It is Pete Kaiser’s race to lose, again. The Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race's reigning champion is leading a pack of mushers about two-thirds of the way to Kalskag from Aniak. Kaiser left Aniak at 6:11 p.m. with 12 dogs after completing all of the mandatory rest he needed to take before the Tuluksak checkpoint.
Jessica Klejka, another musher born and raised in Bethel, was the only one to leave the checkpoint before Kaiser. However, Klejka still has one hour of mandatory rest she must complete at the Kalskag checkpoint, while Kaiser can mush straight through.
After Kaiser, Eddie Burke Jr. of Nenana was the next to leave Aniak at 6:21 p.m., followed by Napaskiak’s Jackie Larson at 6:27 p.m., Richie Diehl and Jake Witkop at 6:28 p.m., Matthew Failor at 6:29 p.m., Dave Turner at 6:31 p.m., and Will Rhodes at 6:32 p.m. to round out the front-runners.
This is the complete order mushers left the Aniak checkpoint. All mushers who have left the Aniak checkpoint, aside from Jessica Klejka, have completed their six hours of mandatory rest before the Tuluksak checkpoint:
- Jessica Klejka 5:52 p.m. with one hour of mandatory rest remaining in Kalskag
- Pete Kaiser 6:11 p.m.
- Eddie Burke Jr. 6:21 p.m.
- Jackie Larson 6:27 p.m.
- Richie Diehl 6:28 p.m.
- Jake Witkop 6:28 p.m.
- Matthew Failor 6:30 p.m.
- Dave Turner 6:31 p.m.
- Will Rhodes 6:32 p.m.
- Lev Shvarts 6:43 p.m.
- Brent Sass 6:58 p.m.
- Cim Smyth 7:09 p.m.
- Paige Drobny 7:11 p.m.
- Jason Pavila 7:30 p.m.
- Jeffrey Deeter 7:30 p.m.
- Josh McNeal 7:51 p.m.
- Nate DeHaan 8:17 p.m.
- Isaac Underwood
- John Snyder
- Twyla Elhardt
- Reese Madden
