Rookie Iditarod musher Ebbe Pedersen (bib #5) of Alta, Norway, is the final musher to reach Nome today at 1:40 a.m. with 12 dogs in harness.
In its fourth year as a sponsor, Lynden once again chose to honor the Red Lantern finisher for their perseverance and commitment to completing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® through unexpected challenges. Awarding the red lantern as the final finisher has become an Alaska tradition in sled dog racing.
As the Red Lantern winner, Pedersen receives $1,000 and has the honor of extinguishing the widow’s lamp hanging on the burled arch in Nome. The symbol of the widow’s lamp dates back to when roadhouses were used in Alaska and extinguishing the lamp is a signal that no other mushers are out on the trail.
At 5:50 a.m. the last musher on the trail, Jenny Roddewig, scratched in White Mountain, making 22nd place finisher Pedersen the final musher to complete this year’s race and the recipient of Lynden’s “Committed through the Last Mile” Red Lantern Award. This award was presented to Pedersen under the new Burled Arch on March 17, 2025. at 1:00 p.m.
