Photo courtesy of Jessie Holmes

Jessie Holmes was born and raised in Alabama and came to Alaska in 2004. Soon after, he began running dogs on the Yukon River, using a dog team to haul wood, hunt, fish, and haul water. His love for the wilderness and dogs eventually led him to compete in numerous sprint and distance races. He won the Kobuk 440 in 2017 and 2023 and has place seventh, fifth and third in the Iditarod, and earned the title “Rookie of the Year.” In this year's race he looks forward to getting to visit with all his friends along the trail and taking in some of the most beautiful country in the world while running a team of stellar athletes. He'd like to thank Kelsey Winters and James Foster for all their help back at home.