The 54th running of the Iditarod sled dog race kicks off Saturday, March 7, with the traditional ceremonial start in Anchorage, followed by the official start in Willow on Sunday.

For the second year in a row, Jessie Holmes and Paige Drobny are jockeying for the top spot. “That’s my closest neighbor, 26 miles away. It’s hard to root against her,” Holmes said shortly after ...