Former Reality TV Star Jessie Holmes Claims Victory in Record-Setting Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Jessie Holmes, a former star of reality television, achieved victory in the longest Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to date on Friday, celebrating with enthusiastic fist pumps for the crowd and posing for photographs alongside his two teammates, Hercules and Polar, adorned with floral wreaths.

Holmes was the first to cross the finish line in Nome, a historic Gold Rush town located on the coast of the Bering Sea. The race commenced on March 3 in Fairbanks after snow shortages necessitated alterations to both the starting point and route.

This adjustment transformed the typical 1,000-mile race into an extraordinary 1,128-mile journey through the Alaskan wilderness. Holmes completed the race in 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes, and 41 seconds.

“It’s difficult to articulate, but it’s a magical feeling,” Holmes remarked shortly after finishing. “This moment isn’t what matters most; it’s about all those moments experienced along the trail.”

For his victory, Holmes will receive $57,200 along with additional awards, including $4,500 in gold nuggets and 25 pounds of fresh salmon for his performance in earlier heats.

This marked Holmes’s eighth participation in the race, having previously finished in the top 10 five times, including a third-place finish in both last year and 2022. In his inaugural Iditarod in 2018, he earned Rookie of the Year honors with a seventh-place finish.

Matt Hall, a native of Eagle—a small community on the Yukon River in eastern Alaska—finished in second place, crossing the finish line three hours after Holmes. With his parents owning an expedition company, Hall grew up surrounded by sled dogs and guiding weeklong trips for clients.

Hall laughed as he described this year’s extended distance as “too long,” despite his ice-crusted eyelashes.

Paige Drobny clinched third place, making history as the first woman to stand on the podium since Jessie Royer achieved the same in 2020. This was Drobny’s tenth attempt in the race.

Residing in Cantwell, Alaska, with her husband and fellow long-distance musher Cody Strathe, Drobny raises sled dogs at Squid Acres Kennel, named after her master’s thesis on squid in the Bering Sea.

Holmes, originally from Alabama, moved to Alaska at 18 after working as a carpenter in Montana for three years. He discovered adventure running dogs in a remote area of the Yukon River.

“The past 10 days have been truly incredible, and I’ve embraced every moment—the highs, lows, and everything in-between. I’m immensely proud of these dogs and love them dearly. They made it happen, and they deserve all the applause,” Holmes expressed.

He acknowledged his two lead dogs, Hercules, a half-sprint breed, and Polar, saying, “He’s the brains of the operation.”

Holmes now lives in Nenana, where he works as a carpenter while maintaining a subsistence lifestyle. From 2015 to 2023, he was featured on “Life Below Zero,” a National Geographic series chronicling the challenges faced by Alaskans living in remote regions.

Due to insufficient snowfall north of the Alaska Range, the race’s starting point was altered to Fairbanks. Additionally, modifications were made to the ceremonial start in Anchorage, whereby snow was transported to the city’s streets, reducing the traditional parade route from 11 miles to under 2 miles and decreasing the number of participating dogs.

This marked the fourth time this century that the race was forced to relocate north from Anchorage due to snow shortages.

Only 33 mushers participated, matching 2023 for the smallest number of entrants recorded. This decline in participants has raised concerns about the race’s sustainability amidst inflation, climate change, and pressure from animal rights advocates.

This year’s Iditarod did see one casualty: a pregnant female dog from musher Daniel Klein’s team, which resulted in him scratching from the race per the rules.

Nearly a third of the mushers withdrew early, with eight scratching from the competition and two being removed for lack of competitiveness.

This year’s Iditarod also honored the legendary 1925 Serum Run, during which sled dog teams delivered life-saving serum to Nome, thwarting a diphtheria outbreak.

By Mark Thiessen and Becky Bohrer