Jessie Holmes first to Grayling winning Halfway Prize

Jessie Holmes came into Grayling in first place around 10pm Saturday night winning the Dorthy G Page Halfway Award sponsored by GCI. Holmes' team flew into the checkpoint with the musher jumping off the sled to snack his team, dump his trash, and grab supplies from his drop bags. 

The musher who is first to the Halfway Point of Iditarod is met with an award donated by sponsor GCI (who have been loyal Alaskan sponsors for 32 years and counting). The beautiful glass art "trophy" comes with the musher's choice of a "smartphone of their choice with one year of service" or $3000 worth of gold nuggets. Not surprisingly Jessie took the gold just as every musher before him (since GCI started trying to give out a phone).

Jessie thanked GCI for their sponsorship of the race, and gladly let them keep his award safe until Nome. He then quickly sprinted back down the hill to his waiting team. They wrapped around the checkpoint and headed towards the next checkpoint of Anvik. 

There are no drop bags in Anvik (though there will be straw and water) so mushers must carry all needed food and supplies along with the required supplies and food for trail travel. Anvik is estimated 21 miles from Grayling, so look for Jessie to take between two and three hours. 

Behind Jessie Paige is about an hour until she reaches Grayling. Jessie has not just kept her from gaining on him, he's put a fwe more minutes/miles between them.

Mushers still need to declare their 8 hours somewhere on this leg, and so far none of the top 10 have taken their 8. Many of them took their 24s just yesterday so it may not be until they are on their "return trip" on the loop that we see them shut it down for their second mandatory rest.

We're five days into the race with 4.5-5 days to go until we see a champion.