DAY #2 SUNDAY March 8, 2026 WILLOW - YENTNA

 DAY #2 Sunday March 8, 2026 WILLOW - YENTNAWILLOW START

Norwegian KJELL ROKKE and Canadian entrepreneur STEVE CURTIS will join THOMAS WAERNER, who won the IDITAROD in 2020, in the IDITAROD'S first-ever EXPEDITION CLASS. That will allow them to receive outside assistance, which is against the rules for other mushers (It's controversial). ROKKE is a billionaire and has contributed more than $300K to the race to lower entry fees, boost the race purse and to support villages along the trail.  The IDITAROD says a significant donation from ROKKE will help deliver preventative pediatric care to children in rural Alaska thru a series of dental clinics and deliveries of oral hygiene supplies. 

STEVE CURTIS is a cancer survivor who has climbed Mt. Everest and also contributed a significant amount of money to the IDITAROD. 

Mushers in the  EXPEDITION CLASS will be supported by veteran mushers on snowmobiles, JEFF KING, 4 X Champ, will be one of them. The mushers in this class are allowed to travel the trail and cross the finish line in NOME but are not included in the official standings and not eligible for prize winnings. They have to adhere to good dog care standards and not interfere with the race participants.

Paige Drobny #10 was the one in the squid outfit at the Ceremonial start. A favorite. She is recovering from cancer. 

A good drone shot at the start in WILLOW.                  

                                                              JASON MACKEY#22 from the famous MACKEY family. His Dad LANCE MACKEY was 4X IDITAROD winner and LANCES' Dad  DICK MACKEY (befriended my husband) was one of the 4 who initiated the IDITAROD in 1973.                                                                     

The mushers are doing a 42 mile journey from WILLOW to YENTNA. At 11PM EST the first of the mushers are arriving in YENTNA. Most will check in and continue on as they have just started. They will then travel on to SKWENTNA a 30 mile trip. 

TILL TOMORROW

PAGE #2 of CEREMONIAL START TO THE IDITAROD 2026 (Cont'd)

 PAGE #2 CEREMONIAL START TO THE IDITAROD 2026 (Cont'd)

The blurred photo above of
MARY SHIELDS' sled driven by EMILY ROBINSON, shows the IDITARIDER (person in the sled). These people paid, in a bid, to be a rider in the START.

These photo's are a bit blurred as it is snowing so hard!!! Above a few of the Alaska Beauties!!BELOW:PAIGE DROBNY, with her IDITARIDER, dressed as a SQUID!!! Her team dressed as well. Don't know why but it made everyone smile!! TILL TOMORROW IN WILLOW!!!👀

CEREMONIAL START OF IDITAROD 2026 Sat. March 7th

 Ceremonial Start of Iditarod 2026 Sat. March 7th:

SNOW SNOW and more SNOW in ANCHORAGE. It's what an Iditarod Start should look like!!

There are 37 Mushers. Low number due to the high cost of keeping a kennel. There have been up to 80 mushers and as few as 40. Last year only 22 finished in NOME. This year there are:

37 mushers, 23 Veterans, 14 rookies                                                                                                                 4 past champs-JESSIE HOLMES (winner last year), RYAN REDINGTON, PETE KAISER and      THOMAS WAERNER.

They are doing the NORTHERN ROUTE from WILLOW to NOME--1,000 miles.

IDITAROD is the "Super Bowl" of dog mushing Alaska's state sport.                                                                  Today in ANCHORAGE it is 19 degrees and SNOWING!!                                                                                 Alaska is 4 hours behind New York.

The event begins with the honorary musher, MARY SHIELDS ,who was the first woman to finish the IDITAROD in 1974. She died in 2025. Her sled will be driven by 4 X JR. IDITAROD CHAMP EMILY ROBINSON, who recently won the 2026 JR. IDITAROD. 

Below a drone view of 4th Ave in ANCHORAGE. Look carefully to see the START banner for the IDITAROD this year. 

Each of the teams will start 3 minutes apart and mush 11 miles thru the city. You can see many people "tailgating" on the trail cheering on the mushers. 

CONT'D MARCH 17th DAY#16

 CONT'D MARCH 17th DAY #16 💚

Want to inform you of the latest from the trail: JENNY RODDEWIG, a rookie, had to scratch in WHITE MOUNTAIN with 10 dogs in harness. She was the last musher and was to be the RED LANTERN . I don't know any details but I'm sure she put her dogs first and did not want to push them any further.   We are all sad but she did her very best and we are all proud of her and hope to see her next year.                           

The next to last musher to finish was EBBE PEDERSEN, from NORWAY, a rookie. He said he wasn't in a hurry just wanted to finish and he wanted for himself and his dogs to have a rewarding experience. He said that they did!!!! He seemed very joyful!! Now he is RED LANTERN finisher for 2025.
As I have said, I do believe this is a very important award. This shows determination and spirit to keep going on even though everyone else is in front of you.

One of my favorite mushers is MILLE PORSILD, from DENMARK. She has spirit, loves her dogs, shows determination and was in the top 10 finishers. Her talk, at the banquet, spoke about how much in awe of her dogs intelligence and strength she is. THEY were the leaders she said, "I just drove the sled"!!!

ABOVE: JESSIE HOLMES WINNER OF THE 53rd RUNNING OF THE IDITAROD  WITH THE BEAUTIFULLY CARVED TROPHY-THE SYMBOL OF THE IDITAROD                                              MARCH 2025

My sincere thanks to anyone that followed my blog. I do hope you enjoyed it and appreciated how powerful these men, woman and dogs are. Please join me again next year - MARCH '26

MARCH 17, 2025 DAY #16 IDITAROD --NOME--- HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

💚💚💚💚MARCH 17th DAY#16  ---NOME----             ST PATRICKS DAY

The Banquet was great last night. Wish all of you could have been there (me too)!! All of the mushers were introduced and they ALL gave a bit of a talk. I found all of them to be very inspirational and certainly from the heart. These are good people!!! They are determined, love their dogs and never give up!!    These are the "entertainers" that were at the Ceremonial Start and were at the Banquet. CLASSIC!~! They asked everyone to come up and dance with them. First one up///JESSIE HOLMES!!    and then most of the people in the hall danced as well!!

I have a new respect for JESSIE HOMES (below) so many mushers mentioned how much he helped them. He seems very humble and so sincere. His talk was heartwarming also talked about how much he appreciates all the support he has been given, and how wonderful his dogs are and what they have given to him. He has raced this race for many years and this year he
certainly deserved to be THE WINNER!! Seems everyone agreed!!!

Then there is NIC PETIT. Looks like a character and IS!! He has been running this race, also for many years, and always comes close to winning. His time will come. He is a kind gentleman and helps so many along the way. He really is a special guy. 

                                               

MARCH 16, 2025 DAY # 15 IDITAROD. ELIM - WHITE MOUNTAIN - SAFETY - NOME

 MARCH 16th DAY #15.  ELIM - WHITE MOUNTAIN - SAFETY - NOME 

                          SAMANTHA LALONDE - ROOKIE OF THE YEAR!! Well deserved. 

Below: MATT FAILOR with wife LIZ, their son and gender reveal box with BLUE booties in it 

ANNA BERINGTON #12 with her twin sister, in NOME

I believe everyone is in NOME ,except JENNY RODDEWIG ,who is at the end of the pack and is in WHITE MOUNTAIN taking her 8 hr rest then it 9-10 hours to NOME. Sorry she is missing the banquet. As she is last, she will be the RED LANTERN and they will have a special ceremony for her when she arrives. I think the RED LANTERN is a very honorable award. It shows, determination, attitude, fervor and willing to never give up even when all IDITAROD teams are far ahead of you.     Thats TENACITY😆.    

The MUSHERS BANQUET has just begun where they will introduce all the mushers including the winner JESSIE HOLMES with his lead dogs. They will have a scrumptious dinner and hand out all the awards we witnessed along the trail. (most of them were for JESSIE HOLMES). I'll let you know if anything exciting happens!!

CONT'D MARCH 15th DAY #14. PICTURES AND STANDINGS

 CONT'D MARCH 15th DAY #14. PICTURES AND STANDINGS 

Many bikers arrived in NOME today.Two here pictured and one is a GIRL (first girl to participate). They rode 1,000 miles. Hard to believe. No skiers yet.

           2nd place Matt Hall, 3rd PAIGE DROBNY, 4th MICHELLE PHILLIPS, 5th BAILEY VITELLO

                          These ladies were there for PAIGE DROBNY. Classy and colorful!!

After 5th place then next into NOME: TRAVIS BEALS, MITCH SEAVEY, RYAN REDINGTON,MILLE PORSILD and RILEY DYCHE. That makes up the TOP 10!!!! 

Below: MATT FAILOR, 11th place. His wife LIZ, commentator last year , met MATT in NOME and had a gender reveal at the finish line. BLUE - a BOY. They have one other boy so a house full of males!!!!MATT said the Yukon River was the challenge, one drawback was the -20 degrees in the area between UNALAKLEET and SHAKTOOLIK. He had been traveling with NIC PETIT. NIC was running behind MATT but waited till MATT had his time in the limelight before he ran under the arch in 12th place. Such a gentleman!! Waiting for 11 more teams. Hope they will be in for tomorrows Banquet!!                                   

                                                                      TILL THEN