Former ‘Life Below Zero’ Reality TV Star Wins Longest Iditarod In History
Jessie Holmes and his team of canines have won the longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in history.
Holmes' "Team Can't Stop" crossed under the famed Burled Arch in Nome, Alaska, around 2:55 a.m. on Friday after a grueling 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes and 41 seconds of racing. They led the race for most of that time.
"It's hard to put into words, but it's a magical feeling," Holmes said after crossing the finish line. "It's not about this moment now. It's about all those moments along the trail."
Because of a lack of snow in certain areas of the course, organizers had to change the route of this year's Iditarod. The race began on March 3 with a starting point in Fairbanks, Alaska — nearly 300 miles north of the usual starting point in Willow. Normally set for 1,000 miles, the 2025 race became a whopping 1,129 miler, making it the longest distance in the history of the event.
"It's been a truly amazing 10 days, and I soaked in every part of it — the lows, the highs, the in-betweens," Holmes said. "I'm really proud of these dogs, and I love them. And they did it. They deserve all the credit."
He gave a special salute to his two lead canines, Hercules and Polar, saying of the latter, "He's the brains behind the operation."
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Holmes, who was competing for the eighth time, previously finished in the top 10 five times. In his first Iditarod in 2018, his seventh-place finish earned him Rookie of the Year honors.
Jessie Holmes Found Reality TV Fame
Originally from Alabama, Holmes lives in Brushkana, Alaska, and makes a living as a carpenter. However, the 43-year-old first made a name for himself in 2015 when he debuted on Life Below Zero, a National Geographic documentary series. He appeared on the series through 2023.
The show chronicles the lives of various people who either camp out or live in harsh, remote areas of Alaska. The subjects survive off the land and attempt to make a living in these unforgiving environments.
During his time on Life Below Zero, Holmes trained 44 dogs for marathons that require hundreds of miles through blizzard-like conditions and rough terrain. Aside from the Iditarod, he has won multiple dog sledding competitions, including the 2017 Kobuk 440 and the 2016 Yukon 300.
Holmes will take home $57,200 for winning the Iditarod, along with various other awards, including $4,500 worth of gold nuggets and 25 pounds of fresh salmon for finishing first in earlier stages.
Maybe he'll share some of that salmon with his teammates. They earned it.
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