A new tradition? Iditarod now features an expedition class

Among the competitive teams that are currently en route to Nome for the 54th Iditarod are three expedition mushers - Kjell Rokke, Thomas Waerner and Steve Curtis. While not in the running for a competitive placement, the expedition mushers share the same goal of finishing the race under the burled arch in Nome while bringing greater awareness to mushing and financial support for the Last Great Race on Earth.

“We’re in need to get more exposure and more new fans,” Iditarod Executive Director Rob Urbach said. “[They are] really committed people doing it for the right reasons and really respect what we do and adding value to our whole ecosystem.”

The Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) released an official statement in June of last year stating Kjell Rokke’s participation as the first expedition musher in Iditarod history. A Norwegian businessman and philanthropist, Rokke’s involvement in this year’s Iditarod opens new opportunities for educational outreach on the race, assisting checkpoints and communities along the race route and providing a substantial financial boost to the ITC.

Rokke, along with companion and former Iditarod Champion Thomas Waerner, will complete the journey to the same high standards of dog care and sportsmanship as other mushers during the race. They are allowed some stipulations, such as accepting outside assistance and swapping dogs in and out of the run at any time. The expedition team of several members includes a veterinarian that will work alongside official Iditarod veterinarians.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for years,” Rokke said at the restart in Willow. “The whole team is looking forward to this… We are ready and prepared and excited and nervous at the same time.”

This will be Rokke’s fourth time mushing in Alaska. He expressed how daunting it is to travel over 1,000 miles on dog sled and attributes his opportunity to run the route to Waerner and all that he has taught him and assisted him with over the last few years.

“Without him, I could not have made it,” Rokke said.

Not only will Rokke be participating in the expedition class to finish the race, he has also provided financial support to include covering the entry fee of $2,000 for all mushers, providing the ITC directly with $25,000, increasing the 2026 race purse by $100,000 and providing $170,000 in community support for 17 Alaska Native villages along the race route. Included in his support is the “Smiles for Miles,” a part of the IditaHealth campaign to bring preventative pediatric dental care to rural communities along the trail.

“That’s one way for me to show respect to the mushers, show respect on behalf of all the villages and all the volunteers,” Rokke said.

Rokke acknowledged that his race will be different from those in the competitive class but to finish will require that he complete the course on the sled. He expressed how pleased he was to have the first expedition class welcomed so well into the dog sledding community.

The 2018 champion, Waerner emphasized how important it is for the race and for the mushing community as a whole to be able to accept this new opportunity with the potential of saving an entire culture and way of life that many are never exposed to.

“I think it’s very important that we mushers and racers are thinking forward,” Waerner said. “How are we going to survive? How is the race going to survive in five years, 10 years, 15 years?”

Waerner referenced how much more of a financial strain racing and operating a kennel is on the mushers. He sees the expedition class as a way to bring more funding into the sled dog racing world while still having the Iditarod experience.

“I think it’s a good opportunity and I hope Iditarod and maybe other races will follow it,” Waerner said. This is just a start. And I hope they develop it and make it something good.”

While not in the competition with the other racers, Waerner said that the race will still be competitive with himself and Rokke. He looks forward to spending time on the trail again with his team.