The Kuskokwim 300 has become the latest Bethel organization to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by changing the way it operates. The organization is shutting down its pull-tab booth at the Alaska Commercial Company store until March 31. The booth attracts a lot of people, and the K300 board has decided to close it temporarily in the interest of keeping the community healthy.
The organization has also changed its upcoming race schedule. The annual, two-day Campout Race planned for March has been scaled back. The campout will no longer occur, and the race will be replaced by a 40 to 50-mile race on Saturday, March 21. On Sunday, March 22, the 100-mile Challenge Race will be held.
The K300 Race Committee made the changes in an attempt to hold both races before there are further restrictions on public gatherings, before “the virus becomes potentially more widespread in Alaska, and also
before trail conditions deteriorate.”
Another change is that there will not be a musher meeting before either race. Instead, the trail conditions and rules will be posted on social media; prize money will be sent by mail after the race. The K300 Race Committee also encourages everyone involved to avoid direct person-to-person contact during the race.
In a press release, the committee said that it will make any additional changes that might be required by the state or federal government to respond to the pandemic.