This year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officially concluded Sunday with the annual awards banquet at Nome’s recreation center.

In total, 29 mushers finished, splitting a race purse worth $650,000.

Champion Jessie Holmes received $80,700 for his victory, which does not include additional cash, art and gold he received for various awards along the trail.

The second- through 20th-place finishes all received descending five-digit payouts, ranging from $65,700 to No. 2 finisher Travis Beals down to $13,900 to Chad Stoddard. The remaining mushers each received $2,000 for their finish, almost double the usual $1,049 given to finishers.

A total of five mushers who started the race scratched before reaching Nome.

Many of the event’s awards go to the first musher to reach a particular checkpoint. Since Holmes spent almost all of the 975-mile contest in the lead position, he cleaned up on those awards, which typically come with works of art or handmade outerwear, along with money. Many of the Iditarod’s most coveted awards, however, are determined by volunteers and competitors voting, the results of which are announced at the banquet.

• Holmes won the Alaska Air Transit Spirit of Iditarod award in McGrath, GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway award in Cripple, First to the Yukon award in Ruby, Bristol Bay Native Corporation Fish First award in Kaltag, Ryan Air Gold Coast award in Unalakleet and Northrim Bank Achieve More award in White Mountain. Together, those prizes are worth $9,000 in cash and gold, and came with sculptures, beaver mitts, 25 pounds of salmon fillets and a five-course banquet that Holmes ate early the morning he reached Ruby.

• Holmes received another “$1,049 in pocket change and a Northern Air Cargo jacket” as a prize for the Northern Air Cargo Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial award, along with “hand-crafted moccasin slippers as well as ivory earrings and bracelets, presented by the Nayokpuk family.” His two lead dogs, Polar and Zeus, received the City of Nome’s Lolly Medley Memorial Golden Harness award.

• Canada’s Jesse Terry was named Rookie of the Year for his 14th-place finish, earning him $2,000.

• Norway’s Hanna Lyrek received the Most Improved Musher award. Lyrek finished in 19th place during her rookie run in 2019. This year she came in 11th. The award comes with $2,000.

• Riley Dyche won the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, selected by the race’s veterinary team to recognize “outstanding dog care while remaining competitive throughout the race.” The prize comes with a trophy and covers the entry fee for the 2027 Iditarod.

• 2023 champion Ryan Redington won the sportsmanship award, a recognition bestowed by fellow mushers for conduct along the trail. The award brings $3,000.

• Paige Drobny, who finished fourth this year, was picked by fellow competitors as the race’s Most Inspirational Musher, an award that covers her entry fee for next year’s Iditarod.

• As the last musher to reach Nome, Richie Beattie earned the Red Lantern award, worth $1,000.

• Jeff Deeter had the fastest run time from the final checkpoint at the Safety Roadhouse to the finish line in Nome, at 2 hours and 58 minutes, earning him $500 awarded by the Nome Kennel Club. Deeter came in third place overall.

• The Golden Clipboard award, selected by racers to recognize the “checkpoint the mushers feel is the most helpful along the trail,” was given to Takotna and McGrath.

According to the Iditarod Trail Committee, the share of the race purse prize money breaks down as follows:

Jessie Holmes – $80,700
Travis Beals – $65,700
Jeff Deeter – $55,700
Paige Drobny – $45,700
Wade Marrs – $40,700
Matt Hall – $35,700
Riley Dyche – $34,200
Lauro Eklund – $31,700
Peter Kaiser – $29,700
Michelle Phillips – $27,700
Hanna Lyrek – $23,800
Jessie Royer – $22,500
Ryan Redington – $21,200
Jesse Terry – $20,000
Sam Martin – $18,800
Josi (Thyr) Shelley – $17,550
Bailey Vitello – $16,450
Gabe Dunham – $15,400
Rohn Buser – $14,900
Chad Stoddard – $13,900

21st – 29th place:
Kevin Hansen, Sadie Lindquist, Joseph Sabin, Sam Paperman, Sydnie Bahl, Brenda Mackey, Keaton Loebrich, Jason Mackey, Richie Beattie – $2,000 each

The 55th Iditarod is set to begin on March 6, 2027 with the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage.