On March 1 on the Bethel riverfront, seasoned mushers joined forces with youngsters barely able to see over the handlebars to take on a 35-mile overland and river trail for the annual Doubles Race. For the lower Kuskokwim communities keeping mushing strong in the region, it was a family affair.
Akiachak’s Schouviller Wassillie Jr. was the first to cross the finish line under gray skies and light snowfall, a little more than two and half hours after leaving Bethel. A small head peeked out of the sled bag: Wassillie Jr.'s little brother, Blake.
The younger Wassillie had the rare distinction of clinching victory, including a $3,700 grand prize, while also catching some Z’s. At the finish line, he quickly disappeared into a warm pickup truck.
"He was sleeping. He was cold, he said," Wassillie Jr. said.
The 2025 Doubles Race win follows Wassillie Jr.’s rookie victory in the 2024 Akiak Dash and recent third place finish in the 2025 Akiak Dash. He also placed 11th this year in his first-ever Bogus Creek 150, with his lead dogs Big Boy and Tiffany going the distance.
Only 4 minutes later, Kwethluk’s Raymond Alexie pulled in second with another child zipped up in the bag: his little cousin, Thaddeus Chaney. Alexie said that the pair wasn’t able to take back the lead after being passed by the Wassillie brothers early in the race.
"Junior took the lead at the [Napaskiak] Slough, or before the [Napaskiak] Slough; my sled started dragging," Alexie said.
Alexie said that he also found his young teammate dozing on the trail.
"He fell asleep here and there," Alexie said.
But spectator Joe Bavilla was prouder than ever to see Chaney finish.
"Yup’ik way, that’s my grandson. I’m the best cheerleader ever," Bavilla said.
Around 15 minutes after Alexie’s arrival, the tables turned. This time, it was a child standing on the runners and an adult zipped in the bag: Akiak veteran Mike Williams Jr. and his son Daniel.
"He didn't want to [drive], and then his legs started to get a little sore, I think, sitting in the sled. And he finally said, yeah, he'll drive," Williams Jr. said.
Williams Jr. was fresh off a first-place finish in the 2025 Bogus Creek 150, a feat he last accomplished in 2006. In the 2024 February 50 Doubles Race, he and another son, Kohle, took first place.
All but one of the nine teams in this year’s Doubles Race shared single sleds. The exceptions were Akiachak teammates Leighton Wassillie and Nelson Lomack, the latter standing on the runners of a vintage wooden sled once used by the pair’s late grandfather.
Because it fell on March 1 and followed a shorter route, this year’s race was simply called the Doubles Race. In its third year, the leg traveling from Bethel downriver to Napaskiak was nixed due to rough ice, shaving around 15 miles off the normally 50-mile race.
The date of the final race in the Kuskokwim 300 (K300) Delta Championship Series, the two-day Campout Race, has yet to be determined. The Alexie Racing Kennel currently leads the Williams Racing Kennel in the series by just 2 points. Bethel’s Kaiser Racing Kennel is more than 10 points behind, in third place, meaning one of the top two spots will be crowned champion, winning $5,000 worth of dog food, $1,000 of air freight, and an iPhone 15.
For the latest updates on the K300 Delta Championship Series and full race results, visit the K300 website.
