Monday marked the first day that mushers could sign up for the 2019 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race.
The event will mark the 40th annual race from Bethel, up the Kuskokwim River, and back. The premier mid-distance race attracts top mushers from across the state and is often used as a training ground for mushers to test and prepare their teams for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
The K300 roster is capped at 30 mushers and prize money is paid out to the first 25 positions. In late September, the race committee announced its highest purse ever for the race at $160,000. That’s $10,000 more than last year’s purse, and the increase continues the race’s standing as the highest paid mid-distance race in Alaska. The K300 Sled Dog Race begins January 18, 2019 in Bethel.
Two shorter races will occur at the same time: the Bogus Creek 150 and the Akiak Dash. Sign-ups for those races will occur the day prior to the start of the races, and there is no musher limit for either. Both purses have also been increased by $10,000. The Bogus Creek 150 purse totals $60,000 and the 50-mile Akiak Dash purse totals $30,000.
Mushers can register for the 2019 K300 here.
