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What You Need To Know To See The 2018 K300

Dean Swope
/
KYUK

Race preparations are in full swing as Bethel prepares for its biggest annual event: the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race. Mushers are arriving, race veterinarians are checking dog teams and clearing them to compete, and Yute Commuter Services is flying musher food drops to checkpoints. KYUK talked with K300 Race Manager Madeline Reichard on Thursday to get the latest on the race.

Transcript:

KYUK: Things are changing fast with this race. How many mushers do we have now?

Reichard: We currently have 18 mushers.

KYUK: And the race is starting tomorrow [Friday]. The Bogus 150 starts at 5 p.m., K300 starting at 6:30 p.m. How can people be there to see it?

Reichard: So this year’s a little different. Our start/finish line is at the Charles Family Lake, which is right across from H-Marker Lake. It is very important that people understand that they need to park on H-Marker Lake. You can’t be allowed on the starting lake unless you are an essential dog truck. If you’re wondering if you’re essential, [you are] most likely not. Please park on H-Marker Lake and we’ll walk across.

KYUK: It’s going to be exciting. And for the first time, Bethel is not just the start line and the finish line. Bethel is also the middle of the race checkpoint; we’re going to see mushers coming in. Tell us about this first-ever Bethel checkpoint.

Reichard: So very exciting. We only ever get to see the start and finish action, and right now we’re going to get to see start, finish, and right in the middle. Our checkpoint is going to be at ME School. We’re expecting people from early Saturday morning into Saturday evening. The big thing that we’re asking from the public is to please bring food. The mushers need food. They’re hungry, they’re tired, and it would be so great if we could have this big community support with food. Aniak thinks that they have a better checkpoint than we do, so we’re trying to prove them wrong, a little.

KYUK: So the public is welcome if laden with dishes.

Reichard: They’re welcome even without dishes, but it is highly suggested that you bring some food.

KYUK: The purse is $150,000 for the K300 and that’s paid out to the first 25 mushers. But with only 18 mushers, how will that money be divvied up?

Reichard: So with 18 mushers, we pay to 18. And then with the remaining money, so 19 through 25, we divide that among our finishers. So we’ll divide, I think it’s a little over $10,000 among 18 mushers. So people will be getting an additional $600-something.

KYUK: Well that’s nice. And what about the Bogus 150 purse? What’s that looking like?

Reichard: Same thing happens with the Bogus. We pay for the first 15 places. If we only get 10 mushers, we’ll pay to 10 mushers, and then we’ll divide 11 through 15 to go to the 10 finishers. So all of the money will be paid out, regardless of the number of participants.

KYUK: The Akiak Dash usually also happens this weekend, but it’s being postponed to next Saturday, January 27 at 11 a.m. What do mushers interested in running this race need to know?

Reichard: So if you’re interested in running the Akiak Dash, it is highly suggested that you come and sign up at the banquet. Once you sign up at the banquet you can stay, you can join us for food, you can watch the award ceremony. But for logistic reasons, it might be a little easier for every one to come and sign up on Monday.

KYUK: And can mushers who ran the Bogus 150, or even the K300, run that Akiak Dash?

Reichard: No, we’re treating it like it’s one big race weekend, so you cannot participate in two races.

KYUK: We’re certainly excited here at KYUK. It’s also our biggest reporting event. And Madi, is there anything else that we need to know about the big race weekend just starting tomorrow?

Reichard: We just want to make sure the public knows that the Atmautluak Trail is still usable; we did not block that off. And we just want to make sure with the start/finish line that people are being safe. We know that the H-Marker Lake is a road, so if you’re driving on that road, just watch out for people crossing, dog teams, snowmachines, all those things. And we’re just excited for an interesting and great K300 weekend.

KYUK: Madi, thank you so much.

Reichard: Thanks.

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Anna Rose MacArthur served as KYUK's News Director from 2015-2022.