Top Ten in Nome

It's been a slow but wild ride to get the top ten into Nome. With the longer trail it seems the run to White Mountain gave each team a cushion and spread out what is normally a quick first ten teams into the finish. Holmes came in Friday morning and tenth place did not finish until Saturday Afternoon. This feels more like the "good ol' days" of mushing when finishes went on for a week or more. We don't have that many teams left on the trail to make a weeks worth of finishes possible, but it's still a strange and wonderful feeling to have Iditarod last "just a little bit longer."

Second place Matt Hall came into Nome just three hours after the champion. This is Hall's second second place finish. The musher chose to focus his entire season on Iditarod and had mentioned ahead of this year's race that he would not be able to run down teams using the carry dog strategy, however Hall did keep up with two teams doing just that. Matt was always in good spirits during this year's race and fans ate up his baby talking encouragement to the dogs (especially when he couldn't turn it off when talking to people while caring for the dogs). Matt was in White Mountain letting village kids play with his sled and pet his dogs. In Nome Matt's dog Dyea swallowed his celebratory steak whole. At the finish Matt joked about how long the race felt on the Yukon, turning around afterwards and asking "ONLY ten days and seventeen hours?! It felt like two weeks!"

Third place was Paige Drobny and the Squids. The team was enthusiastically cheered into Nome by the team of handlers decked out in boas and flashy tinsel skirts - they even did a kick line. As they cheerleaded out "Paige-Paige Drobny!" a strong line of eleven dogs trotted up into the finishers chute. Paige was greeted with a flower boa from husband and kennel partner Cody Strathe as she walked down the line petting and praising each of her canine teammates. Paige was a very last minute addition to the Iditarod roster. Like February last minute. Paige told everyone in her finish "interview" that after seeing how well the dogs had done in races in January that they "deserved to be here" in the Iditarod. And belong they did. The team that surprised everyone last year with a 4th place finish as a bunch of young "rookie" dogs have proven they were no fluke. This team is special and Paige/Cody better make the decision now that a third go needs to happen.

Fourth place saw Michelle Phillips cross under the newly installed burled arch. The Canadian musher was in stealth mode for most of the race. Fans certainly kept her on their radar, but she wasn't really in the conversation for a top spot for most of the race. Phillips and team kept a low profile and by the coast began to pick off teams with ease. As "Clipboard Nicolle" welcomed the musher to Nome and announced her finishing time of 11 days 4 hours, Michelle giggled and said "Wow. That's a Quest race!" referring to the now bygone thousand mile race across Alaska and Canada. Michelle's 9 pups were perky and they quickly trotted down to the "barking lot".

Perhaps the surprise of this year's top ten is fifth place musher Bailey Vitello. The musher is most likely in the running for "most improved" musher, having jumped from last year's 17th place finish to this year's fifth. The musher known for his personality and his mullet came to Alaska in 2022 to run the Iditarod in 2023 - it was going to be a one time thing. "Problem" was - he fell in love with Alaska and with the Iditarod. With this fifth place finish it's likely he'll be here to stay for a while. Bailey was greated by friends and family in the chute, in his sled bag was his dog Jenny who he said was on her last race and he felt she deserved to make it to Nome so he chose to carry her on the last leg. The pup seemed content to ride, but also looked like she wanted to jump out and join the rest of the team eating their steak dinners. He said at the finish "I've always wanted to run the Fairbanks route, but I don't ever want to run the Yukon again." He's promised he will be back.

Travis Beals managed another sixth place finish having leap frogged over several teams late in the race to get there. Travis admitted at the finish that he tried to be a little more laid back this year after having gone a little too hard last year to end up going from leading the race to dropping quickly behind on the race to the Coast, but "it was maybe a little too laid back" this year. Beals came in early Saturday morning and was met by his family under the newly constructed Burled Arch that Beals helped with by finding "the perfect tree." The tree came from Seward, Beals' hometown and original training trails, and when Ramey Smith was on the quest to find a new burled tree for the arch Travis said he had just the one. Travis has the fastest time from Safety to Nome of the Top Ten taking only two hours and forty-four minutes (the award, though, is determined amongst the top twenty teams).

Seventh place had many fans worried as Mitch Seavey was poised to take fifth place when he came into White Mountain ahead of both Bailey and Travis. The three-time Iditarod Champion had leapfrogged over many teams along the coast to get back into contention, and he seemed like a shoo-in for that fifth place (or maybe battling for forth with Michelle), but then he stayed in White Mountain. And he stayed... and stayed a little more. Sean Underwood of the Insider reported that all was fine with the team but that Mitch had "hit the snooze button". It was offered that Mitch had maybe injured himself and was having a difficult time. Still, when the musher did finally pick the team up and point them Nomeward the team trotted down the trail at the typical pep and step of a Seavey team. Seavey didn't stay long in the finisher's chute, opting to get the dogs bedded down in the barking lot and then heading to his bed. Handlers report the musher is still in good spirits and that he just needs some rest and time to recover from this very long and difficult Iditarod.

Six dogs ran into the chute for an 8th place finish for the 2023 Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington. Ryan had had a fantastic and seemingly flawless first half of the race. Even with the punchy trail that caused some dogs to be returned home much earlier than expected, Redington was in good spirits and had high praise for his mighty team. Things seemed to go sideways on their way to the coast, but they managed to stay in the top ten even with the smallest team. Ryan noted the difficult training conditions he and many of the mushers faced this year and how he was so proud of the little team that managed to complete one of the most difficult trails to date. Ryan said he was proud to continue the legacy of his grandfather and hoped for many more Iditarods to come. Before leaving the chute, Ryan made sure to take to the microphone to congratulate the newest member of the Iditarod Champions club Jessie Holmes.

It isn't Iditarod if there isn't drama, and Mille Porsild gave everyone a good bit of it again this year. Not the bad kind of drama. Not the medical kind of drama. No, the tracker fell off the sled kind. The tracker somehow managed to disconnect from the musher's sled around the shelter cabin at the entrance of the infamous "Blowhole" and so no one thought anything of it to see it showing as "resting". With no way to track where the musher was, or even any indication that they weren't tracking her, volunteers decided they could let their guard down and rest as well. As they kept watch on a non moving tracker, no one was aware that Mille was nearing the final stop of Safety. When she made it in no one apparently was around, so she took it upon herself to check in and out and she continued to Nome. Weird, but not anything she felt overly concerned about. It wasn't until several hours later when the next team came into Safety that volunteers even realized Mille'd been there and realized she didn't have a tracker. Nome was notified and soon "clipboard Nicolle" was woken up from her nap and told they were going to have to do this finish "old school". Mille pulled into the finish shoot and shouted "Well that was difficult!" also exclaiming how happy she was to be in Nome. She was greeted by friends and family and Iditarod Champion Jessie Holmes - who then went right to work unbootying the team while Mille checked in with Nicolle. 

Riley Dyche rounds out the top ten coming in Saturday afternoon and is currently the most recent finish off the Iditarod trail. The Dark Horse Kennel's musher came under the burled arch declaring "that was a tough one." Riley took a year off from Iditarod as he made some big changes for his kennel, moving from Two Rivers to Big Lake where he worked on renovating the home and property to make it into the kennel set up he wanted. The musher is also now the one running the cart rides at the Iditarod HQ property in Wasilla - taking the reins from Raymie Redington. Riley said he had a strong core of yearlings in his 2023 race that he spent the last two seasons building around. He admitted that this year's race was a challenge and didn't go according to plan, though he also conceded he believed it didn't go to most people's plans, and said it proved to be mentally challenging. Through its challenges, though, Riley's team broke the top ten, which is an 8 place jump over his last Iditarod. If Riley isn't careful he may need to change the name of his kennel because he is quickly becoming anything but a dark horse.

There are still thirteen teams on the trail, with a battle for 11th place currently being run from Safety to Nome. Will it be Matt Failor who currently has a three mile lead, or will Nicolas Petit do what many expect him to do and continue to speed up and over take the 17th Dog. Petit is often able to claim the "fastest from Safety" prize, and currently shows as running over 2mph faster than Failor.

Our current Red Lantern made her way off the Sea Ice and into Koyuk earlier Saturday and is currently resting in the checkpoint. Jenny Roddewig has been able to successfully navigate much of the second half of Iditarod alone. She has 170 miles to go.

Look for the next teams to come into Nome around 7:45pm AKDT. 

Jessie Holmes on his way to White Mountain

Iditarod fans woke up to a surprise to see Jessie Holmes not already in White Mountain. With the lead the musher has over the next closest teams, Holmes chose to rest in Elim for three and a half hours before heading towards the mountains and the village of White Mountain. Holmes left the checkpoint several minutes before Matt Hall arrived.

Jessie Holmes has lead for most of the second half of the Iditarod, having what many consider to be the "magic ride". Even when things went apparently sideways for the musher, Jessie perservered and stayed with his plan and ran a seemingly flawless race. With about 80 miles left to go, it's still possible for Mother Nature to throw one or two more curveballs at Team Can't Stop, but for now it looks like Jessie is solidly taking home the title of Iditarod Champion.

Matt Hall is about twenty four miles behind the leader, and has also run an impressive race. Behind Hall, Paige Drobny is resting in Elim. Depending on when Paige and team leave the checkpoint, second place could be an exciting battle.

In the back of the pack current red lantern is now Jenny Roddewig mileage wise, she is the only team not in Kaltag. Calvin Daugherty had to take his mandatory rest in Kaltag and should be leaving in a few minutes with a well rested team. 

If Jessie makes it to White Mountain around 8:45am he will be able to leave by 4:45pm. It's a 77 mile jaunt to Nome from White Mountain and is normally run in 10-11 hours, so we could see a champion around 2am Friday morning. We'll know more once Holmes' team gets into the checkpoint.

Jessie Holmes first into Unalakleet

Tuesday evening the village of Unalakleet welcomed the first of many Iditarod to the coast of Western Alaska. Jessie Holmes and his team of eleven dogs loped into the checkpoint of Unalakleet just a little after 7pm. The musher was all fist pumps and smiles as his team expertly weaved through the crowd to get their check by the vets and the musher given his award and handshakes.

The first team to the coast is awarded gold nuggest and other swag from the village and the award sponsor. The musher and his team was surrounded by fans and villagers crowding in congratulating him as he accepted the award. The presenter will re-present the award at the finishers banquet in Nome on Sunday.

Jessie Holmes stayed in the checkpoint long enough to grab his supplies, accept the award, and pack another bale of straw before heading back out onto the trail. The musher remains running eleven dogs as he begins his final leg of Iditarod 53, bu has ditched his trailer behind his sled. It's all about efficency and light weight from here on out for these teams.

Jessie previously told Insider that he plans to camp on the trail and not stay in checkpoints for the rest of the race (except White Mountain, of course). Jessie and team will run over land, across the Blueberry Hills, and down onto a little spit of land into Shaktoolik. As always the wind will play a huge part in the next two days for the teams. Often teams who do not stop in Unalakleet will rest between the checkpoints and then begin their journey across the Norton Sound.

Behind Holmes are Matt Hall and Paige Drobny. Both mushers camped on the run from Kaltag and Hall is now about 8 miles from Unalakleet. Matt is within distance of catching Holmes - if Holmes makes a mistake or the wheels start to come off. Drobny, too, has a very good chance of catching both, but she is currently resting 10 miles away from Unalakleet. Both mushers are about to quickly run out of miles to catch and pass the leader, but it's doable.

In past year's we've seen what was believed to be a solid time falter on the crossing of the Norton Sound. Teams have gotten lost in the ground storms that most always pop up, the wind batters down the teams to where they stop while others continue, and some just full on run out of gas. We saw that with Holmes' team a smidge last year when he dropped back a few places trying to hold onto a lead he didn't really have (trying to keep Dallas behind him). It's just how this race goes.

Behind Hall and Drobny are the chase pack currently led by Mille Porsild. Michelle Phillips, Mitch Seavey, Nicolas Petit, and Bailey Vitello are also on the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet. The top six seems fairly secure in their placements, but the next two runs will no doubt play a huge factor.

At the back of the pack Quince Mountain is still running as the Red Lantern, resting currently in Grayling. Everyone else is either resting in Shageluk or on their way back through the loop. Several teams are on their mandatory 8 on the loop, others still jockeying for that "perfect" time to take it.

We are now solidly in race mode for the front pack. Still looking like Thursday for a champion finish (at the earliest).

Jessie Holmes first to Kaltag2

As predicted, Jessie Holmes was first into the final checkpoint of the Iditarod Loop. Holmes and his team of athletes ran up into the village of Kaltag around 9pm Monday. With his first into Kaltag, Jessie Holmes won the Fish First award which comes with a check for $2000 as well as 25 pounds of Bristol Bay salmon.

Jessie Holmes had full command of the loop over the last two days and has chosen to take his mandatory 8 in this final checkpoint of Kaltag 2. Iditarod Insider also reported that Jessie has elected to send one of his dogs home, leaving him with 12 dogs - which is more than enough dog power for the final leg of the race.

Behind Holmes is Matt Hall currently resting 33 miles from Kaltag. It would be a good assumption that the 2017 Yukon Quest champion plans to not stay long in Kaltag and hopefully leapfrog over the current leader. Hall chose to take his 8 several checkpoints back and is in the wildcard position of the top three to take the lead.

In third is Paige Drobny who rested earlier in the day on the trail and is now just 13 miles until she passes Hall. It's mused that Paige will also choose to not stay long in Kaltag and camp somewhere between Kaltag and Unalakleet.

From here on out the trail should be familiar for both veteran mushers and the fans. Most know that the run from Kaltag to Unalakleet is where the leaders are separated from the rest. Just last year, those that led for much of the second leg of the race were thwarted on their run to the coast. Some of those teams are now once again at the front of the race and staring at that same trail that derailed their run.

Further back in Eagle Island is Mitch Seavey currently taking his mandatory 8. The three time Iditarod Champion has run in fourth position for most of the day, choosing short rests on the trail long enough to feed the dogs and give them some time off the trail. Knowing that he planned to take his 8 at the next checkpoint the veteran musher is banking on the rest he's built up in the team to help them bounce back from this long run and be ready to challenge and overtake anyone who stalls on their way to Unalakleet and Shaktoolik.

Michelle Phillips has used Seavey's mandatory to be able to slingshot ahead of him and is now the race's fourth place team. Phillips has quietly been in the mix of the chase pack and could play spoiler much like Seavey should one of the top three's wheels start to fall off.

For the back of the pack Quince Mountain - current Red Lantern - made it to Eagle Island as the sunset over the Yukon. The team looked well rested but also thankful to be getting a good bit of rest. The musher broke up the run from Kaltag to Eagle Island into two runs and will most likely rest six hours before continuing on. The next furthest back of the pack musher is Dream a Dream Kennel's Sydnie Bahl who is running a very conservative race with the goal of finishing not placement according to mentor Cindy Abbott.

Jessie's official time in shows at 9:28pm meaning he can leave the checkpoint at 5:28am Tuesday.

Holmes still commands lead into Eagle Island

As the sun rose over the Yukon River Monday morning, Jessie Holmes and team were seen trotting into the Eagle Island return checkpoint. The musher quickly went to work replenishing his supplies from his drop bags, grabbing straw and heet, and heading out around 9am. There's no more guessing over where the leader will be taking his mandatory 8. As he originally planned, Jessie will stop and rest in Kaltag2, the final checkpoint available for mushers to take their mandatory. 

Holmes hasn't had the perfect run leading up to this decision. As snow continued to fall Sunday the trail became slow and punchy. Teams slowed 1-2 mph from the speeds they've averaged so far. On Jessie's return on the loop, the veteran musher took an extra rest on the trail between checkpoints allowing the chase pack of Matt Hall and Paige Drobny to catch up a bit. Both Hall and Drobny have taken their mandatory 8.

Holmes admitted to Insider in Eagle Island that he was now feeling "pushed" by those behind him. This may play a factor into how the third leg goes for Jessie. We've seen him in past races start racing other teams and allowing their decisions effect his, and that is something he will have to be aware of as he continues to lead this race.

The back of the pack are all making their way to Eagle Island with most of them into the checkpoint with only Sydnie Bahl and Quince Mountain still to get to the checkpoint. Mountain has roughly 50 miles to Eagle Island (by the GPS) and is solidly our red lantern. It was good to see him continue as he is several hours behind the back of the pack group of rookies.

Your *unofficial* top ten (using the GPS tracker) currently are:

Jessie Holmes
Matt Hall
Paige Drobny
Mitch Seavey
Mille Porsild
Michelle Phillips
Nicolas Petit
Travis Beals
Ryan Redington
Bailey Vitello

Of the top ten, Mitch and Nic still need to take their 8. Redington and Vitello are on their way to Grayling the rest are inbetween Grayling and Eagle Island (except of course Jessie).

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.

Holmes, Drobny, and Hall on their way to Grayling

We are about to hit the unofficial halfway point of Iditarod 53. The lead pack have fully entered the "loop" part of this year's trail and are closing in on the checkpoint of Grayling. Holmes and Drobny played leapfrog several times throughout Saturday but are now firmly planted in first and second respectively. 

Paige Drobny had a strong run Friday night into Saturday morning and chose to rest for over five hours in Eagle Island before leaving Saturday afternoon for Grayling. Holmes, who was first into Eagle Island, chose to spend just minutes in the checkpoint gathering supplies before heading back out on the trail. The musher drove his team for another two and a half hours or so before camping on the trail for most of Saturday afternoon, pulling the snowhook around a similar time as Drobny left Eagle Island.

Matt Hall is in a lone chase pack of sorts as he sat in Eagle Island for another hour and change before following Paige out of the checkpoint. Currently Holmes is 16 miles to Grayling and holding a 9 mile (or one hour-ish) lead over Drobny who has a thirteen mile lead over Hall (one and a half ish hours). Michelle Phillips just left Eagle Island and is about 11 miles behind Hall.

The next chase pack is currently led by Ryan Redington, who rounded out the top five into Eagle Island Saturday. Mitch Seavey and Mille Porsild came in nearly together with the elder musher coming in just ahead of one of Iditarod's leading ladies. More recently Travis Beals, Nicolas Petit, and Riley Dyche rounded out Eagle Island's top ten. More teams are on their way so the volunteers of Iditarod's most remote checkpoint are about to get very busy (but I hear beef stroganoff is on tonight's menu).

The trail report coming from those who made it to Eagle Island were harrowing. Sean Underwood of Iditarod Insider reported that Ryan Redington said that this was the hardest Iditarod he's ever run. Bruce Lee of Iditarod Insider reported that Paige Drobny told him Saturday morning that the run from Kaltag to Eagle Island was in the top ten worst trails she's ever run. 

Trail reports are that of overflow as well as a trail that has set up extremely hard where the trailbreakers went through. That's normally a good thing, but the trail breakers drove over the overflow when it was... well... overflow. That trail has now hardened and there are post holes and ski ruts that are essentially throwing sleds all over the place. Mushers told war stories to each other of being thrown all over the trail, dumping sleds, and coming up battered and bruised.

The back of the pack are making their way to Nulato having taken their 24s. Red Lantern Quince Mountain passed many of them in the wee hours of Saturday and found himself in Nulato around 2:20pm, Mountain has taken many long rests whenever he stops so it's anyone's guess if he's planning to push further into the race before 24ing or if Nulato will be home for him until Sunday afternoon. Mileage wise Mountain is no longer the Red Lantern (for the next hour or so anyway), however he is the last of the back of the pack to take his 24 so hours wise he's still mathmatically the Red Lantern.

No more scratches have been reported after the wave of them yesterday, however KTUU reported the preliminary necropsy results gave no answer as to why Dan Kleins dog Ventana passed away. They did report that the initial exam post mortem revealed the dog was pregnant but there was no information as to how far along into the pregnancy the dog was or if it was known that she was pregnant. A full necropsy takes time, last year final results were not given for the three expired dogs until fall.

Reminder: Most of the US SPRINGS FORWARD an hour Sunday morning, so keep that in mind when you see in and out times and calculate rests. Alaska participates in Daylight Saving Time.

Paige Drobny takes the lead in Iditarod

Paige Drobny came off of her 24 hour rest and took charge of the trail Friday morning, leaving Galena around 6:55am. Drobny stayed just 9 minutes in the checkpoint of Kaltag 1, long enough to grab supplies and straw before continuing down the trail.

Drobny is the first of the front runners to leave Kaltag, with Jessie Holmes still on his 24 and not set to leave until very early Saturday morning. Matt Hall is also off of his 24 in Galena and should be pulling into Kaltag soon. Nicolas Petit is also on his 24 in Kaltag and is a wildcard for the race, he should leave roughly eight hours after Holmes.

Rookie of the Year front runner Emily Ford is currently sitting in Kaltag having had a fantastic run to the checkpoint Friday. The musher told insider she plans to 24 here. Sam LaLonde, currently the second highest ranked rookie in this year's Iditarod is currently 24ing in Nulato.

Michelle Phillips and Ryan Redington have come off their 24 in Nulato and are on their way to Kaltag, while Seavey and Beals remain on their 24 in the checkpoint. 

The next leg of the race is the loop where mushers will run their team from Kaltag to Eagle Island to Grayling to Shageluk then to Anvik before returning to Grayling then Eagle Island and finally Kaltag. This is what we may call the second leg of the race as this is where teams must take their 8 hour mandatory rest. Expect teams who 24ed in Galena to rest sooner on "the loop" than those who are coming off their 24 in Nulato and Kaltag (though someone will no doubt not follow that "rule" and do something completely off the norm).

The back of the pack looks very different tonight with the number of scratches that happened today. Quince Mountain is firmly the Red Lantern at the moment, but the musher seems to have struggled a bit Friday and is falling off the pace he held earlier in the race. With fewer teams on a similar schedule still in the race, it will make it harder for Quince to keep up with the teams in front of him. While it's uncertain just how a team is considered "non competitive" and pulled from the race, it does typically happen if a musher falls too far behind and the race cannot keep personnel and checkpoints open indefnitely. We may not yet be at that point, but it is giving fans cause for concern for one of the favorite rookies in this year's race.

On just a general note, as fans are getting excited about a woman leading the Iditarod, it will be 40 years later this month that Libby Riddles was the first woman ever to win the Iditarod. The last woman to win was Susan Butcher in 1990. It's been 35 years since the age old saying of "Alaska: Where men are men and women win the Iditarod" rang true. No real reason to bring that up, just throwing it out there.

Hopefully fans enjoyed their "day off" as most teams took their 24. They will continue to do so for most of the Alaska night (except for the ones listed above, well, most of them) so fans should really take this as the final opportunity to get any real sleep. The race is on come Saturday.

Drobny, Hall declare their 24 - Holmes first out of Galena

Another busy night on the Iditarod trail as the front runners of Iditarod 53 made their way to the checkpoint of Galena. Paige Drobny was first in around 6:40am Thursday, followed by Matt Hall about two and a half hours later. Both teams declared their 24 with fans and analysts alike hedging bets on if one or both decided to cut and run after a few hours.

About 20-30mins later Jessie Holmes and Michelle Phillips made their way into Galena with Jessie Holmes deciding to grab some gear and straw and head down the trail. With the straw bale firmly secure to the back of his sled suggesting the musher will camp somewhere on the run from Ruby to Nulato. According to Insider Bruce Lee, Jessie Holmes has hinted that he plans to take his 24 in Kaltag.

It should be noted that unlike a normal Iditarod year, this year's race will not see the first Mandatory 8 taken until Kaltag as the 8 hours must be taken on the Kaltag loop. Right now teams are jockeying for placement for making it to where they hope to take their 24s.

After yesterday's news that Jeff Deeter was contemplating scratching, the musher did take his 24 hour mandatory rest to reassess. In an interview with Insider the musher said that in talking with Dallas Seavey who was visiting the checkpoint Seavey asked him why was [Jeff] out there running Iditarod, Jeff answered "to be challenged" - well, Seavey said, here's your challenge. What are you going to do with it? Deeter left Tanana around 5am Thursday and is currently on his way to Ruby.

The back of the pack currently has Charmayne Morrison resting in Tanana, Quince Mountain is resting on the trail as the next to last team. Morrison may be on her 24 or we may be seeing another team in "trouble" and contemplating scratching. Mountain had planned to take the first couple of days a little slower to get the team into rhythm, however with the trail conditions of sugar snow - the further back the teams are, the worse the trail conditions are... which means even slower going and more potential for sore muscles and joints for the teams.

We're getting to the heat of the day in Alaska so look for teams to start shutting down for their 4-5 hour rests while it's warm to give the dogs a chance to cool down and stretch out.

Paige Drobny and The Squids are first to Ruby

Wednesday night Paige Drobny and her team of 15 dogs were welcomed as the first team into Ruby. Bells rang, a lively crowd of villagers and volunteers cheered them in. The chase pack led by Jessie Holmes are about an hour and a half behind Drobny.

Currently it looks as if Drobny is bedding her team down for a rest, no word yet on what her plans are from here. 

Iditarod 53 top ten (and change)

It's safe to say we are fully into a new chapter of Iditarod. The torch was fully passed several years ago and a new wave of mushers have fully cemented themselves in the top class. Perhaps it's because we're down to smaller rosters than in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and teens. Perhaps it is because the "legends" have mostly moved on allowing the next generation to create their own legends. Whatever the case, more and more the "up and comers" from just a few years ago are the "favorites to win". It's a bittersweet love to see it. That being said, there are a lot of familiar faces on this year's top ten (and change) list.

We have two Iditarod Champions coming back for another go. One won just two years ago, the other last won in 2017 and has been away from the race since 2022. One is considered to be in the "prime age range" for an Iditarod musher, the other currently holds the title of oldest champ AND is the oldest musher in this year's field. Both have ties to the Iditarod's beginnings. Legacy mushers if you will, but ones who have created legacy in their own right.

While one might think they have the advantage (and in many ways they do) with this year's last minute reroute announcement on a trail that is showing currently as being over 1100 miles long it's given everyone a little more equal footing. The drop bags had been planned for the Southern Route, not 600+ miles of river running where miles between checkpoints can sometimes be further. The race says it will do its best to match drop bags with the new checkpoints, but it's still a guessing game as to strategy. Guessing who will adapt quickest is the name of the game.

So let's take a look/guess at who just might crack the 2025 top ten (without hopefully jinxing them). We will go alphabetically just to seem organized.

Jeff Deeter - Coming off of his Yukon Quest Alaska 550 win (his first race win ever), Deeter looks poised to contend for the champion title in this year's race. Jeff's steadily climbed the ranks since 2018 (his rookie year was 2008 but he took time off to build a home and kennel). Jeff's entire season has been focused on building a winning team for Iditarod this March. He came fourth last year in a very tight battle at the finish, choosing to hold back and make his move on the coast. It paid off. Deeter is serious about his chances this year.  

Jessie Holmes - The 2024 third place finisher in Iditarod is looking to build off of last year's near win with taking it all the way. Holmes championed the mushers' case to change the route after reports had many worried that the traditional route was not a good option. Jessie says the team he has this year is the team he's been building for. He's trained with this team all year off grid in the interior, choosing to focus on Iditarod this year and not many mid-distance races and the one he did enter (Copper Basin) he won! Holmes runs atop mountains (and films it) but won't have too many chances to test out those skills this year on the trail.

Matt Failor - While Matt has just a single top ten finish in his career history, he does know how to race on rivers. The 2019 Kuskokwim Champion just might be one of the teams that does very well on the new route. Failor is known for his care for his dogs as well as his sportsmanship on the trail (remember he's the one who got to gut a couple moose out on the trail a few years ago - and did it properly with very little experience). Consider Matt a wildcard in the race.

Matt Hall - Hall. Is. Serious. Coming second to Dallas Seavey last year may have lit a raging fire under the 2017 Yukon Quest (back when it was still 1000 miles, remember) champion. Matt decided to solely focus on the Iditarod this year. He started cross training doing marathons/cross country type running. He's been following an athlete diet. He's not gone out on any races (his wife did take their team out on the Copper Basin). He has said multiple times in interviews that he's going for one thing in this year's race. Matt Hall is focused, don't count him out.

Michelle Phillips - Michelle just won the Yukon Quest in Canada, which wasn't a total surprise, she kinda owns that race these days. Michelle's last Iditarod was in 2022. She got caught in the windstorm that thwarted many teams finishes, but managed to make it through to the finish and came 17th. There was a bit of a squabble over how she handled the storm with her team (may have bent or even broken a rule or two) but ultimately the race sided with her (after she appealed). She took time off from Iditarod, but has come back this year with a strong looking team. 

Mille Porsild - You'd be hardpressed to find a tougher woman in this field than Mille Porsild. Last Iditarod the woman ran most of the race during a bout of pancreatitis! Her race could have completely derailed -and nearly did in McGrath when she was forced to take her 24 to try and regain health before being allowed to continue. She placed an impressive 7th place under the circumstances. Mille just finished up the Yukon Quest in Canada coming in 4th place in a very competitive 450 mile race. This will be Porsild's sixth Iditarod, her lowest placement was 15th her rookie year, she's only finished out of the top 10 twice.

Mitch Seavey - The three-time Iditarod Champion is back on the runners after taking some time away. In that time he watched his son Dallas win an historic sixth Iditarod (just last year) with some of the dogs from Mitch's kennel. But we aren't talking about Dallas, we're talking about Da Man Seavey. He's the record holder for oldest Champion as well as fastest finish time (2017). A man of few words, Mitch's bio on the Iditarod website simply reads that he is running the Iditarod "because it is hard." A few years back Mitch said he would only run the Iditarod until he felt he was no longer competitive. Expect him to race for a top placement.

Paige Drobny - Paige and her team of disco dogs (IYKYK) also known as The Squids surprised everyone, including maybe even the musher, as they came from behind and picked off many of the top teams. Paige had planned to run a relaxed and fun race with her team of younger dogs. It was about experience and not just pushing for a top placement. But as the race ran on Paige realized her team was ready for more. She placed fifth place right behind Jeff Deeter. Paige was a last minute entry for this year's Iditarod and it was after she and husband Cody realized just how special a team they had. Cody took the team to the Kusko (his first time there) and came third just 32 minutes after the winner. They just might be right about this team's speacialness.

Riley Dyche - Full disclosure, it was pointed out that the race preview for the Kusko was not fair to Riley. And Riley proved that right when he nearly ran away with the race in Bethel. Riley ended up just minutes behind Pete Kaiser and was incredibly candid about the "mistake" that cost him the win. Riley is very much a dark horse just because he has chosen to stay off social media, so unless one is within the inner circles of mushing it is quite easy to count him out. Let's not make that mistake again. He took last year off to work on his home and kennel and took this season to solidify his seat at the table.

Ryan Redington - The 2023 Iditarod champion had something to prove (in his mind) when he won. The grandson of Joe Redington Sr. - the Father and Founder of the Iditarod - was well aware that a Redington had yet to win Joe's race. Ryan had really hoped the 50th running of the Iditarod would be THE year, but it was the 51st running that he took home the title. Ryan has taken it a little easy this year choosing to allow handlers to have a little more fun while he sat back with some of his younger dogs. Now it's Ryan's turn to take the top dogs of his kennel out on the trail. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to start of fast as he typically does, or if he holds back considering the extra 150ish miles this year's route has added to the trail.

Travis Beals - In 2024 the new dad was in a place he'd never been previously: leading the Iditarod. While Travis had a solid race plan, he started to improvise to protect his lead, and it was just a little too soon for the sort of move he tried. In trying to keep space between him and the chase pack, he neared burn out. The musher realized the mistake and course corrected for preserving his team and not trying to push through it (top it off he injured his eye which he dealt with for the final third of the race). He finished 6th and mentioned in post interviews it was a huge learning curve. Travis is a good study of Iditarod strategy and no doubt will take the lessons of 2024 into 2025. 

You'll note the top 10 is really a top 11. Right now the Iditarod feels a lot like the 70s and early 80s of the race where the race was top heavy with excellent teams all poised to take the top spot. It comes down to skill, planning, as well as the breeding and training programs of the dogs. There are other teams that are wildcards and could play spoilers to get into the top 10 and mix things up. Perrenial fan favorite Nicolas Petit chose to spend the winter training in Eureka, running only the Kusko saying he needed to try something different to prepare for Iditarod. Rookie Jenny Roddewig is a second-generation musher who spent most of her life dreaming of Iditarod, she's a seasoned competitor with several wins in mid-distance races under her belt (blogger note: when she signed up on opening day there were a LOT of people, mushers and officials, excited to see her there) she's looking like she'll be in the running for Rookie of the Year. Many will be looking at Jason Mackey or Brenda Mackey to be the next great musher out of the legendary Mackey family - Brenda of course is focused on finishing what she started in 2021 and getting her belt buckle, Jason is hoping to find that magic carpet ride his father and older brothers experienced. 

There's an argument to be made for just about every team on the roster this year to make the top ten.

With so much river running it will be up to the mushers to keep their teams focused. A lot of similar scenery is tough on all living being's psyche, and if there's wind, they'll feel like it's a wind tunnel (dogs hate the wind in their face, so this blogger's been told). It's been suggested that teams that carry dogs (Seavey and Beals will be the teams most likely planning this strategy, not confirmed) the resting dogs while on the trail in the sled bag was a strategy Jeff King initially tried, and Dallas Seavey perfected it (Mitch learned some of those tricks, too). It's a controversial strategy as some mushers feel that it's not in the spirit of the race which is to run with your team not rest half of it while the others pull. Still, it's not against the rules and it's a musher's choice whether or not to use the strategy to their advantage.

With just eight days until the Ceremonial Start, fans have a lot of time to think and rethink their Fantasy Teams, and hopefully this top ten and change can help the choices being made... or maybe it'll just further confuse things. It's that most wonderful time of the year!

Who do you think will be in the top ten? Thoughts on who was overlooked? Is anyone overhyped? Comment with your thoughts below!

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It's too quiet

Kaltag got busy this afternoon as first Travis Beals and then Jessie Holmes were followed by Paige Drobny, Matt Hall, Ryan Redington, and Dallas Seavey into the checkpoint. Only Beals chose to cut and run after a quick stop to grab supplies. Beals went 13 miles up the trail and camped. 

That was this afternoon, the sun has now set and no one is moving. It seems the front runners are all still trying to preserve as much energy as possible from their teams. Dallas Seavey who was two hours behind his schedule due to a penalty given at his 24hour mandatory seemed just a day ago to not be in the running to challenge Beals, and now he's acting as though he might be the first of the chase pack to leave Kaltag. 

In the back of the race the final two teams are running into Ruby and then everyone but Beals will be on the Yukon. Beals, of course, left the river and is now on his way to Unalakleet (or will be once he stops camping).

This race is far from being determined. All of the teams resting in Kaltag (and the one camping) look phenomenal. This may be one of those races that isn't declared until the teams run up Front Street in Nome. 

First three -no, FOUR- are into Nulato

It was a long night on the Yukon for the top teams as they traveled down the wind tunnel known as the Yukon River. By 10pm the air temp was already -10 (according to Dallas Seavey's sled thermometer) and getting colder. Teams were running into Galena to meet up with Travis Beals who has a strong handle on the lead. Beals chose to take his mandatory 8 in Galena and pulled the hook at 11:24pm and found himself pulling into Nulato at 5:49pm giving him a run time of 6 hours and 25 minutes.

Dallas Seavey left Galena after a 3.5 hour rest in the checkpoint following forty minutes behind Beals. Dallas had a six minute faster run. According to commentary on the Insider it is believed Dallas will take his 8 in Nulato. Of the top 10 teams, Seavey is the only one who has yet to take his 8. This should not be surprising considering his over 27 hour break in Cripple. The team has been power charged this whole race and the longer than normal rest did not seem to slow them down (which can sometimes happen if a team isn't managed correctly).

Jessie Holmes came into Nulato at 8:15am and he ran it 10 minutes faster than Seavey. Holmes has the smallest team of the three as he is down to 11 dogs (not something to worry about), Beals has 12, and Seavey is still at 15. Holmes team looked fast and loose coming into Nulato. Holmes has taken his 8 so this shouldn't be a very long break for him.

Nulato will continue to see mushers come in Saturday morning and afternoon, and it will no doubt unnerve Seavey that he is "stuck" there as Beals and presumably Holmes take off well before he can. Beals has never had to "protect his lead" in the Iditarod, it's all new territory for Travis and he, too, will have to survive the mental gymnastics that entails.

Paige Drobny is picking off teams one by one as she goes further down the trail. She is now fourth into Nulato with a blistering pace of five hours and forty-five minutes. The Squids are definitely going to play a huge factor in how Beals and Holmes race the Coast.

At -30 on the river this morning, there's only one more checkpoint on the river before they cross over to the coast. Early Sunday should be when we see the first team hit the coast. (And, yes, folks we're to the point where you should probably order those Peace on Earth pizzas in Unalakleet for your favorite teams, and maybe some for the volunteers on the trail). 

There's no clear shake down yet, which seems a little strange. There is a huge field of contenders late in the race and it may not be until Shaktoolik that we get a better picture of how this all ends. 

In the back of the pack there was quite teh shake up last night as Calvin Daugherty turned around and went back to Cripple about two hours into his run to Ruby. According to chat fans KattiJo reported over night that Calvin had forgotten his mittens and chose to go back to get them. He is now about seven hours behind schedule and third from last place. Robbins and Mumford continue to go back and forth in the Red Lantern position.

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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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!