Musher start order set for the 54th running of The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®

A lively crowd of over 1,100 race fans, sponsors and supporters filled up the Dena’ina Civic Convention Center for the annual Iditarod Mushers Drawing Banquet.  The banquet is the largest fundraiser for the Iditarod Trail Committee, which is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. 

The 54th running of the Last Great Race on Earth® includes 29 Americans (19 Alaskans, 3 mushers from Michigan, 1 from Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire and Wisconsin), 6 international mushers (4 Canadians, 1 Dane and 1 Norwegian).  The field of 37 mushers is made up of 12  women and 25 men;  14 of which are rookies, 23  are veterans and 3 are past champions.   Three of these 37 mushers are part of the Iditarod’s Inaugural Expedition Class.  The race will run the Northern Route this year, taking mushers through Cripple, Ruby, Galena, Nulato and Kaltag.  Tonight, the mushers drew for their respective starting order and the official 2026 Iditarod race start order is:

*Expedition Musher

The Ceremonial Start of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will take place Saturday, March 7, at 10 a.m. in downtown Anchorage, followed by the Official Restart in Willow on Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m. Teams will depart the start line at both locations in two-minute intervals as they begin their journey along the historic Iditarod Trail.

Fans planning to attend the restart in Willow should note that parking will be available for $20 per vehicle (cash only). General public parking will not be permitted in the Willow Community Center lot. Accessible parking will be located as close as possible to the Community Center entrance. On race day, watch for electronic message boards along the Parks Highway in Wasilla and near Houston High School with the latest updates on parking availability in Willow.

We encourage fans to arrive early, plan ahead, and join us in cheering on the mushers and their incredible canine athletes as they set out on The Last Great Race on Earth®.