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Former Life Below Zero star Jessie Holmes has won his first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The reality TV personality completed the difficult race with 10 dogs, including leaders Polar and Hercules.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Holmes finished the race in Nome at 2:55 a.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025. Holmes’ first-ever Iditarod win is indeed a major feat, especially as this year’s course ended up becoming the longest seen in Iditarod’s 53-year history at 1,128 miles. The race’s route also had to be changed last minute as a result of a lack of snow. Consequently, the race began in Fairbanks on March 3 and ended in Nome on March 14.
Upon winning, Holmes celebrated with the crowd that gathered at the finish line, despite the subzero cold. After giving high-fives and hugs to many of the celebrating onlookers, Holmes then took the time to chat and take pictures with various fans. The professional dog musher has developed a large following thanks to his star turn in National Geographic’s Life Below Zero, even though he hasn’t starred in the series for a few years now. After celebrating this win, Holmes expressed his emotions in the following words:
“I don’t know if it’s sinking in. I’m just so full of emotion from the journey. It was a really long race, a really tough race, but I really had to nurture [the dog team] mentally.”
Jessie Holmes Admits He Almost Gave Up Before Winning First Iditarod Race
Though Holmes ultimately ended up being the first to cross the finish line in Nome, the professional dog musher did admit that he almost gave up and quit the race around Galena. According to Holmes, it was during his time in Galena that he realized he was very far behind. He didn’t think he would catch up. Of course, he ended up doing exactly this, beating out his long-time friend Matt Hall in the process.
While Holmes may have had thoughts of withdrawing from the 10-day race, he did spend most of it ahead of the other competitors. The former Life Below Zero star’s method of holding off on taking longer 24 and 8-hour stops seemed to help him win, as Holmes didn’t take these breaks until after just about everyone else did. Holmes has claimed that this method helped encourage his dogs’ speed later in the race.
This technique — as well as allowing others to pass him early on in the race without worrying — ultimately helped Holmes have the discipline to finish first. For someone who has had a relatively short Iditarod career, this is clearly a significant win. Holmes first entered the Iditarod race in 2018 and placed seventh. His highest place prior to this year’s run landed him in third. Now, he has emerged as the new winner after five total races and will be taking home a winning prize check for $57,200.
Life Below Zero Season 23 recently premiered on the National Geographic channel, with its last episode airing on March 4, 2025. Meanwhile, all previous 22 seasons of the reality show can be streamed on Disney Plus.
Source: Anchorage Daily News
