Sports

The 2021 mushing season took another step forward with the K300 Holiday Classic on Sunday, Jan. 10. The race was originally delayed by the pandemic and then postponed because of weather, but eventually 20 mushers took the field on a beautiful windy day on the Kuskokwim River.

The Holiday Classic, the second mushing race of the season, has been postponed one day to Sunday, Jan. 10.

The Bogus Creek 150 sled dog race will not be on the same weekend as the K300 this year. The Bogus Creek will begin later this month, on Jan. 23. The K300 is still scheduled for Feb. 12, and the Akiak Dash will start the day after.

After delays caused by the pandemic, sled dog racing season began this weekend along the lower Kuskokwim. There were special rules in place for competitors and spectators to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race has been postponed due to COVID-19 induced lockdowns throughout the Y-K Delta. The K300 was originally scheduled to begin on Friday, Jan. 15, with the Bogus Creek 150 and the Akiak Dash also on the same weekend. All three races have now been rescheduled for the weekend of Feb. 12.

The Lower Kuskokwim School District, like most school districts in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, will be in high-risk mode with remote learning through the end of the semester. This action comes at the recommendation of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.

Registration for the 2021 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race opened on Oct. 5. “An impressive list of mushers” is how Race Manager Paul Basile described the initial lineup.

Bethel fans may be happy that the Kuskokwim 300 sled-dog races are going forward as scheduled, but it’s also good news for mushers, who have been feeling the economic pinch in the wake of COVID-19. Race Manager Paul Basile said that the race purse could help. 

Mushing is still on for the Y-K Delta. On Sept. 11, the Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee announced that the K300, Bogus Creek 150, and Akiak Dash, along with the usual five local races, are all on the schedule for this winter. But there will be some changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.