TLDR: Jessie Holmes of Life Below Zero won the Iditarod in 2025 and again in 2026. Connor McMahon of Mountain Men: Wild North finished 20th in 2025. Checked October 23, 2026.
Reality TV loves the Alaska wilderness, and two of its faces have raced across it behind sled dogs. One is a two-time Iditarod champion, and the other is a Yukon musher now on the History Channel.
Here are their results side by side. Each has a full profile on Glossyfied, Jessie Holmes and Connor McMahon.
How Jessie Holmes Reached the Trail
Wikipedia says Holmes was born in Alabama, dropped out of high school, moved to Montana and reached Alaska in 2004. He entered his first sled dog race in Fairbanks in 2006 and finished last.
National Geographic approached him for Life Below Zero in 2015, and he appeared in 132 episodes over eight seasons. He used his earnings to buy equipment for his dog team, and the show is covered in our Life Below Zero cast guide.
A Rookie of the Year in 2018
Holmes ran his first Iditarod in 2018, finished 7th and won Rookie of the Year. He has raced every year since.
The Iditarod counted six top-10 finishes before the 2026 race. AP counts seven top-10 finishes in nine starts after it, which fits.
The Record-Long Race of 2025
Holmes won the 2025 Iditarod on a rerouted course of about 1,128 miles, the longest in race history, per Wikipedia. His time was 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes and 41 seconds.
He earned $57,200 for the win.
A Repeat Win in 2026
The 2026 race started in Willow on March 8, a day after the ceremonial start in Anchorage. Holmes reached Nome on March 17 at about 9:32 p.m. with 12 dogs, per the Iditarod’s race release.
Alaska Public Media reports that his time of 9 days, 7 hours and 32 minutes was more than a day faster than in 2025, on a shorter route of 975 miles. His lead dogs were Zeus, a young black and white dog, and Polar, a nine-year-old white one.
Out of White Mountain he held a lead of nearly four hours over Travis Beals. Paige Drobny, a neighbor of his, ran at the front along the Yukon River but was fourth when he arrived.
He won about $80,000 and swept every special award on the trail. At the finish he said the dogs deserve all the glory, and he fed the team ribeye steaks.
Alaska Public Media calls him the first repeat champion in a decade and the sixth musher to win consecutive races since 1973. He told reporters he plans to chase a third title in 2027 on the southern route.
Connor McMahon and Wild North
McMahon runs Feral Racing out of Carcross, Yukon, and scratched at Galena in his 2024 rookie run. In 2025 he finished 20th in 13 days, 4 hours and 7 minutes.
He is one of eight people in the Wild North cast, which premiered in October 2026.
How the Two Compare
Holmes has nine Iditarod starts and two wins. McMahon has two documented runs, a scratch in 2024 and a 20th place finish in 2025.
The next Iditarod starts March 6, 2027.
Other Names We Checked
We looked for more reality stars with documented Iditarod results and found none we could source. This page will grow if that changes.
Reality TV and the Iditarod Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Iditarod?
Jessie Holmes won on March 17, 2026, his second title in a row.
Which reality TV star won the Iditarod?
Jessie Holmes, formerly of Life Below Zero, won in 2025 and 2026.
Did Connor McMahon finish the Iditarod?
He finished 20th in 2025 after scratching at Galena in 2024.
