryan Redington and 2019 winner Pete Kaiser, while 2020 champion Thomas Waerner supports Rokke and four-time champion Jeff King assists expedition entrant Steve Curtis, whose participation was announced three days before the start.