Recognition, stories, prizes and camaraderie were all a part of the Sunday evening Jr. Iditarod Awards Banquet. Family, friends and supports of the Jr. Iditarod gathered at Redington High School to enjoy dinner while highlighting the accomplishments of the ten 2026 mushers of the 49th Iditarod. Barb Redington served as the MC for the evening Veterinarian and musher, Susan Winton, was the featured speaker. As a teen, Brian Hanson was introduced to mushing by Diana Moroney so it was fitting that he had the privilege of introducing the Moroneys as the Honorary Mushers. Race Marshal, Ben Harper, assisted with awards.
Stanley Robinson, age 14, won the 49th race. This is the fifth consecutive year the race has been won by Robinson Racing Kennel. Emily Robinson captured Jr. Iditarod gold the past four years. Stanley arrived back at Knik at 0940. Red Lantern winner, Torlief Bentzen arrived at the finish line at 16:53. That’s a spread of just 7 hours and 15 minutes. Here is a listing of the finish order including previous Jr. Iditarod finishes.
49th Jr. Iditarod Mushers in Order of Finish
Champion – Stanley Robinson – Rookie
2nd Place – Isaac Redington* – Veteran Graduate – 2023 5th, 2024 3rd, 2025 2nd
3rd Place – Thale Randall – Rookie
4th Place – Mckena Hanson – Veteran – 2024 11th, 2025 4th
5th Place – Addy Pederson – Veteran 2024 13th, 2025 10th
6th Place – Rosemary Maixner – Rookie
7th Place – Keira Irish – Veteran* – Veteran Graduate – 2023 11th, 2024 8th, 2025 8th
8th Place – Sam Perez – Rookie
9th Place – Hazel Sutton – Veteran – 2025 11th
10th Place – Torlief Bentzen* – Veteran Graduate – 2024 18th
Wishing Isaac Redington, Keira Irish and Torlief Bentzen happy trails. They have reached the age of 17 and are graduating from the Jr. Iditarod to mush into the future!
Each year the prize committee gathers amazing prizes and donations for the Jr. Iditarod so each musher goes home with a plethora of prizes. Many, many businesses and individuals support the Jr. Iditarod and the young mushers. The Jr. Iditarod Board of Directors congratulates each musher and extends sincere gratitude to volunteers, donors and race sponsors for their unwavering support.
Scholarships are awarded to each musher thanks to the Jr. Iditarod Trail Committee and Jr. Iditarod Scholarship Committee. Scholarships can be applied to higher education or special training.
Scholarships
1st Place – $6,000
2nd Place – $4,000
3rd Place – $2,500
4th Place – $2,500
5th Place – $1,500
All other finishers – $500
Sportsmanship Award – $2,000
Pike Dog Wellness Humanitarian Award – $2,000
Essay Winner – $1,000
Sportsmanship Award – Sam Perez
Peers select a musher who was exceptionally helpful to fellow mushers on the trail and when camped. This award is highly treasured among the mushers.
Pike Dog Wellness Humanitarian Award – Keira Irish
Veterinarians select a musher who stands out in dog care, going above and beyond in the care of their athletes. Keira is a 2nd time recipient of the coveted Humanitarian Award.
Blue Harness Award – Hazel Sutton’s Leader Magpie
This award is chosen by the mushers to honor a truly exceptional leader. The blue harness is sponsored by Michelle and Bryce Pearson.
Champion’s Sled – Stanley Robinson
Made by Sled Dog Systems and the Schlosser Family; Sponsored by Northrim Bank
Rookie of the Year – Stanley Robinson
Red Lantern – Torlief Bentzen
Essay Winner – Mckena Hanson – $1,000
Honorary Mushers – Bruce and Diana Moroney
As pilots for the Iditarod Air Force, Bruce and Diana have flown an enormous number of missions in support of the Jr. Iditarod and the Iditarod delivering personnel, supplies and dogs up and down the trail. Air support isn’t their only contribution to the Jr. Iditarod. As Iditarod veterans, they have mentored young mushers and offered their own equipment and dogs for the teens to use to realize dreams of competing in the Jr. Iditarod and other racing events.
Flattest Run Time is a comparison between the outbound time from Knik to Yentna and the inbound time from Yentna to Knik. Mushers strive to conserve energy on the first day of the race by holding their dogs at a predetermined steady speed so they have energy in the bank for day two. Mckena Hanson’s runs varied by only 17 minutes, Isaac Redington’s runs varied by 26 minutes and Stanley Robinson’s runs differed by 42 minutes. While there’s no specific award for flattest run time, congrats to Mckena!
