It began on March 4, 2023, with a ceremonial 11-mile (18 km) start in Anchorage, Alaska.
[2][3] It used the southern route of the Iditarod Trail for the first time since the 2019 edition.
[4] The 2023 race had 33 mushers, the smallest field of competitors in its history; the decline in participants was attributed to financial issues following the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing inflation surge.
[1] Ryan Redington, the grandson of Iditarod Race co-founder Joe Redington, won for the first time with a time of 8 days, 21 hours, 12 minutes, and 58 seconds.
[5] A total of 29 teams finished the race—the last arrived on March 17 to earn the Red Lantern award.