Red Lantern of the Iditarod for March 3rd at the race start

The Red Lantern holder is the title of the last person in the race. It is also an award presented to the last one to cross the finish line in Nome and is sort of a signifier that, even though they did not win, they at least never gave up.

The Red Lantern holder leaving Anchorage today is Jeremy Keller of McCarthy, Alaska, wearing bib number 83.

An Alaskan since 1991, Jeremy Keller began mushing the winter that he arrived in Alaska and left Anchorage on the Iditarod trail at 1 p.m. today. Good luck to him.