International Women's Day

To steal a quote from Lisbet Skogen Norris, it felt “pretty great to wake up on International Women’s Day with Paige Drobny in the lead in The Iditarod.” International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Originating from labor movements in North America and Europe at the turn of the 20th century, International Women’s Day has grown to encompass a broader recognition of women's roles in society, advocating for gender equality and women's rights.

Here in our small community of endurance athletes and Iditarod trail explorers, we have no shortage of remarkable women to celebrate. This year, four incredible women—Julie Garcia, Kari Gibbons, Magdalena Pashke, and Janice Tower—started the arduous trip to Nome. Incredibly, none of them have scratched or show signs of slowing down. In the 350 and 150-mile races, there were a total of 24 women at the start. This diverse group of ladies represented seven countries and multiple ethnicities, making it perhaps the most diverse field ever. While women are currently underrepresented in cold-weather endurance sports, our numbers are flourishing.

International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress that has been made, and the work that still needs to be done, to achieve gender parity in all aspects of life, including sports. In 1973, the first year of the Iditarod there were zero female participants. In the 2025 Iditarod sled dog race, eleven women took on the challenge, including veteran Anna Berington, who is mushing her fourteenth race this year. 

Today, Janice Tower and Julie Garcia are both making their way across the portage from Kaltag on the Yukon River to Unalakleet on the coast. Based on social media posts, they were concerned about drifted trail conditions and considering waiting for the Iditarod trail breakers. They have been making great time on a well-liked section of the trail, and the burning question now is whether they’ll stop at Old Woman cabin or carry on to Unalakleet.

Kari Gibbons is closing in on Ruby with just 26 miles to go on her long journey through the most remote part of the trail. She bivied for about five hours last night at the Sulatna River crossing and is currently tackling a tough section of the trail with at least three more big climbs before Ruby. She plans to push on to Ruby, where she’ll likely have a drop box, get a good meal, and hopefully several hours of sleep before heading out onto the Yukon.

Magdalena Pashke is about 19 miles behind Kari and just past the Sulatna River crossing. She rested last night around 8:00 pm for about three hours and again this morning for four more hours. With 45 miles to go before Ruby, she’ll likely sleep at least once more before arriving there. Magdalena has a sleep system that appears extremely easy to deploy (simply remove from the sled bag and unroll), and she may be taking advantage of that with shorter naps rather than long rests. There may be a party in Ruby tonight as five exhausted athletes trickle in after their long journey from McGrath.

International Women's Day is not just a celebration but a call to action for accelerating gender parity. It’s a day to honor the achievements of women in all spheres and recognize the continued efforts needed to ensure a more inclusive and equal world. Let us all celebrate not just the women on the Iditarod Trail this year, but all the incredible women breaking barriers and exploring new ground this year and in years past. 

By Amber Crawford