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Paul Basile Named New Kuskokwim 300 Race Manager

Katie Basile
/
KYUK

The Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee has a new manager: Paul Basile.

He’s the race's first full-time race manager, and will oversee the three signature races and the local races. The K300 Race Committee had relied on two part-time employees for the past few years, but the organization felt that it was time for a change.  

"It became apparent that now the level of work would justify one full-time person, which we hope will be an efficient way of dealing with the growth of our race instead of continuing to work with part-time people," said Myron Angstman, the chairman of the K300 Board.

Angstman says that the race purse has grown enough that the committee felt they could offer a full-time job with a competitive salary. The purse has increased five times in seven years.

Before the committee could advertise, they got an applicant that everyone felt would be a good fit. That was Basile. He will replace Madelene Reichard, who has managed the races for the past three years. Basile will also oversee the gaming operations that contribute to the race purse, as well as daily administrative tasks. Angstman says that they’ll stick with one full-time employee for now.

"And hopefully a full-time manager can utilize volunteers to cover for that busy time," Angstman said. 

The K300 Race Committee puts on three big races each year: The Bogus Creek 150, the Akiak Dash, which is approximately 60 miles, and its signature 300-mile Kuskokwim 300. There also local races under the K300 banner.

Basile came to Bethel in 2002 as a Jesuit volunteer. He worked as a handler and competed in local races, including the Akiak Dash. He eventually left the region, but then returned to raise a family with Katie Basile, who grew up in the region and works at KYUK as the multimedia director.