03/19/2026
Iditarod Insights: What it feels like to finish the Iditarod
Running the Iditarod is a great adventure. It’s the lifestyle, the around-the-clock thought about the race and the dogs.
The planning, the training schedule, all of the details that must be figured out consumes the musher’s life prior to the race.
The food and gear needs to obtained for the race. Life revolves around the dogs.
They are family, needing around-the-clock attention and care.
Pretty much every thought for the last year has been about the Iditarod and the preparation for it. It’s the ultimate purpose-driven life for several years prior to finally running the race. One can’t approach running the Iditarod half-heartedly. Iditarod mushers are all-in on dogs. They need to build up a dog team that can handle traveling across Alaska.
The race itself is a series of challenges to overcome. One-thousand miles is a long distance to travel with the dogs for days on end while paying attention to details to care for the dogs. And it’s not just the musher. Like the saying goes, it takes a village to accomplish this endeavor. The dream of running the Iditarod can be hard on spouses, on relationships, on friends and family and not the least on the bottom line, on the main sponsor – Mr. or Mrs. Credit Card.
Reaching the finish line is the reward for this dedication. It’s also the end of a dream – at least until training for the next race starts. If the team looks good towards the end of the race, one might not want this high to end.
But there are more trails to travel with the dogs ahead. One doesn’t need to be in a race in order to achieve greatness with a dog team. That special bond with the dogs - being one with the animals, the common goal - can be achieved just by doing right by them.
Happiness for the dogs is based on the right care, on the right mood of the musher. They want to please us. It’s up to us to give them the opportunity to do so. They look for a good challenge, a good run followed by dedicated care from their musher. Life for the dogs evolves around daily adventures on the trails, being with their pack, their musher and good food. Life is good and it should be.
The end of the Iditarod also means spring is right around the corner. If mushers plan to raise a litter of pups, now is the time to do so as pups are normally born during the warm spring and summer month. If so, the summer might evolve around raising the next generation of adventure buddies.
One great adventure is over. It’s time to think of the next ones to come.
✍️ by Nils Hahn/The Nome Nugget
📸 by Diana Haecker/The Nome Nugget
Jessie Holmes thanks his lead dogs Polar and Zeus at the finishline in Nome.
