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K300 Season Opener Will Kick Off Sled Dog Race Season Saturday

Avery Lill
/
KYUK

The colder temperatures have paid off. The Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee will forge ahead with plans to kick off the season with its first local sled dog race this Saturday, December 15. The Season Opener race was delayed a week when last weekend's warmer temperatures led to unsafe trail conditions.

According to K300 Race Manager Madelene Reichard, the race is about 30 miles long. The trail will start and finish at the Charles Family Lake in Bethel.  There’s an eight-dog limit, and the general local race rules apply.

All mushers must purchase a K300 mile once a season in order to participate in K300 sponsored races. Mushers need to pay for their mile over the phone beforehand, or pay the $100 fee at the start.

The $20,000 purse will be divvied up among the top 15 mushers, with first place earning $2,700, second place $2,450, and third place $2,250. 

The committee says that it still plans on holding another local race, the Holiday Classic, on December 22, but the route for that race has yet to be determined.