Holmes, Drobny off the Yukon

Paige Drobny at the Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 54.
March 7, 2026. Anchorage, Alaska

It's a race to the coast for the two teams that have led the majority of the 54th running of the Iditarod. At 4:23pm AKDST Jessie Holmes made his way off of the Yukon River and into the checkpoint of Kaltag. The reigning Iditarod Champion stayed long enough to collect his prize from the sponsors - Bristol Bay Salmon as part of the "Fish First Award" for the first team in Kaltag - and then he headed across the way to Unalakleet.

Paige Drobny made it to Kaltag at 7:31pm AKDST and she too quickly left the checkpoint. Holmes elected to take a rest on the run to Kaltag, Drobny ran straight through. Both runs (when you factor out Holmes rest time) ran the run at about the same speed from Nulato to Kaltag. Drobny will have to stop soon to rest her team, and it's most likely she's headed for Tripod Cabin. Holmes is showing slower speeds on this run out of Kaltag, but he'll most likely run until he reaches Old Woman Cabin.

With what appears to be three hours between the two it feels like this race is solidly Jessie's - as long as he doesn't make a mistake or a giant storm blows him out to sea. However, Iditarod fans can remember a handful of times when a musher with a significant cushion had their race go sideways on the coast, so as long as Paige plays it smart, makes her move at the right time, and she keeps chipping away at Holmes' lead we could have ourselves a dog race by White Mountain.

The chase pack of Riley Dyche, Travis Beals, and Mille Porsild are on their way to Kaltag with Mille looking to come into the checkpoint in the next hour. Behind them are the rest of the top ten continually leap frogging over one another. Ryan Redington reported at the beginning of the race that he was dealing with a severe Gastrointestinal illness, but by the 24 hour layover he was over the worst of it. Fans earlier Saturday were concerned when Jessie Royer stayed well beyond her mandatory 8 in Galenda, spending nearly fifteen hours in the checkpoint. It's been said Royer is now feeling poorly and needed the extra rest for herself.

The Rookie of the Year race is heating up between Kevin Hansen and Sam Martin. The two have traded spots for the highest ranked first year rookie all race long, with Martin currently running between Galena and Nulato as Hansen sits in Galena. Neither musher has taken their mandatory 8 on the Yukon, but it looks like that may be what Hansen is doing now. Expect them to leap frog each other again before they make it to Kaltag. Jesse Terry is also in the hunt for ROTY and is within reach should the other two falter in the final leg.

The back of the pack is still going strong, with everyone into the checkpoint of Ruby as of 4:51pm AKDST. Will they continue to all stick together, or will we see some of them break away on the Yukon? Time will tell. Jody Potts-Joseph is the current red lantern in the race.

Holmes is showing as resting on the trail now and Drobny is 19 miles behind him, still running. Is Paige making her move here on the run to Unalakleet or will she shut it down for a rest here in the next few minutes? Time will tell.

Do you think Jessie Holmes has this in the bag? Will Paige be able to catch him? Will neither one be the 2026 champ? Comment with your thoughts below!

Iditarod 54 top ten

We are in the new era of Iditarod mushing. The roster has slowly grown in the last couple of years and while still not the numbers from the twenty-aughts and twenty-teens we no longer wonder if there will be much of a roster at all. With nearly forty teams set to head towards Nome in just under two weeks from now, a strong group of "new" potential champions are poised to take their team to the next level.

Sure, their names have been in the "waiting in the wings" status. The "potential to win" status. The "future champion" status. But there were still those teams that just had that much more experience to get the job done again and again. This year's roster is full of those teams that have been "waiting in the wings". They've won the other races. They've been in the top ten for years. They all have the experience and the ability to run a race that is a winning race.

But there are a lot of them. This roster is stacked with talented dogs and mushers. Of the four returning champions, three will be gunning for that top position. 2020 Champ Thomas Waerner is the only musher not focused on winning - his job this year will be to guide the inaugural "expedition class" musher to the finish line. Our three remaining return champs are the exciting trio of Holmes, Kaiser, and Redington. 

So as you prepare to choose your Fantasy Mushing Iditarod 54 team, let's take a look at the highest potential teams in this year's race (that will probably be the higher priced teams in FM.)

Jessie Holmes - The reining Iditarod Champion. The Team Can't Stop musher was all smiles and positive energy at race sign-ups this past June. Holmes entered the Iditarod in his rookie year with the full intent of immediately being competitive. And, he was. Winning Rookie of the Year, Holmes went on to continually contend for a top placement. And, then, in 2025 it happened. Holmes took a very similar approach this season as last. He was very choosey of which races his team would enter, deciding on the Copper Basin and... that's it until after Iditarod. It worked last year, let's see how it plays out this year.

Jessie Royer - One of the top female mushers for well over two decades now, Royer is no stranger to the top ten of Iditarod. Unfortunately for Royer her schedule was a little different this season as her stomping grounds in the Lower 48 saw a winter similar to what Alaska faced in 2025. Several mid-distance races were canceled, including Montana's Race to the Sky a race that Team J dominates. This should not in any way make this year's Iditarod more challenging. Royer spends a lot of time in the winter in Alaska and in any situation extremely adaptable. She's a sure bet to get you those fantasy points.

Josi Shelley - This may be a risky choice for top ten, but the 2024 Rookie of the Year just had a hell of a race on the Yukon Quest Alaska 750. She didn't just win that race, she dominated having a Libby Riddles like run where she lead by hours staying ahead of the bulk of the massive winter storm that hit during the race. She could absolutely make waves in the top ten this year if she plays her cards right and her team is bounced back from their historic win last week. We've seen other teams run both races back to back (and, yeah, the Quest is shorter now) and it's only seen one team win both in the same year. Could Josi repeat that feat?

Matt Hall - Is Matt going to be the next musher to ride the "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" roller coaster? We've seen him come in second now a couple of times. In the last two years he's come in second. Last year he changed up his training program by doing more human training year round as well as focusing on just running Iditarod and not running many if any races in the months before. He said he was taking a page out of Dallas Seavey's book. Marathons for Hall in the summer, training dogs in the winter with the prize a long adventure on the Iditarod trail. He's nearly there, will it happen for him in 2026? That's what we're all watching.

Michelle Phillips - She was fourth last year. Her first in the top ten. She's consistently in the top twenty when she runs the race. She just won the Two Rivers 200 race, another dominate win by one of the mushers on this list. She's won the Canadian Quest several times in their different long lengths. She'd no doubt have been in this year's race had they been able to put one on. Last year's race was the longest and for many the hardest in modern Iditarod history and Michelle managed her best finish - by far. She's one of the toughest out there and it will be exciting to see how she slingshots off last year's result.

Mille Porsild - She's been crowned by many to be "the next". We've had several "the next" since Susan Butcher hung it up in the 90s. Porsild's friend and mentor DeeDee Jonrowe knows the pressure of being labeled "the next" better than anyone. Jonrowe raced against Butcher and after Susan's retirement was expected to take the legend's place as dominating the men on the trail. Jonrowe came close, but never took it all the way. Since Porsild's rookie year in 2020, the musher has yet to be out of the top 15, with only two years finding her team out of the top 10. She's as tough as they come, and as fast as they come, with experience to boot. 

 

Paige Drobny - The Squids lit up the race scene this winter and are now pointed towards Nome. While Drobny's husband took the team out for most of the race season, Paige is set to take another shot at the top placement of the Last Great Race. While always a fan favorite and certainly a consistent top twenty team, Drobny and the Squids made a huge jump in 2024 running down many of the top teams in the final leg of the race to come in fifth place - without pushing her young team. Drobny improved on that placement last year coming in third. If she and her team - now in its prime racing experience age - manage to follow this pattern.... just sayin'.

Pete Kaiser - Talk about coming in right under the wire. Kaiser's name wasn't even on the roster until Monday. Like drop bag Monday. Like just under three weeks from the Ceremonial Start Monday. The 2019 Champion's team looked incredible on the Kusko. They always do, but there was something about this year's team that had lots of comments on just HOW good they looked. Strong, powerful, energetic. As Pete made his historic tenth Kusko win the media immediately asked if he was sure he wasn't going to run the Iditarod and he musher played coy. Hope dwindled as food drop deadline approached and then the announcement was made. 

Riley Dyche - Speaking of the Kusko, Dyche once again came in second, gaining one minute on the champ from last year's race. Dyche said post race that in about 20 years he'll catch Kaiser. Hopefully it doesn't actually take that long, but Dyche is one of those spreadsheet mushers. Like many mushers of the newer generation, Dyche uses race archives to prepare his "thesis" for the master class of Iditarod. He studies race times, strategies, training habits. Everything. He and his wife have quietly built their kennel and their team to become one of the top kennels, choosing to lay low and out of the internet spotlight. He's truly the dark horse of mushing that way and time will tell how it works out for him, but don't be surprised to see him in the mix.

Travis Beals - Another solid bet for a top ten finish for Fantasy Mushing teams, Beals has come sixth the last two Iditarods. Two years ago he lead for a good portion of the race before realizing he punched the gas a little too soon on the Yukon (and he ended up with an eye injury that didn't help). Last year in the longest and some say toughest Iditarod in modern race history he once again ended up six after a strong race. Those added miles to the total may have played a part. With the race going back to a trail far more familiar with weather far more usual forecasted for the race, Travis should be right on track to stay in the mix and improve on his already impressive track record.

What?! Have we done it?! We've stuck to ten?! 

Ha! If you've read this blog before you know it's not possible to start at ten. These days there are just too many teams with the potential to ruin this perfectly, professionally, punctuatedly list of ten. No, no. We have some honorable mentions with not just an outside chance of spoiling the whole thing, but a very real chance of doing so. 

Honorable mentions like Rohn Buser who is returning to Iditarod after a life hiatus. He went out and did other things, met and married his wife who is very much equal kennel and business partner, he's a two time dad. Last year was supposed to be when Buser returned to Iditarod but his daughter had other plans and he withdrew so he could be dad to his newborn daughter. He's currently running the Su Dog 300 as a final training run. He's used most of the races this season to get the miles and exeperience focusing on a positive race for all. It's anyone's guess how much he pushes in this first Iditarod back. 

Jeff Deeter this past summer had noted that he wasn't fully planning on a bid at the Iditarod this year always hedging with it would depend on how the team looked, but when sign ups came around his name found its way on the list. So he must have seen something in the team that suggested they were gonna go for it. Deeter ran a conservative Kusko, and had to scratch from the Yukon Quest Alaska as the trail disappeared during the storms needing to preserve the team for the big one. 

Wade Marrs made the move back to Alaska after several years in the Upper Midwest of the US. Partially due to his spending his summers in Alaska managing a touring operation, but also just to get back to Iditarod - and that feeling of home. It should be expected for Marrs to remind people why he was so exciting to follow when he last ran Iditarod. 

Ryan Redington won the whole thing just three years ago. He's seemingly in the last season or so taken a backseat in the mid-distance races, using them to build up a his team for Iditarod. Perhaps he's playing a mental game and he'll surprise everyone in the Iditarod. Maybe this will be more of a training run. We'll know by the time he reaches Nome. (Blogger note: Ryan let me know today that he's not playing a mental game and is always working to build a better team. He's all in with a strong team.)

Bailey Vitello was just supposed to run the Iditarod to check it off the musher bucketlist. Then he did it, and he got bitten by that bug. The one they all talk about. The one that they all say they're done in Nome and then at the last Saturday in June they show up and ask "what is wrong with us?" And Bailey's stayed, trained, raced, and is now one of the up and coming stars. In three races he's jumped from a twenty-seventh place rookie run finish to fifth last year.

The race kicks off with the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage, Alaska on March 7, 2026 at 10am with the restart in Willow, Alaska on March 8 at 2pm. 

Who do you think should be on the list? Comment below with your thoughts.

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2025 Yukon Quest (Canada) race preview

A "cold wave" has washed over the Yukon Territory ahead of this weekend's Yukon Quest (Canada). Yes, do not be confused. We've already talked about one Quest on the Alaskan side of the border, now it's time to talk Canada. 

It's been long enough without the one long thousand mile race that most fans are getting used to (if not accepting of) the duel[ing] Quest races. But, for those who may be newer and don't know the difference, let's get a reminder. The Yukon Quest originally ran a thousand miles through the Yukon region of both Alaska and Canada. It was the only thousand mile race of its kind that ran across country borders. Two boards worked together to put on the race, one on the Alaskan side and one on the Canadian. They would take turns hosting the start and finish. It was considered the "harder" thousand mile race or the "better" thousand mile race by its incredibly loyal fans.

Then small differing of opinions between boards grew into not so small things and a breakdown happened. A pandemic happened. Now, we have two Quests that fans and mushers have had to choose sides. Because instead of having different weekends for the two races in the last couple of races they've run at the same time. Le sigh.

But enough of rehashing the rehashes. Let's talk this year's race.

The Yukon Quest will start out from Teslin, YT and will travel to Quiet Lake, Ross River, and Taro before turning around and heading back for a finish in Teslin. The shorter route goes from Teslin to Quiet Lake and finishes at Ross River. The Yukon Quest is a unique race in that it allows mushers to count their rest on the trail as well as in the checkpoints, only requiring a 6 hour rest (plus time differential) in one of two checkpoints (Ross River 1 or Faro)  in total 32 hours of rest must be taken for the 450. Mushers are allowed to rest in checkpoints outside of that mandatory 6 hours, and it will be counted as "trail rest" so long as it's at least 30 minutes.

For the 175, four hours of mandatory rest must be taken at the checkpoint at Quiet Lake (plus differential) and ten hours out on the trail for a total of 14 hours.

There are ten teams set to run the 450 and eight teams for the 175. Fans will recognize many of the names on the rosters with a few newbies in the mix.

Who to Watch

The 450 is stacked with fan favorites and some great up and coming names, however there are three teams that are most likely strongest to take the top prize.

Jessie Royer - One of the smartest mushers in the field, Jesse is no slouch. She is consistently at the top of very competitive fields both Quest and Iditarod. Jessie is a master at dog training and is quite capable of getting a large team to the finish line. Expect Jessie to run a smart race but be right in the mix and able to take the prize. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle kind of owns the Quest now that isn't not the beast it once was. Even before she was well known for being in the top five consistently. She's won the 450 twice and is looking for a three-peat. She's nearly a shoo-in.

Mille Porsild - Tenacious is a word often used to describe Porsild. The woman ran the Iditarod with a bout of pancreatitis that nearly derailed her race in McGrath last year. Even with the medical setback that forced her to change her scheduled rests to compensate, Mille managed to come in seventh in a highly competitive field. But, right, we're talking the Quest. Mille is no longer a newbie to this race and she's a quick study. She has decades of experience running dogs. Don't count their fierce musher out.

The 175 is a little harder to tell who may be the best chance to win it all. However with most of the readers of this blog being part of the UglyDog community I would be in the dog house without fleecelined jeans if I didn't mention Quince Mountain as someone to watch just because he's just so gosh darn nice! (But I'd also keep an eye out on Nathaniel and Miriam.)

How to Watch

Official Website
As with all races, the best way to get information about the race is by visiting the official website. The race's website is full of information on the race including rules, musher bios, and checkpoint information. This is where armchair mushers will be able to keep up with the race's press releases.

GPS Tracker
The trackleaders link is already live! The YQCanada is on the ball getting that info to the right people. The only "problem" is it gives the Aliens that much more time to decide where they are going to cause trouble.

Social Media
The race's Facebook page is where the race is most active on social media. They do have an X (Twitter) account but they haven't posted since 2024. They also have an Instagram page. The race plans to do live feeds of the bib draw, start, and possibly finishes on their Facebook page.

Schedule of Events
(times are local time)

Thursday, January 30
6:15pm - Meet the Mushers
7:00pm - Bib Draw

Saturday, February 1
1:00pm - Meet the Dogs

Sunday, February 2
1:00pm - Race Start (450 first, 175 following)

Monday, February 3
2:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 175

Wednesday, February 5
5:00pm - Estimated first finish for the 450

Friday, February 7
5:30pm - Finisher's Banquet

Who are you cheering for? Comment below!

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Iditarod 52 top "ten"

Let's face it, this blog will never have a true top ten. With a smaller roster and more competitive teams than ever it's more than impossible to narrow it down. Too many variables. Too many changes to roster last minute that could shake things up. Too many, too many, too many!

With the news last week of first Eddie Burke Jr. being DQed from the race last Tuesday (only to be reinstated Friday, then announced Monday he's withdrawing) and Brent Sass DQed on Thursday, predictions blew apart for everyone. It will be interesting to see how the drama will effect not just the teams involved, but the race in general. If this race goes off like other "over dramatc" years, it may all be forgotten for the two weeks of Iditarod as everyone gathers to celebrate. Often the pomp and circumstance of the Ceremonial and Re-Start have a way of helping fans and the mushing community move on - especially if the starts are a success.

With a roster of thirty-nine teams the roster is a who's who of competitive long distance teams. Three Iditarod Champions are on the roster, two teams are back after a short hiatus, and perennial favorites. It's a roster that seems very familiar, and yet new at the same time.

But who takes top prize is anyone's guess. Let's take a look at some solid bets for your Fantasy Team.

Aaron Burmeister - One of the mushers that has tried and failed to stay away. Burmeister took the 2023 race off as a hiatus to spend more time with the family. Burmeister has found himself consistently in the top ten over the last decade with just a couple of dips out of it. He came close to winning the whole thing in 2021 when he almost caught Dallas in the final hours of the Gold Loop Trail. Burmeister's been quiet this season, choosing not to run the Kusko 300 as he'd originally planned citing concerns over the weather and trail conditions. Could the year off be what Aaron needed to finally bring his first win in his home town?

Dallas Seavey - The other musher who chose to take last year off and then surprised many when he showed up in June to sign up for the 52nd running of Iditarod. The five-time champion spent last year's race on the back of an iron dog to - he said - share the experience with his kiddo... but was he also studying his future competition? One thing is for certain, Dallas' quest for six is back on and it may be a bumpy one. Fans will remember that one of Dallas' handlers was running a team on the Denali Highway when it was struck by a snow machine. Several dogs were injured and killed - some that may have made Dallas's team for Iditarod otherwise. Dallas' operation is big enough that he should still have a strong team to challenge for another title, and it never hurts to run with a chip on your shoulder. The real question is - will we see The Sweater?

Jessie Holmes - Six Iditarods. Six finishes. Four top ten finishes. It looks like Team Can't Stop lives up to their name. Jessie Holmes is the "reality star" though he's more than capable of long distance mushing. He's had a short race season this year, but he very nearly ran down Brent Sass in the Copper Basin 300. Holmes has the goal and drive to win Iditarod, but as we all know it's a whole lot easier on paper than it is to actually do. Jessie is an interior musher who lives a subsistence lifestyle. His dogs are used to colder temperatures so this crazy winter weather Alaska's had recently could play a huge factor on how his team responds to the race. Look for Jessie to run a very aggressive race unless things warm up.

Jessie Royer - One of the few mushers to finish "in the money" with the full team of dogs (and when it was still sixteen dogs at that!), Jessie Royer is a constant in the top ten. The Musher who divides her time between Montana and Alaska (and also divides her time between mushing and mounted shooting) is a fan favorite. She's one of the quiet ones, the steady ones, she's always in the mix but she isn't getting much of the attention. She isn't flashy, she isn't showing off in anyway. She just does it. She rarely complains, she rarely gets excitable. She takes care of her dogs, they head down the trail, and they do well. She calculated and strategic. A good combination for a team. Look for Royer to hang back for the first third of the race before she picks off the teams in front of her.

Matthew Failor - The "17th dog" dog team and musher, Failor is coming off another second place finish in the highly competitive Kuskokwim 300 narrowly missing the chance to run down Pete Kaiser. Failor told the local media that he is "really, really good" at finishing second. Failor finally cracked the top ten last year finishing 8th in the Iditarod. Matthew's won the Most Improved musher several times in Iditarod, and won Most Inspirational for having to dispatch several moose on the trail sacrificing his race as he had to dress each one. He prides himself on having won several humanitarian (ie best cared for dogs) in other races. The new dad should have a good run to Nome.

Matt Hall - This newly wed combined kennels with his bride and is now one half of the mushing team of Silver Aces kennel. Hall is a former Yukon Quest Champion (back in the day of thousand mile races). Matt pulled off a fourth place finish in the Iditarod and in 2021 won most inspirational musher. He's been mushing the majority of his life, starting his own kennel at age 16. Matt's finished in the top ten twice in his five Iditarods - his rookie year he barely missed the top ten coming in 11th place. Hall had a strong finish in the Copper Basin 300 this year placing fifth. If all goes right he should see another top ten finish in this year's Iditarod.

Paige Drobny  - Squid Acres is the place to be! Dog mushin' is the life for.... sorry, got carried away. If you aren't aware of Paige Drobny you haven't been paying attention. Drobny and her Squids are often near or on top of the podium at any race, and while she hasn't always cracked the top ten at Iditarod she's poised to jump back into that ranking with the Squids not being divided by two teams this year. Paige came in fourth place in the Copper Basin and her husband Cody Strathe came in third. Combining the best of both teams into one mega team just may be the key to Drobny meeting or beating her best placement (two 7th place finishes). 

Pete Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion just won his eighth Kukso 300 with a full compliment of 12 dogs at the finish. Kaiser owns his hometown race, focusing much of his energy in competiting for top prize. The last couple of years for Iditarod fans were left wondering if Kaiser had plans to sign up, the champion choosing to wait and sign up later than what most do. Pete gave last year's champion a major run for his money, seeming to catch up to him in the final leg and be poised to overtake him, but the Bethel musher chose to hang back and give his dogs more rest - reading their needs over his need for a win. Second place is nothing to sniff at, and Pete gave quite the show for fans (he also got high praise from Dallas Seavey in the impromptu Insider feeds). Could it be Kaiser's turn to repeat in Iditarod this year?

Ryan Redington - Speaking of last year's champion. He did it. A Redington is finally champion (and for this year reigning) of Joe Redington Sr's race. As most champions will tell you, repeating is crazy hard. Few have won it a second time much less consecutively. Many of the ones that have in modern race history were generational mushers. Ryan is a generational musher. Redington had to change all of his mushing plans this year as his winter training grounds in the Lower 48 never had winter, so he pivoted and traveled to Alaska to hit up all of the races he normally misses. The reigning champ has a new found swagger of confidence which could help him navigate his defending championship run. 

Travis Beals - Though the last couple of years he's not made it to the top ten, Travis seems to be in a very good headspace with a strong team to make it back in and challenge for a top spot. Beals is a new dad who is now training out of Knik, home of many wonderful trails - including the Iditarod trail he's planning to head down this weekend. Travis finished third in the Kusko 300, a huge achievement. Travis writes in his Iditarod Bio that he feels he's starting to get to the point where the things in his life outside of mushing are in order to make his goal of winning Iditarod possible. Travis with partner Sarah Stokey welcomed their first child, Elias, this past year.

But, what about...?! you say. Of course we aren't going to stop at ten. When has this blog ever stopped at ten? We have a few honorable mentions/wildcards. 

Let's not forget Amanda Otto who nearly ran down Brent Sass last year in the Yukon Quest Alaska with a crazy amazing run in the last leg after banking a ton of rest to push her team on a monster leg. It was incredible and showed her tenacity and her ability to read her team and know how far she could ask them to go. She runs a team out of Jeff King's Husky Homestead so you know it's a good one.

Let's also not forget Hunter Keefe, the happiest musher the world has ever seen. Okay, that's a made up on the spot declaration on this blog's part, but seriously - HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HUNTER? Keefe runs dogs out of Raymie and Barb Redington's kennel... the parents of the reigning Iditarod Champion. Hunter narrowly missed out on winning Rookie of the Year, and he's had a fantastic season this year as well. Hunter came in fourth at the Kusko 300 in his rookie race. Keefe's positive attitude through any number of trials on the trail keeps his head on straight and he just goes. He even beat Ryan Redington this year! Honestly he probably SHOULD be in the top ten.

We'll put Mille Porsild in here as well, though Mille reported early in the season she's in a sort of rebuilding year with a very young team. Mille's also been sick recently and has had to rely on help of others to keep the training miles up while she recovers (she says she is now on the mend.) Still, Mille is a force on the trail (and off) so if the chips fall into place expect her to blow the top ten wide open.

Last but not least Nicolas Petit needs a mention. Why he isn't in the top ten this year is mainly due to his very lackluster season. While he hasn't bombed completely the musher has been very open about his struggles this year. Not able to get the right food his team enjoys (quality beef), stressing about finances, and just a series of unfortunate setbacks. Petit decided to scale back and focus on the Iditarod - but he kept up appearances by commenting on each race he missed (and some he attended as a spectator - like Fur Rondy this past weekend) via social media. He weighed in on the Idita-drama, and genuinely enthralled his fans with his haiku like posts. It's anyone's guess how Nic's Iditarod plays out this time.

One last musher that needs a mention - Anna Berington. For the first time in *counts on fingers but gives up* a long time, the Beringtons are not running the Iditarod together. Due to rising costs of running a successful racing kennel, the reinstating of the 16-dog team, and Kristy wanting to start a family with her husband, the Seeing Double Racing Kennel decided to take the next step and create one very competitive team. This could be another wildcard, and Anna may very well end up with the award for most improved musher. Anna placed 22nd in last year's Iditarod, so depending on where she ends up finishing she could have the biggest jump in placement.

As with every Iditarod, the certain is never truly certain. So many factors come into play, and just one wrong hair can be enough to derail a top team's plan. But, these names are almost certain to keep you in the running in the Fantasy Mushing realm. (That being said this blogger has yet to crack the top 100 much less the top 10 in Fantasy Mushing.)

So, who are your top ten? Who do you hope takes the top prize? Comment below with your thoughts on this top ten (and then some).

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2023 Race to the Sky musher roster and race preview

The last race of the Rocky Mountain Triple Crown, the Race to the Sky is one of those races you hear often listed under accomplishments of lower 48 mushers coming to race the Iditarod. Montana, of course, has similar trail and weather to that of Alaska and it's just an overall really well run organization. 

This year the 300 has a very small roster of just four mushers. The 100 boasts far more entries but still seems rather small. It's that point of the year where some are heading to Alaska and Canada to run the other big races, plus new short distance races were added this year that are hitting around the same time. Busy year for mushers and trying to figure out just where they want to race.

Race to the Sky has produced names like Doug Swingley, Brent Bruggemann, and of course Jessie Royer (produced probably isn't the best choice of words... boasted?) over the years. Only Jessie remains active in the sport (Swingley got out of dogs many years ago, Brent was forced to just two years ago due to a heart condition). Speaking of Jessie she has FOUR TEAMS between the two classes of race this year. Today I learned she has a large group of race ready dogs.

How to watch
The Race to the Sky has a fairly decent online presence. You will for sure want to checkout their website that has mini musher bios, the schedule of events, etc. Their Facebook page will also have race communication posted. And they will most likely have a trackleaders link up and running tomorrow. To follow the trackers, trackleaders.com once again has us covered.

So you've got the basics on how to follow along, let's make sure you know who's running. Bib draw should be today but honestly I'm not sure I'll make it back to edit this any time soon. Y'all I'm running on empty! Anyway, the rosters:

300 Roster

Charmayne Morrison (Morrison Racing Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Clayton Perry (TSA Kennel) - Facebook 
Erik Oline (The J Team) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Jessie Royer (The J Team) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

100 Roster

Adrian Lopez (The J Team) - Website 
Aidan Torres (Whiteout Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Bucky Hasty (Morrison Racing Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Chris Adkins (Mo Betta Sled Dog Racing) - Facebook 
Christina Gibson (Whiteout Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Hunter Hale (The J Team) - Website
Jesika Reimer (Reimer Pack) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Kevin Daugherty (??) - Facebook / Instagram 
Maddie Longpre-Harrer (TSA Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
Nicole Lombardi (??) - Cannot find her online
Shane Pearson​​​​​ (??) - Facebook
Thomas Blackham (??) - Facebook
​Wade Donaldson (??) - Facebook

Schedule of events

Friday, February 10
1pm-3pm Vet Check
6pm Musher Dinner

Saturday, February 11
2pm START (300 first, followed by 100)

Sunday, February 12
Finishes for 100 throughout the morning

Tuesday, February 14
1pm Award Ceremony

Top 13 teams have finished

The 49th running of the running has had a third of its teams (that have not scratched or been withdrawn) finish today. Starting with Dallas Seavey's finish around 5am this morning, the day saw 12 teams behind the five-time champion. Dallas was able to meet his closest competitor in the race - Aaron Burmeister - to the finish before finally succumbing to his exhaustion (his parents drove him home). We probably won't hear from the champion for at least another 16 hours. If then.

Aaron Burmeister gave a very good post race interview where he cited that he had worked out to plans for Iditarod in the months leading up to the race. He had a "passive" race plan and an "aggressive" race plan. He chose the former, and ironically the latter was the exact schedule that Dallas had come up with. The veteran musher was jovial and excited to know he stuck it out with Dallas to the very end. He's also apparently announced that next year will be his final Iditarod (we've heard that before, though, Aaron). 

Brent Sass followed a little over an hour later with a strong team of 13 Alaskan Huskies that looked like they could keep going. Iditarod Insider's Bruce Lee said that in a normal race year Sass would've won with the team in this year's finish. It's definitely possible. That being said, both Burmeister and Seavey would've had different strategy if this was a normal year.

In a hard fought battle, Wade Marrs was able to keep Mille Porsild behind him to place fourth. Marrs came in 4th one other time - in 2016... the last time Dallas won the Iditarod before, well, this year... interesting - and came in wearing a sweatshirt, not his parka. Wade explained for at least the last 15 miles he was running with the sled to make sure Mille did not over take them. Wade was greeted at the finish by his wife Sophia and their baby boy (awww).

Mille Porsild rounds out the top five with an impressive finish. Her team is a mixture of many borrowed dogs from several kennels and she managed to bring them into the finish as a cohesive unit. Mille told Insider that when she started the race she believed her team to be a power team but then they decided to be a speed team (or did I get that backwards). She said the team amazed her and they are superstars. When asked what she would have done differently she said she would have slept more. (Same, Mille, same.)

Nicolas Petit flew down the trail in the last leg of the race picking off teams one by one and nearly caught up with Mille and Wade. Petit's team was another that did not seem ready to stop, even after gorging themselves on prime cuts of steak. (For real these Iditarod dogs eat better than I ever will.) According to his interview with the media Mille said there was no one she didn't want right behind her more than Petit and that she was constantly looking for her shoulder, Petit responded: "She wasn't just looking, I saw her footsteps." The sixth place for Team Petit is a welcome placement after several years of disappointing finishes and scratches.

Coming in with the smallest team so far, Ryan Redington improved his standings by one placement coming in 7th this year. Redington's in a rebuilding stage for his kennel after some professional and personal setbacks, so a top ten finish is a very good placement. Redington told the media that he spent the last several days already planning what to do better for next year as he looks forward to running the 50th. He enjoyed running with friends Nic Petit and Wade Marrs, and it was pretty cool to finish in Willow. 

Joar Liefseth Ulsom - the 2018 Iditarod Champion - was next in in another close finish for 8th. Joar was all smiles as he was greeted by his wife and they had quite a few moments for the camera to capture (ah, newlyweds). Joar's dogs did really well in the final leg, especially to keep Richie Diehl behind them. In a new race that was difficult to gauge ahead of time what would work, Joar was very happy with how things turned out.

Ten minutes after Joar, the 2021 Kuskokwim Champion Richie Diehl made his way to the finishline. The musher from Aniak said that he had hopes of catching Joar near Yentna, but it just didn't happen. He said he expected to run the first half of the race like he would in a normal year and hoped it would pay off. He said it did pay off but that this year was "hell of a fast race". He still managed to finish 9th in a highly competitive field where his best friend and rival Peter Kaiser had to end his race early. With some sleep Richie may be able to appreciate the accomplishment a little more. (He was very proud of his team.) 

Rounding out the top ten was Ramey Smyth. Long time race fans were hardly shocked to see Ramey come charging down the trail and pick off at least a dozen teams to make 10th place. Smyth is known for his strong closing runs. If Ramey's behind you (especially seemingly out of nowhere) worry. The veteran musher had few words instead telling the interviewer asking if he learned anything in the race to "keep it on the trail." And with that he was headed with his team to load up and go home. It was great to see him make another top 10. 

Just outside the top ten was Michelle Phillips. The 51 year old Canadian musher held onto 10th for much of the race only to have it lost in the last leg. Still she was all smiles as she was met at the finish by family and friends including fellow musher Jodi Bailey (whose husband is still out on the trail) who immediately threw a boa around Michelle's neck as is their tradition. She didn't give much of an interview either, instead choosing to focus on her dogs and make sure they knew just what a great job they did and make sure they got all the best snacks (including fatty snacks!) 

Jeff Deeter held off Jessie Royer to come in 12th place after a harrowing night dealing with a moose who would not give up the trail. (Okay he didn't make a big deal about it, but moose on Iditarod Trails don't always end well.) Jeff told insider that he enjoyed the going back through the Alaska Range and stated that running up the gorge was "so cool." During his interview he looked over to Race Marshall Mark Nordman saying that he wanted to do that again and that he was putting in a vote to do it again. Nordman gave a very hesitant "uhhhh" to which Deeter said "for like every 10 years." Mark then said that was fine because he wouldn't be around for the next one (what?! no!) While Deeter was hoping for top 10 this year, he is very happy with 12 as the race was a very fast and competitive one.

Jessie Royer came in soon after in 13th and was greeted by Jeff Deeter. The veteran musher was very animated and happy with finishing. She said she really enjoyed running back up the gorge saying that it was actually a really beautiful trail when you aren't having to hang on for dear life. "Going up the gorge it's like 'oh wow, this is actually kinda nice, oh look a squirrel!'... going down it though you're like 'AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'" While fans may worry this seems like a step back for Jessie, it's just another race she'll use to build an even better team for next year. She was very excited about the dogs in front of her and I'd say watch out for them next year.

Several teams are on the trail headed into Deshka Landing tonight, but if today's finishes are any indication, the runs will be slow and we may not see another finish until midnight (or really really really late tonight, depending on how fast Aaron Peck can go the next 22 miles). There are 23 teams out on the trail, most have made it to Rohn with just three not yet in that checkpoint. We should see a close to the 49th Iditarod by Thursday. 

2021 Iditarod Top Ten

The 2021 race will be one like no other when it comes to Iditarod. For the first time since the 1967 inaugural run, the race will not go to Nome. Unlike the '67 experiment, teams are still running well over 800 miles. Like that race, it will have few "modern conveniences" and a whole lot of camping. The '67 run was not the Iditarod Sled Dog Race we know today, but it did give Joe Redington Sr enough proof (for him) that a race like the one we know today was possible. 

2020 seems like a year of impossible. The world shut down while facing the global pandemic. The US dealt with a tumultuous political season. 2021 seems to be the sequel as the world deals with the fallout. The drama of the global pandemic started in earnest while teams ran to Nome last March, the world vastly different for the mushers coming off the trail than when they started their journey. That continues with a race unfamiliar to them all, with "bubbles" and mitigation plans. 

Even with the changes, 47 teams are set to leave Sunday, March 7, from Deshka Landing in Willow, Alaska. With the Covid-19 pandemic still in full swing the race opted not to hold the traditional Ceremonial Start in Anchorage (a first. Even in no snow years they managed to run teams through the city.) So the "restart" is now THE start. The race has asked spectators stay away to protect the integrity of "the bubble" to keep risk of infecting communities off the road system to a minimum. 

The big news is who isn't running the race: 4-time Champ Jeff King is choosing to create a new qualifying race to take place during the big one called the Ididn'trod, 4-time Lance Mackey is working on recovery and sobriety while also grieving the loss of his partner and mother of his two children, and 3-time Champ Mitch Seavey announced during last year's race that he wouldn't run in 2021 (but it's not retirement). 

Even with some "big names" missing from the roster, the race has a strong list of contenders for the top spot (and the top 10). Let's take a quick look at who has the best chance to take top billing.

Aaron Burmeister - Aaron's had a good last few seasons of racing. His teams have looked strong in this year's mid-distance races. As a long time contender in the Iditarod, it'd be wrong not to put him on the list. Aaron came in 5th last year, and while the teams aren't running to his beloved home town of Nome, he's very familiar with the Iditarod trail and this "gold-trail loop" shouldn't throw him off his groove. With this year being one of new strategy it's anyone's guess what any team will do, but don't expect Aaron to shoot out of the gate, he's one of those that use the tried and true method of "building the monster". Aaron will run with Bib Number 36. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio. 

Aliy Zirkle - Oh, Aliy. The 50 year old Queen of Dog Mushing announced earlier this year that the 2021 Iditarod will be her final one. Fans of the sport and of the musher have been in a state of mourning ever since (as if 2020/21 haven't taken enough from us?!). Aliy has spent 20+ years of her life working hard to WIN this race. The 2000 Yukon Quest Champion has come oh so close several times (often coming second to one of those pesky Seaveys). While this may be her "swan song" do not expect another 18th place finish like last year. She's got one last shot at taking this title and Aliy is still VERY hungry for that win. While we don't want to lose her to retirement, we do wish her one heck of a final ride. No matter what happens in this race, Aliy is champion in the hearts and minds of many and will go down as one of the Iditarod Legends. Aliy will run with Bib Number 32. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her Iditarod Bio.

Brent Sass - The three-time Yukon Quest champion managed a 4th place finish in last year's Iditarod after taking time off from the race to refocus. Sass had to take time off this season and not run the races he signed up for due to injury as well as some "things needing attention at home." Brent has the goods to take the tile, but with injury and other setbacks it's unknown what sort of shape his dogs are in (he has maintained that that dogs are ready to go and he's been the weak link this year). Still, Sass has been vocal in saying Iditarod is the focus this year (he did not run the Summit Quest for this reason). Brent will run with Bib Number 21. He can be found online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio. 

Dallas Seavey - The last time we saw Dallas race the Iditarod was 2017. He came in second in that race (behind his dad) in a hard fought race. Then news broke later that year that Dallas' dogs had somehow been given a drug during (or right after finishing) the race and all Hell broke loose. Dallas sat out 2018 in protest and raced in Norway. He liked it so much he went back in 2019. Dallas's personal life also took a detour and so 2020 he once again sat on the sidelines. With his dad, Mitch, announcing that he was sitting 2021 out, that became the perfect time for Dallas to "borrow" some of his dad's best dogs to combine with his best to create a "Super-team". There's no doubt that Dallas will be one of the front runners (Mitch came in 2nd with many of the dogs on Dallas's team). Expect Dallas to play the patience game to its fullest. Dallas will run with Bib Number 23. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his Iditarod Bio.

Jessie Royer - Jessie nearly had it last year, she owned the first half of the race and many felt she just let up on the brake a hair too soon. Jessie takes every year as a learning year and improves upon the experience. She's unflappable, having caught her sled on fire last year and just laughed it off when retelling it to the media - even while showing off the singed parts of her sled. Often overshadowed by Zirkle, Royer has quietly climbed to "third in the World" (...or...well... Iditarod). Expect her to ride that momentum this year. The real test will be if her team can do two rounds of the Alaska range. Jessie will run with Bib Number 24. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - The newlywed 2018 Iditarod Champion managed a 6th place finish in 2020 and should sit well for another top 10 finish in this year's race. In fact, Joar has never placed lower than 7th since entering the world of Iditarod in 2013. From a Fantasy Mushing standpoint, he's an anchor type musher to choose. He's yet to have a scratch or have an actual loss to his name. Joar's team should be well prepared for the mountains times two trail this year. It will be interesting to see what sort of strategy he brings to this year's race. Joar will be running with Bib Number 41. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Nicolas Petit - To be honest I almost left Nic off the top ten. Petit has had a rough go of the Iditarod of late with scratches the last two years. When not scratching, however, he manages top ten finishes. Petit likes to start fast and hope to end fast, and often times he does. He is king of the mid-distance races with many wins under his belt, but he's not able to take that to the thousand miler. However, with this year cutting the mileage to around the mile marker where Petit's team has shown to have problems in a normal year, this could be Petit's best chance yet. Do not expect Nic to race the Iditarod any different to any other race he's run in the past. His team is built for speed. Nic will run with Bib Number 10 (in his 10th Iditarod, his team feels that's significant). You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Paige Drobny - The Squid Acres musher finished 7th in both the 2019 and 2020 Iditarods. Paige has done well in mid-distance races and, like Jessie Royer, has had a steady climb in the ranks. I didn't add her to my top 10 last year (I did give her an honorable mention, though!) and that was a mistake. I expect her to have another solid run, and would not be surprised if she places higher than last year. Paige will be running with Bib Number 42. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Peter Kaiser - The 2019 Iditarod Champion had a rough race last year coming in 14th, but they said defending your title is always difficult. Kaiser came in second at the Kusko this year, coming in after his best friend and competitor Richie Diehl. Pete is well liked by fans, and no doubt deserves to be in the top ten. With having dogs from the West Coast of Alaska, it will be interesting to see how they handle a trail that's mainly in South Central and mid-Yukon River. Temps are typically warmer (and less windy) for much of the portion of trail teams will run on this year, the Sea Ice section of the traditional trail is usually the "true test" of endurance for the teams. With no race to the coast it's anyone's guess how teams will shake out. Don't count Pete out. He's really come into his own with his training program and I expect him to play a key part in this year's race. Pete will be running with Bib Number 3. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Richie Diehl - The 2021 Kuskokwim Champion beat out a very competitive field that hosted many top Iditarod teams this past month. Diehl also hails from the West Coast of Alaska and is best friends with Pete Kaiser. In interviews after the Kusko both Kaiser and Diehl admitted that they trade information/ideas/advice with each other. Their dogs are linked in their breeding programs. While each kennel is definitely their own beast, the friendly competition between friends has only helped both teams become tops in their field. Richie scratched from last year's Iditarod, but that just could spur his team on to fight for redemption. Richie will be running with Bib Number 6. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

The field is tight, and so - while I do call this a top 10 - I have a few "honorable mentions" again this year. I found every time I tried to pare down my list to ten I ended up adding another name instead of subtracting one. Honestly I think the race continues to get more competitive each year in ways I don't remember it being when I was growing up. This is a DEEP field filled with a lot of "young" mushers. More women are at the top of their game. It's an exciting time in sled dog racing. 

Matt Hall - The 2017 Yukon Quest Champion took last year off from the Iditarod as a rebuilding year with his team. Feeling his team was full of too many inexperienced pups, he took a year to just give them a fun stress free season to get some miles under them. Hall finished 6th in 2019 in just his second Iditarod. 2021 will be his third Iditarod. He could be a major dark horse and spoiler in this year's race. Matt will be running with Bib Number 17. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Matthew Failor - Failor was one of three teams that got caught in crazy overflow on the coast of the Iditarod trail last year forcing him to scratch after his sled got stuck and they couldn't get it unstuck (dogs were fine). The 2019 Kusko champion is a solid top 20 finisher in Iditarod, but it won't be long before he cracks the top 10. Matthew will be running with Bib Number 29. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and his Iditarod Bio.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle was another team last year that fell out of the top 10 after many predicted she could break top 5. Phillips has been MIA with most of the mid-distance races this year, and it was uncertain she would even keep her name on the roster for Iditarod considering the issues with traveling from Canada to Alaska, but as of February 26 she was still on the roster and received a Bib Number. With her experience on the Quest for years she should have no problem scaling mountains during this year's "gold-trail loop". She could be a spoiler for the top 10 easily. Michelle will run with Bib Number 26. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, and her Iditarod Bio.

Mille Porsild - The 2020 Rookie of the Year is the true dark horse of the 2021 race. Mille is a highly skilled and experienced musher and her 15th place finish in her rookie year in an extremely difficult race. While many fans only knew her as the PR person for Joar's social media - taking amazing photos and weaving beautiful stories filled with mushing history - Mille was a well established musher in her own right and it's wonderful to see her make her mark on the Last Great Race. Mille will be running with Bib Number 28. You can find her online via Website, Facebook, and her Iditarod Bio.

Ramey Smyth - Ramey comes from a mushing family, with his parents being members of the "Iditarod Trailbreakers" being firsts in the race. His father Bud ran in the first Iditarod and his mother Lolly was one of the first women to run in the 2nd Iditarod. Ramey is known for his fast speeds in the final leg of the race. He can really move up in the standings and is always a threat for a top placement. Ramey will be running with Bib Number 9. You can find him online via Facebook and his Iditarod Bio.

Travis Beals - Travis was 10th in last year's Iditarod and seems to be on an upswing. Beals took it easy this season with few races on his schedule, so it's hard to know just how his team is going to be, but don't count them out. Travis and team are a solid bet to do well in the Last Great Race. The long time musher knows what he needs to do to stay in the running, and continues to improve. Travis will be running with Bib Number 33. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his Iditarod Bio.

Wade Marrs - New dad Wade Marrs is another musher who is always *right there* on the cusp of the top 10. Marrs and team came in 12th last year, so it's possible that he could crack the top ten this go around. It will come down to how well he can adapt and be prepared for a race that loops back around to where they've been instead of heading towards Nome. Like all of the other teams, he's no doubt thought long and hard about the new challenges a race like this year's Iditarod will be. Keep an eye on him. Wade will run with Bib Number 25. You can find him online via Website, Facebook, Instagram (look for his super huge puppy STITCH), and his Iditarod Bio.

This year's race is shaping up to be all sorts of dramatic and interesting. With champions returning, other champions missing, and the Champion of Hearts retiring after one last go I personally expect to be very emotional throughout this race. It's another one for the history books.

Who are you cheering for in this year's race? Who do you think will win it all? Thoughts? Comment below!