Kjell Inge Røkke completed the Iditarod expedition class with the fastest time, reaching Nome on Alaska's west coast around 10 PM Norwegian time on Monday. He covered over 1,500 kilometers on the dogsled and took just under eight days to finish the race, according to multiple reports. Røkke was the first to finish this year's race.
Hanna Lyrek finished 11th in the Iditarod and received a prize of around 220,000 Norwegian kroner, according to major media reports. She also received an additional 'Mosa Improved' prize of 25,000 kroner. The first-place finisher received a prize of 80,700 US dollars (nearly 755,000 kroner), and the total prize pool for this year's race was 6 million Norwegian kroner. Lyrek finished 19th in the Iditarod in 2022. According to NRK Troms og Finnmark, Lyrek described the prize money as insufficient, noting that participants spend more than they win and that the race is a loss-making project. She added that the financial support from Røkke was crucial for the 1,500-kilometer dog race.
Røkke donated $170,000 to indigenous villages, according to major media reports. His mentor Thomas Wærner, who won the Iditarod in 2020, had to withdraw because several of his dogs showed symptoms of a contagious respiratory infection. Røkke reported feeling battered after the first day and a half. Temperatures during the race dropped to nearly minus 40 degrees.