2025 Iditarod Race

[Alaskajohn]

The 2025 Iditarod is underway. Jessie Holmes is currently in the lead. A lack of snow in the Mat-Su valley caused the start of the race to be moved from the Mat-Su area up to Fairbanks. This is always an exciting time in Alaska.

Current standings:

This year’s route:

Race tracker:

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

 

[Cabin Fever]

We're cheering for Emily Ford from Minnesota.

 

[Alaskajohn]

We're cheering for Emily Ford from Minnesota.

She is currently running 6th and is the top rookie in the race. Pretty solid!

Jessie Holmes is 1, Nicolas Petit is in 2, Michelle Phillips at 3, and the always competitive Mitch Seavey at 4.

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

 

[elkhound]

pulling for Jessie Holmes for sure !

 

[Alaskajohn]

pulling for Jessie Holmes for sure !

There is a nice interview with Jessie at one of the stops along the race in the below.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/03/01/2025-iditarod-race-live-blog/

He is still the front runner and is the first out of the Kaltag leg of the race. This is part of the race that heads south on a loop the takes them back up to Kaltag before heading west again towards Nome. The map at the top shows this.

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

 

[TexasCharm]

Definitely not a race I would do, but I love seeing animals used for what they are bred for and love to do. The partnership between human and dogs is amazing. Thanks for sharing this!

 

[Caribou]

Definitely not a race I would do, but I love seeing animals used for what they are bred for and love to do. The partnership between human and dogs is amazing. Thanks for sharing this!

I went to Nome for the finish once, never saw so many happy dogs!

 

[TexasCharm]

Yep, for the most part, the happiest dogs are those doing what they were designed to do. And nothing more destructive than a high drive dog with nothing to do. They need a job!

 

[Magpie]

You've inspired me to reread the few books I have on different mushers.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Yep, for the most part, the happiest dogs are those doing what they were designed to do. And nothing more destructive than a high drive dog with nothing to do. They need a job!

That's the same for any animal that's been breed for work. My draft horses loved to work in the woods pulling logs. The also enjoyed pulling a stone boat and bobsled. Work animals get in to mischief when they're bored.

 

[Alaskajohn]

Some race updates. This might be Jessie’s year. Still a lot of race left. @Cabin Fever, Emily is still the leader of the rookie mushers.

Current standings:

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

https://iditarod.com/2025/03/09/jessie-holmes-wins-aat-spirit-of-iditarod-award/

https://iditarod.com/2025/03/08/jessie-holmes-wins-gci-dorothy-g-page-halfway-award/

 

[Alaskajohn]

The leaders are just past the half point of the race. As of about an hour ago, Jessie Holmes has about a 9 hour lead. Still anyone’s race for the front pack.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/03/01/2025-iditarod-race-live-blog/

 

[Alaskajohn]

It's now officially a tight race, with Jessie Holmes just 10 miles in the lead. The article is two hours dated from when I am positing this, but Jessie has just made Unalakleet 10 minutes ago. See map above. It's the first village that borders the Bering Sea.

From the linked article:

While Holmes has a slight advantage, it is currently a tight three-way race. Hot in runner tracks are Paige Drobny, Holmes’ neighbor out on the Denali Highway, and Matt Hall of Two Rivers.

https://www.adn.com/outdoors-advent...shers-in-a-tight-three-way-race-to-the-coast/

Standings:

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

 

[Jen]

The 2025 Iditarod is underway. Jessie Holmes is currently in the lead. A lack of snow in the Mat-Su valley caused the start of the race to be moved from the Mat-Su area up to Fairbanks. This is always an exciting time in Alaska.

Current standings:

View attachment 174920

This year’s route:


View attachment 174921


Race tracker:

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

I followed the Iditarod for many years, but all of my favorites are now old and have retired. I am sort of watching. I knew the start had to be moved to Fairbanks. While we were there several times it had to be moved to Willow or some place out from Anchorage.

My oldie favorites were DeeDee Jonrow and Martin Buser. There were others I liked but those were my favorite. When I was teaching school in Chugiak,AK, a musher came to our school and brought a couple of dogs and told the kids about the race. I probably loved that more than the kids did.

 

[Caribou]

Anchorage has always been the ceremonial start of the race. Out near Willow is the official start, normally.

 

[Jen]

Anchorage has always been the ceremonial start of the race. Out near Willow is the official start, normally.

Yah. Now I remember how that worked. Thanks .

 

[Cabin Fever]

Emily Ford from Minnesota is still the lead rookie!

 

[Alaskajohn]

Just 11 minutes separated Holmes and Hall as the left Shaktoolik about 2 hours ago. Both are now on the Bering Sea ice as they cross to Koyuk. Paige Drobny looks to be one hour behind these two and is still in the hunt. The next racer is about 5 hours behind Drobny.

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

 

[Alaskajohn]

In an interesting move, Jessie Holmes rested his crew in Koyuk for 5 hours, where Matt Hall was in Koyuk for only 7 minutes.

Both left Koyuk about an hour ago with Hall leaving first. GPS showing Hall is moving at 4.8 MPH and Jessie is moving at 8.4 MPH. At this pace Holmes should overtake Hall unless Hall presses his team.

Page Drobny arrived in Koyuk about the time Hall and Holmes were leaving. Depending on how long she stays, she will be at least an hour back. More if she rests her team.

Good weather forecasted for the rest of the race.

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/03/01/2025-iditarod-race-live-blog/

 

[Alaskajohn]

Holmes has a 2 hour lead out of Elim. He was able to rest his team in Elim for 4 hours. Hall rested his team for about 2. Paige Drobny is at Elim and if she leaves soon she is still very much in the hunt. Between the last two checkpoints, Holmes rested his team for a total of 9 hours to Halls 2 hours.

A couple years ago Holmes was in the lead about at this same point and his team hit a wall causing him to have to stop to rest his team mid-checkpoint letting several teams pass him up. Holmes has been running his team at about 8 mph between checkpoints and Hall is running about 4 mph. A bit of tortoise and hare strategy at play?

About 125 miles to go with 1,000 miles behind them.

https://iditarod.com/race/2025/standings/

There is an 8 hour mandatory rest at the next stop, White Mountain. Not being able to game the time spent at White Mountain, the strategy definitely is to reach White Mountain. The winner will likely reach Nome late tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

[Sourdough]

BREAKING:

March 13 – 5:20 p.m. - Holmes leave White Mountain; Hall, Drobny remain at checkpoint​

The first three to White Mountain have started – or, now, completed – their mandatory 8-hour rests at the checkpoint, leaving just one checkpoint between their teams and the Burled Arch.

Jessie Holmes officially checked out of White Mountain at around 4:55 p.m.

Matt Hall is expected to leave around 8 p.m., while Paige Drobny rolled into the checkpoint a bit before 3 p.m.

 

[Sourdough]

Is Nome in the same time zone as Anchorage...??

 

[elkhound]

Is Nome in the same time zone as Anchorage...??

i looked it up.....yes..

anchorage

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/anchorage

nome

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/nome

 

[Sourdough]

March 13 - 11:55 p.m. - Holmes in homestretch​

Race leader Jessie Holmes is only 22 miles from claiming his first Iditarod victory.

Holmes reached the final checkpoint of Safety at 11:45 p.m. Thursday with 10 dogs in harness after a nearly seven-hour run from White Mountain.

Behind him is Matt Hall, who left White Mountain three hours after Holmes, a sizeable gap to try to make up.

Now CURRENTLY: 1:30 AM any minute now Jessie Holmes will cross the finish line.

 

[elkhound]

HE DID IT !!

a transplant from the south yall !!

Jessie Holmes seizes his first Iditarod victory​

https://www.adn.com/outdoors-advent...4/jessie-holmes-earns-his-first-iditarod-win/

 

[Alaskajohn]

 

[Sourdough]

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/03/14/life-below-zero-star-holmes-wins-iditarod-53/