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Jessie Holmes Repeats as Iditarod Champion in 2026

Organizers reported 34 starters, the second-fewest in the race’s history.

Overview

  • Holmes reached Nome on Tuesday night with an official time of about nine days and seven hours, according to Iditarod.com.
  • The winner earned roughly $80,000 from a $650,000 purse that grew with private backing from Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke.
  • Rokke also took part in a new noncompetitive expedition class that allowed outside support, flexible rest rules and dog swaps, and he directed funds to checkpoint villages.
  • Portions of the roughly 1,000-mile course saw temperatures near minus 40°F and wind gusts up to 50 mph, and Holmes said his team finished with 12 dogs after starting with 16.
  • Officials confirmed the death of Charly, a 4-year-old on Mille Porsild’s team, with a necropsy pending, as PETA renewed longstanding welfare criticisms that the race does not quantify historically; major outlets also differ on how many mushers have recorded back-to-back wins.