Rosters Run Down (Pt. 2)

Thought we were done with rosters? Oh, no, there are still so many more to go! Thank you to everyone who sent messages saying these are helpful resources. Snow fell over South Central Alaska this weekend, so it's helping to really boost excitement for the coming mushing season.

Let's get back to what you came here for.

Montana's famed Race to the Sky has opened registration and it's surprisingly the slowest growing roster to date. Just one name appears on the 300 mile race (and it isn't who you think it is). You can scroll down on their main page to see the current list of names. The race takes off on February 9.

The PG Expedition Abitibi, taking place in La Sarre, Quebec (!!!), has filled its roster in just over 24 hours. They have a race that is 100miles long as well as a 40 mile race. They've even got healthy wait lists for each race. Very exciting for this somewhat newer race. They'll take off down the trail on February 18.

The UP200 is boasting quite the roster as well. The race will kick off on February 16 and it will no doubt prove to be one of the most fun to watch. You'll most likely recognize several names on the list currently. You can view the up to date roster on their website.

The always fun Canadian Challenge also has their roster on their website... except it isn't a list of names, you have to hover over each musher picture to find out who they are (if you don't already know by looking at them). They didn't post a list on facebook either (at least not at this date). Still the website has a sleek look to it, so make sure to take a look.

The Junior Iditarod already has a healthy roster after starting the summer with only two names on the list (both Redingtons). Those who have followed junior races will recognize a lot of names on the 2024 Junior Iditarod roster and know that it's going to be another competitive and close race. You can view the roster on their website.

The CopperDog 150 is another race that quickly filled and started a waiting list. They have other miled races as well, all of which you can find on their website. 

The Can-Am International race is now North America's only mid-distance race that runs in both Canada and the US (thanks, warring Quest boards, Alaska isn't cool anymore). They have three classes of races and you can view the current rosters on their website.

The Finmarkslopet opened registration back in September, and as always the roster is chalk full of fantastic European teams. Team Norway fans will see many of their favorites on the roster. You can view all of the races on their website.

So there you have it, the run down of rosters currently. Other races taking place after the Iditarod have yet to update with rosters, so this is by no means the full list of rosters, but it's the majority. The BIG ONE was purposely left out because this blog focuses on the roster many times throughout the season. While many of the races are full with waiting lists, others will be fun to monitor as deadlines approach to see which teams join up. Overall, viewing these races proves that the sport is alive and well and the future is also very bright.

Who are you surprised to see on the rosters? Which races are you looking forward to? Have any preseason predictions? Comment below with you thoughts!

This blog has always been a hobby and will continue to be - and this list is more for myself than anything - if you can spare a few dollars to help keep this blog running I would greatly appreciate it. Please do not feel obligated, but know that all support (in every form, not just financial) is greatly appreciated! Click here to "buy me a coffee".

2024 Kuskokwin 300 reaches roster limit

In what felt like record time, the Kusko 300's roster was capped last week when it hit 30 teams just over a week after registration opened. Teams from all over Alaska and Canada plan to descend on the Western Alaska city of Bethel where the only way to get there is to fly if you don't live close enough to snow machine, mush, or if you're brave drive on the local ice road. But if you're from Anchorage, Fairbanks, The Yukon, and other parts of Alaska - you gotta fly (or you could spend a week mushing out there but then your team would probably not want to get up and race after!

The Kuskokwim 300 is one of the premiere mid-distance races in North America, and one of two major races in Western Alaska. Where the Iditarod's creation was in part to support the Alaska Native tradition of mushing by giving a reason to keep dogs even with the more modern inventions of travel, the Kusko actually has maintained that lifestyle for many of the mushers of the Kuskokwim Delta. They keep the expenses rather low for locals, they have other races throughout the season to bolster confidence and monies... and the Kusko 300 is the BIG race with the BIG purse. Where other races big and small seem to struggle with financial incentives - the Kusko is thriving.

And mushers notice. The race is heralded every year as one of the best run and organized of the races in Alaska. The locals in the villages come out for a weeklong party - almost like their own version of Anchorage's Fur Rondy celebrations - celebrating the dogs running the race. They manage in some of Alaska's harshest conditions to keep fans up to date in a variety of ways - including facebook live updates run by not only race volunteers but local students at the school.

It's just a really cool race, and it gives a lot of "outside" teams (as in not KuskoDelta teams) a chance to run in conditions you only find on the Alaskan West Coast. 

So just who are the lucky 30 with spots secured for the 2024 race? Take a look below:

Travis Beals
Pete Kaiser*
Brent Sass*
Ebbe Winstrup
Joe Taylor
John Snyder
Dave Turner
Josh McNeal
Raymond Alexie
Gabe Dunham
Lev Shvarts
Richie Diehl
Jessica Klejka
Riley Dyche
Matthew Failor
KattiJo Deeter
Cim Smyth
Jessie Holmes
Hunter Keefe
Isaac Underwood
Jeff King*
Father Alexander Larson
Jeff Deeter
Jason Pavila
Nicolas Petit
Rob Cooke
Aaron Burmeister
Mike Williams Jr.
Dakota Schlosser

Bold signifies Kusko Champion
*Asterisk signifes Iditarod Champion
Italics signifies Kusko Rookie 

Teams that missed out can sign up to be on a waitlist. Teams will be contacted if one of the thirty currently signed up withdraw their name. Waitlist teams will have twenty four hours to respond and pay for their entry once they are contacted. The race begins Friday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30pm in Bethel. Be sure to like/follow them on Facebook to keep up with all the race announcements as well as announcements on the Delta Championship Series.

What are your thoughts on the 2024 roster? Got any early predictions on who brings home the prize? Who do you plan to cheer for? Comment below with your thoughts!

Like what you see and want to see this blog continue? Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running.  

Mushing Legends banner Anchorage's "Mushing District"

If you're walking down 4th Avenue's "Mushing District" in Anchorage make sure you're looking up. Last week the organizers of Anchorage's "Mushing District" association took time in the rain to add some legends of the sport to the lamp posts that illuminate the streets. Legends of both Fur Rondy and Iditarod will - for the time being - brighten the sidewalks from 4th and A Street to 4th and G Street, looking down on the bronze dog paws commemorating the many donors who made this project possible.

Anchorage's Mushing District was a project dreamt up in the early 2010s and given the go ahead by then Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz in 2019. The district is the stretch of Downtown Anchorage that the Fur Rondy and Iditarod races traditionally start from each year. It has taken the organizers several years to begin bringing their vision to life. Fundraising from sponsors and community members has been ongoing, with bronze foot prints and husky faces marking the sidewalks with the names of sponsors, and now the banners. The fundraising will culminate in the creation of " a steel truss arch with the silhouette of a dog team and musher racing across the arch" over 4th Avenue. 

The post from the Mushing District's facebook shared the renderings of the banners alongside photos of the volunteers hanging the banners from the light posts in the rain. Portraits of mushing's greatest sprint and long distance mushers in both color and black and white sit on a purple banner with their name and their race stats. Names like George Attla, Susan Butcher, Herbie Nayokpuk, Joe Redington, Earl Norris, and Roxy Wright will represent the hundreds of mushers throughout history. 

Another big announcement from last week for the Mushing District is the proclaimation from present Mayor Dave Bronson that the City of Anchorage will take ownership and maintain the arch once it is put in place. "On Friday, I participated in the Fur Rondy pin unveiling and announced a formal agreement that the municipality officially recognizes a part of 4th avenue as the Mushing District,
 Mayor Bronson wrote on Facebook, "This will be an added tourist attraction and a way to commemorate the historic Iditarod race!"

The banners are, according to the district's social media page, not a permanent addition to the district. They do not have a timeline for when the banners will come down, so if you want to go see them, go as soon as you can.

Have you seen the banners? Share what you think in the comments below!

Mushing Radio: Jr. Iditarod recap

Join hosts Robert Forto and Toni Reitter as they re-cap the Jr. Iditarod

LISTEN HERE

Failor chasing down Kaiser in final leg of the Kusko

In a race that saw Eddie Burke and Peter Kaiser play leap frog in the first 3/4s of the race, it's now coming down to just a handful of minutes between two Kusko Champs: Kaiser and Matthew Failor. Matthew Failor "held back" for much of the race, contentedly staying in the chase pack, but last night he passed by many teams to come into the final checkpoint and mandatory four hour layover just eight minutes behind Peter Kaiser.

Both teams left right on time after their rest and charged down the trail on the return route to Bethel. They ran this trail Friday night, and in Kaiser's case these are the trails he trains on. Failor's team hasn't had to "break trail" for anyone and hasn't played the rabbit, but they aren't as familiar with the route - other than what they just did this weekend.

The chase pack is being led by Eddie Burke who, after leading for most of the first twenty four hours and playing leap frog with Kaiser, is having a fantastic race season running the "A-team" out of Wildstyle Racing kennel. The improvement between his first year of races (just three years ago) to now is incredible and a top five placement in this very competitive race is something he can be proud of. Burke can't rest on the runners, though, he's battling with Jacob Wiktop for third. A quick look at the trackers shows that Eddie is three miles back from Failor (give or take, can never 100% trust the trackers as they don't all ping at the same time). 

The race should see its first finish around Noon Alaska Time. Will it be Failor, Kaiser or will Burke somehow manage a huge upset? We'll find out in about two hours.

2023 Kuskokwim 300 race preview

One of the most exciting races of the season kicks off Friday in Bethel, Alaska. That's right, it's time for the Kuskokwim 300 to finally take off across the Delta to crown a champion! The Kusko is one of the premier races in Alaska, with many of the top teams vying for a coveted spot on the roster. This year saw quite a few early sign ups, but for one reason or another there were several last minute withdrawals, but that does not at all diminish the highly competitive field here this weekend.

The Kusko is known for its storms, as with most coastal Alaskan races - it's always windy. This year teams may also deal with freezing rain and the lovely overflow they've come to know in the past few years. This year the race will start with a winter weather advisory. They are predicting 3-5 inches of snow in Bethel beginning noon on Friday and ending around midnight. They also expect freezing rain south of Bethel. Teams could be looking at a very slippery time out on the trail mixed with wet snow. 

While the start will have snow, the finish could end up with ice as an ice storm is set to hit on Sunday. We're also looking at very warm temperatures, above freezing!, for most of the race which is not the norm. It will be interesting to see how it all combines and what that means for the teams. Western Alaskan teams often are heavier coated dogs that don't do well in above zero temps, and this is their backyard so it will make for a complex strategy for everyone.

There are twenty one teams ready to take off tomorrow night and, as I've said many times, this roster is one of the most (if not THE MOST) competitive fields for the entire season. There are so many options on how things will play out, and even with Nicolas Petit choosing to run the Willow 300 instead, there are still many who can challenge for that top spot. So let's look at the top names, shall we?

Who to watch

Brent Sass - The last time Brent ran the Kusko and placed was in 2017 when he came in second. The reigning Iditarod Champion has grown a lot since then, and his kennel is solid. He's come up second in the Knik 200 and Copper Basin 300 this year, both times within minutes of the winner. Look for him to again challenge for first.

Cim Smyth - Never count out a Smyth. Cim was king of the Tustumena 200 in its day, and ask any musher they'll tell you they are always nervous to find Cim (or his brother Ramey) behind them. They're known to carry running shoes for the last push to the finish. Cim comes from a mushing dynasty, he has 40+ years of mushing experience. Look for him to be a contender.

Dave Turner - Turner has had to withdraw from the other races he entered this season, but he IS in Bethel and will run the Kusko. Turner is a quick study of any trail he's run, and come back in a very short time to win them. He is a Tustumena 200 champion as well as champion of the Yukon Quest 300. Dave's got a speedy bunch of dogs, and is race savvy.

Eddie Burke - I made the mistake of counting Eddie out in my preview of the Knik 200, do not make that mistake again! Eddie is running Aaron Burmeister's dogs, sure, but he's worked with them for three years. His race plan is his along with the mentorship of Aaron Burmeister and his kennel partner Tony Browning, but they don't have a strict rule that they follow their suggestions. He is very much his own musher and he has a fantastic team trained up. They had a slight "stutterstep" Wednesday when the musher made it to town but the dogs didn't, however they've since reunited and he's stretched out their legs and they look strong.

Jason Pavila - Last year's rookie of the year will be looking to improve on his eighth place finish. He finished 6th in the Bogus Creek 150 a couple weeks ago, running against several teams running this weekend. Pavila may not challenge for first, but he's a solid choice for your Fantasy Team, and at a decent "price".

Matt Failor - Failor surprised everyone when he won in 2019, and he's challenged to regain that title several times since. The 2022 Kusko second place finisher seems to have a knack from running this race and it would not be a surprise any longer should he find himself first across the finishline again. 

Pete Kaiser - The six time Kusko champion (and let's not forget the 2019 Iditarod Champion) has been first or second in this race since 2015. No one has won this race more, and it wouldn't be a stretch to see him win another. Pete's come in second (or close to it) in just about every race he's entered this season, and it's no doubt high on his mind that it's about time he come in first. These trails are in his backyard, and this is his race. 

Richie Diehl - Another musher who has grown up on the Kusko trails, Richie stopped Pete from continually winning the Kusko back in 2021. He's good friends with the repeat champion, but he's hungry for more wins in his part of Alaska. He's another solid pick for your Fantasy Team and could very well be first across that finish line.

Will Rhodes - The other half of Mackey's Alaskan Distance Dogs operation. While not a Mackey he is married to one, but he is an experienced musher in his own right. He's a consistent top ten finisher in this race, and could play spoiler if given the opportunity. He's a solid choice for your fantasy mushing, if you play that sort of thing, and expect a strong, healthy team at the finish.

Now that that's all out of the way, how can one follow along if you couldn't afford to hang out in Bethel for a week? Let's take a look...

How to watch
While many of the other mid distance races rely on fan videos and Kale Casey LIVE to cover their races, the Kusko is unique in that the local grade school runs a program where they film the start and finish of the races. They go live on Facebook with race coverage done mainly by the students. It's fantastic and well worth a watch.

Official Website

The Kusko's website is pretty slick. You can follow all of the races, fundraising and news from their site. It's easy to navigate and they have great musher bios. And this is where you will find those ever important in and out times from the checkpoints. Be sure to check it out.

GPS Tracker

Real time updates will come through the trackers as always. With the cold there may be more glitches than we'd like (I blame the aliens!) but there's not much we can do. Cold and technology don't get along. You can follow the trackers here, but they won't go live until closer to go time on Friday.

Radio Broadcast

KYUK Radio will broadcast the start which begins at 6:30pm (start listening at 6pm for pre-race info). You can listen to the broadcast online through this link.

Social Media

Updates will most likely be posted on the race's facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. Photo updates should come from Instagram. They typically try to have a facebook live feed. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #K300.

KYUK is also plans to post updates on their facebook page, including facebook interviews with the mushers from the last week or so.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, January 25
Vet Checks

Thursday, January 26
Vet Checks
5pm - Musher Meeting
7pm - Bib Draw (KYUK to livestream)

​Friday, January 27
6:30pm - 2020 Kuskokwim 300 START

Saturday, January 28
NOON - Akiak Dash Mass Start

Monday, January 29
5pm - Musher Awards

Comment below with any thoughts about who you think are favored to win. If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

2023 Kuskokwim 300 musher roster

I'm not ashamed to admit that I find this race's roster to be THE roster of the year. It's the strongest group of teams for the entire season, that includes the Quest and Iditarod rosters. Yes, I've said it all year on all platforms: THE KUSKO KNOWS HOW TO PUT ON A DOG RACE, and I feel that EVERY race organization INCLUDING the Iditarod need to start taking classes from the Kusko 300 organization. Everything from the purse, to the PR, to the roster is just FIRE. I am a huge fan.

Now that that is out of my system, let's talk musher roster. We have twenty-one (one very last minute entry happened Wednesday) teams ready to take off down the trail this weekend and they are a who's who of the mushing community both at large and the very healthy Kusko-Delta mushing community. It's a strong mixture of both "road system" and local teams, and even with the late withdrawals of some strong contenders (including Nicolas Petit) it's still anyone's guess who will come out on top.

As always the roster isn't finalized until the bib draw, and so we're going with alphabetical order until we get bib numbers. The blog will be updated once those changes are known. Until then the roster is as follows.

Updated January 27 to reflect bib numbers/starting position.

1 Jessica Klejka (Tailwind Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
2 Pete Kaiser (Kaiser Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
3 Isaac Underwood (Underwood Kennel) - can't find any online presence.
4 Brent Sass (Wild and Free Mushing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
5 John Snyder (Snyder Kennel) - can't find any online presence.
6 Cim Smyth (Perserverance Springs Farm) - Facebook
7 Reese Madden (Amagupiaq) - Facebook / Instagram
8 Matthew Failor (17th Dog/Alaskan Husky Adventures) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
9 Eddie Burke (Alaskan Wildstyle Racing) - Facebook / Instagram
10 Will Rhodes (Mackey's Distance Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
11 Paige Drobny (Squid Acres) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
12 Josh McNeal (Crooked Creek) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
13 Jeffrey Deeter (Black Spruce Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
14 Dave Turner (Racing Chaos) - Facebook
15 Jason Pavila (Bad River Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
16 Richie Diehl (Real Diehl Racing) - Facebook
17 Lev Shvarts (Team Ollie) - Website / Facebook 
18 Jacob Witkop (Happy Feet Kennel) - Facebook / Instagram
19 Jackie Larson (Jackie's Racing Kennel) - Facebook
20 Nate DeHaan (Old Friendly Real Diehl Kaiser Dog Farm) - Facebook / Instagram
21 Twyla Elhardt (Old Friendly Dog Farm) - Facebook

So there you have it. Twenty teams ready for the Kusko! Who are you cheering for? Let me know in the comment section below!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Willow 300 begins with confusion

All teams for the Willow 300 and 150 are on the trail, but it didn't go off without a hitch. Teams were scheduled to leave the starting line at 9am for the 300 mile race when at around 8:45am they were given word by officials that the start had been moved back an hour to 10am. This was after it was announced at the mushers meeting just the day before that the start was not 10 but 9.

While to some this seems like a small change that shouldn't matter much, it does. There is a rhythm and schedule to these types of things. We're talking dogs who cannot understand the concept of "go time is now an hour later" and mushers are now thrown off their schedules (should they write those up). At the time teams were finding out of the time change, most had their dogs out of their dog boxes, bootied, and some were even lined out. That meant that they now had to unbooty the dogs and put them back in the truck... dogs would be incredibly confused as they are supposed to GO after booties and line out, not just get back in the truck and not run.

To make matters even more confusing, it was announced around 8:30am that the trackers never made it to Willow so there would be no GPS tracking for fans. Not a huge deal from a musher perspective, but it was a bummer to fans. Then as they were announcing the time change for the start, the tracker link went live and it was "the trackers are on their way!" Ah, there's the reason for the start delay.

While I'm not complaining that we get to track the teams, I'm not sure waiting on the trackers is enough to delay a race. I'm sure some mushers were thinking the same thing.

Still, as the close struck 10am, the first team was off the starting line and across the lake. 

Oh, yeah, that was the other big change - no mass start. With the weather turning so warm, overflow is a major concern and it was not safe to park all the teams, personnel, and dog trucks on the lake, so they started at the Willow Community Center (like they do for the Iditarod ReStart) and left at two minute intervals. They will make up their time differential at the mandatory four hour stop at Sheep Creek checkpoint. 

So, armchair mushers, I hope you enjoyed this bit of whiplash as much as this blogger did. We have a lot of mushing to follow in the next 5 days or so (really longer once Beargrease starts) so don't let go of the sled, stick with us for all the news and action! 

2023 Willow 300 race preview

It's time to kick off one of the busiest race weekends of the season with the early start of the Willow 300 which takes off of Willow Lake at 10am Wednesday. This is the first of two 300 mile races that will take place between now and Sunday, the Kuskokwim 300 kicks off later this week.

The Willow 300 is joined by their little brother the Willow 150 and both races will take off together and run much of the same trail. Both are used as qualifiers for the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest and the 150 decided to allow junior mushers (ages 14-17) the chance to run. 

During today's mandatory vet checks, the mushers reported the temperature getting as high as 41 degrees. That's crazy warm for this time of year, and the forecast shows much of the same for the remainder of the week. There should also be rain mixed with snow on both Wednesday and Thursday into Friday. This will make the race a slog fest as in those temps and conditions the set trail is most likely to be slush on top of the packed trail. The lakes and rivers will no doubt have overflow like conditions. It will be warm, dogs will need to rest, booties will need to be changed more often, this race will be slower than normal. How much slower remains to be seen. 

There are 24 teams signed up for the 300 mile race, and 9 signed up for the 150. While they follow the traditional no bib number one in respect for the honorary musher, bib number 13 is also being left vacant, that's due to Lance Mackey being the honorary musher. Mackey won his first of four Iditarods with lucky number bib 13, the same number his brother Rick and father Dick won their Iditarods with. While it wasn't his bib number every year, it's a number many think of as Lance's, and it seemed only fitting they should remember him that way. Lance is honorary musher for both the 150 and the 300.

Even though there will not be a Fantasy Mushing competition this year for the Willow 300, we should still take a look at some of the top teams that are entered in the 2023 running.

Who to watch

Dan Kaduce - It should come as no surprise that Dan is on this list. The team of Dew Claw Kennel made sure people paid attention during the 2021 Iditarod and Dan hasn't looked back. Dan is one of the few mushers (one of only two) to be able to say they finished in the top 10 with all of their dogs in the Iditarod. He is one of the ultimate dog men, he cares for his dogs and they are time and again amongst the top teams in mid-distance and now long distance races. Expect Dan to be right up there in the top finishes in Willow.

Jason Mackey - Mackey may have the goods, but it's unclear if this is his year yet. He's been out of the running for several years, and this may end up being a rebuilding year for Jason. There's been a lot of upheaval for Jason with the passing of his brother and other personal issues, but you can't count a Mackey out. He had a decent showing in the Knik 200, and he'll look to build on that. It's possible he's running a lot on his name, but it's a good name to run with.

Nicolas Petit - Hey, remember when he posted after the Knik 200 that it was a "good run of winning" but now that was "over" and then he went to win the Copper Basin 300 like I warned? Yeah, at this point just ignore everything he posts about his race "strategy". Nic will be Nic every Nic-ing time. Expect him to get out in front and stay there. I'll keep saying it, he is the KING of the mid-distance race. He was supposed to run the Kusko, but chose last minute to stick closer to home. 

Ramey Smyth - The only name that seems to strike fear in a musher's heart when they find out that musher's behind them is Ramey Smyth. While most talk about Redingtons, Mackeys, and Seaveys, we should also be talking about the Smyth mushers. Their dad was another founding member of the Iditarod TrailBreakers and they KNOW. THEIR. STUFF. Chances are it's Ramey (or brother Cim) who wins the Safety to Nome fastest time award. Why? These guys pack running shoes in their sled, they are known for kicking up speed on the home stretch and they can pick off a ton of teams on their way to the finish. The only time I've ever heard/seen a Seavey get worried about a shake up in Iditarod standings is in 2012 when Ramey started charging up the coast and jumped over 10 places, he gained a lot of time and miles on Dallas. We know how that ends of course, but it sure made Danny Seavey sweat doing the math to see just how much of a threat he was. Ramey chose to run the 150 instead.

Travis Beals - Another team that was supposed to be at the Kusko this weekend, Travis decided road system would work better for his team. Expect him to use this as a trial run for his run at Iditarod. Being in South Central Alaska he'll no doubt have his team ready to deal with the somewhat warmer temps and slushy conditions, but he'll also be preserving his team for Iditarod so don't expect him to do anything wild and crazy. Beals is one of those teams that sticks to a plan.

Now that you've got an idea of who the front runners should be, what about watching the race sitting there at home (like I am, not judging at all. Armchair mushers unite!) I've got you covered with all of the ways to keep in tune with the race!

How to watch

Unlike the other races that have established media sources and big sponsorships that garner attention from outside media, the Willow 300 runs mainly by its volunteer staff to keep fans updated. Here are the links you need to know to be able to follow the race.

Official Website

A couple of years ago the Willow 300 went big league and got their own website, and it's a decent one! Lots of good information on the race as well as all the links on the front page to help you follow the race in real time, as best as possible. It's definitely worth a look. 

GPS Tracker

Beep, boop! That's right, we have trackers. Can't have races without trackers, right? No worries, trackleaders.com has us covered once again. Don't forget to jump on Wednesday morning to follow along! TRACKERS DID NOT COME IN IN TIME, THERE WILL BE NO TRACKERS FOR THIS RACE! Nevermind, they delayed the start to get the trackers.

Social Media

For the Willow 300, Social Media is the race's life blood. They post mainly to their Facebook Page, and they are sometimes active on their Twitter account at race time. They also share a few photos and posts on their Instagram Page. The official hashtag is, simply, #Willow300. Expect a live feed for the start and finish on their facebook page, and videos throughout the day.

Kale Casey is in Willow covering the race on his facebook page. Make sure to follow his page Kale Casey LIVE so that you don't miss whenever he goes live.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, January 24
9am-3pm Vet Checks
3:30pm Musher Meeting

Wednesday, January 25
10am Mass Start Changed to 2min interval start

Saturday, January 28
6pm Finisher Banquet & Auction

Who are you hoping to see finish first? Thoughts on the race? Comment below!

Comment below with any thoughts about the roster, or any corrections. If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

2023 Willow 150 musher roster

There are two races happening at once in Willow! Along with the 300 mile race, we also have a 150 mile race that also counts as a qualifier, and BONUS they now allow junior mushers to enter the 150! This is very exciting as there are fewer long races for junior mushers, so to have them be able to run a mid-distance race ahead of the Junior Iditarod is a huge boost to their mushing education. Not all of the teams are juniors, of course, but it's nice to see them young 'uns in the mix! (And watch out for the Emily Robinson! Don't let her age fool ya!)

There are a few recognizable names, but some many probably will not recognize, so this will be a fun one to learn about some of the up and coming teams in the next few years. Make sure to give them a follow on social media and cheer them on this week!

2 Emily Robinson (Robinson Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

3 Walter Robinson (Robinson Racing Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

4 Kelly Ridley (Lost Creek Mushing) - Facebook

5 Dries Jacobs (??) - Facebook

6 Brianna Blomgren (Team Bailey?) - Facebook

7 Samantha Lalonde (Ryno Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram

8 Artyom Krutikov (Team Petit?) - Facebook / Instagram

9 Ramey Smyth (Smyth Racing) - Facebook

The race starts same place and time as the 300. Look for a preview of the 300 later today (hopefully it's a slow day in the office so I can sneak some blogging in). Thank you to all who follow the blog, and request changes/extras. I do this for myself, but I'm also doing it for fellow fans!

*Edited to reflect the FINAL final roster. Added Smyth and took off two other teams. Sorry for the confusion.

Comment below with any thoughts about the roster, or any corrections. If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

2023 Willow 300 musher roster

Hope you got all of your chores done LAST weekend, race fans, because this weekend we are jam packed with sled dog action. Kicking it off will be the Willow 300 in, where else, Willow, Alaska. This is a very popular race for many reasons - mainly its central location in mushing central. 

The Willow 300 was created to fill a gap when other, much more established, races were starting to go by the wayside for one reason or another. With fewer qualifiers for mushers to use for Iditarod and Quest, something had to be done and the Willow 300 was born.

Unlike most other races, the Willow 300 determines bib number by sign ups. This year the honorary musher is Lance Mackey (they were the first to choose him, in fact). Instead of bib #1 being for Lance, though, they have #13 in honor of Lance. Lucky number 13 was the bib number Lance (and brother Rick, and dad Dick all) wore to win his first Iditarod championship.

There are currently twenty-four teams signed up for the race, which seems small compared to recent years but as stated previously they're having to compete with the Kuskokwim 300 for entries and the Kusko is stacked!

As always, this roster is subject to change up to go time on Wednesday, January 25, but for now the race roster is as follows:

2 Matt Randall (Rock On Racing) - Website / Facebook / Twitter
3 Jason Mackey (Mackey's Top Notch Racing) - Website / Facebook
4 Travis Vanderhoof (Dream Team Kennels) - Facebook / Instagram
5 Anna Hennessy (Shameless Huskies) - Facebook / Instagram
6 Juliah DeLoach (Oil Well Kennel?) - Facebook
7 Eric Kelly (Daybreak Kennel)- Facebook / Instagram
8 Kristy Berington (Seeing Double Racing) - Website / Instagram
9 Anna Berington (Seeing Double Racing) - Website / Instagram
10 Beckie Hacker (Dream Big Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
11 Michaela O’Connor (Dream Big Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
12 Calvin Daugherty (Seavey's Ididaride) - Website / Facebook
14 Millie Porslid (Running Sled Dogs) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
15 Jonah Bacon (Nautique Sky Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
16 Jonathan Hayes (Seavey's Ididaride)* - Website / Facebook / Instagram
17 Dan Kaduce (Dew Claw Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
18 Keaton Loebrich - can't find them online anywhere!
19 Mike Parker (Northern Whites Kennel) - Facebook 
20 Lara Kittleson (Seavey's Ididaride) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
21 Hunter Keefe (Redington Mush Alaska) - Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
22 Joshua Robbins (Evermore Adventures?) - Facebook / Outreach 22 / Kennel Facebook
23 Joanna (Jagow) Weber (Motley Crew Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
24 Nic Petit (Team Petit) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
25 Travis Beals (Turning Heads) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
26 Ramey Smyth (Smyth Racing) - Facebook

*Note that Jonathan Hayes is running Mitch Seavey's dogs in this race, however I have linked his kennel in Maine for this roster as there is more information at those links, plus he plans on running his own dogs in other races/The Iditarod, and they deserve some spotlight. But he IS running Seavey dogs for this qualifier.

Comment below with any thoughts about the roster, or any corrections. If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Petit and Sass race to the finish

The front runners for the Copper Basin 300 are in the home stretch. With just about 8 miles to go, Nicolas Petit looks to clinch the title once again as champion of the CB300. Brent Sass is a solid two miles behind the Big Lake musher, and is quickly running out of time to catch up much less pass. 

Petit took a moment from the runners this morning as he left the last checkpoint in Chistochina to send out a quick message reading simply, "Turned on the afterburners." For a musher who just last weekend conceded his time may have come to an end of being champion of mid-distance races, it seems his prediction was premature.

Or was it a prediction? Nic is known to enjoy playing mental games with his competitors (and tease his fans) and it appears that is exactly what he was trying to do after his third place finish in the Knik 200.

Seventeen miles behind Nic are Jessie Holmes and Matt Hall. Hall is down to eight dogs, Jessie has nine but also has the speed. Their trackers are not consistently pinging so it's difficult to tell who is actually ahead of the other at this point. 

Look for the finishers to begin arriving close to Noon Alaska time.

2023 Copper Basin 300 race preview

Glen Allen, Alaska is about to get busy and full of dogs as the Copper Basin 300 is set to kick off this weekend. As of January 11 there are twenty nine teams set to take on the most difficult 300 miles of Alaskan terrain for a sled dog race. That may or may not be hyperbole, but it WILL be one of the coldest races we see all year - CB300 has a reputation.

As teams head from their kennels to the starting line, the roster has had last minute changes and withdrawals as illness and injury have caused several teams to rethink their season. Most notably was the announcement out of Mitch Seavey's kennel that Jonathan Hayes, scheduled to run part of the Seavey A-team in the CB300, was swapping out for another handler's turn on the runners - Lara Kittelson. Hayes suffered a knee injury on a last minute training run and may be out the rest of the season, though the musher's hopes are high he will be ready to go for next weeks' Willow 300.

Also unable to make the CB300 is Ashley Dove who is currently working on her Iditarod qualifiers like Hayes. Dove ran in the Knik 200 with a team from Josh McNeil's kennel and the dogs have come down with a cough. McNeil reported that all dogs in the kennel are up to date on vaccinations and are showing mild symptoms, but they will not be running the Copper Basin. The right move. Weeks ago Amanda Otto swapped in for Jeff King who chose to not run this year's race after all.

A quick look at the weather forecast from AccuWeather has Glen Allen's high on Saturday at a balmy -11F. The race begins at 10am so the temp may be closer to the -18 they're predicting with the 5mph wind gusts adding to the cold. There shouldn't be much sun as they expect it to be mostly cloudy. This will be perfect musher weather, but if you're headed up that way you may want to bundle up and invest in some hand and toe warmers. By afternoon the wind will be a steady 5mph with slight gusts of 6mph. Fun times. I think I'll stay in and watch the trackers.

If you're reading this blog trying to finalize your Fantasy Mushing team ahead of the start, I've got you covered with some top names to watch.

Who to Watch

Brent Sass - The Iditarod and Yukon Quest Champion came in second in last weekend's Knik 200, but now we're closer to his backyard. While Sass is looking more towards Quest and Iditarod for his team to be in peak form, his dogs looked strong after the "awesome" trails they had in Knik. Expect him to at least stick in the chase pack to be in position to make his move and come out on top or nearly so.

Cody Strathe & Paige Drobny - The teams from Squid Acres will definitely be in the mix. It's unclear if they are splitting up the teams evenly with a mix of veteran and rookie dogs in both teams or if they are running and A and B team. Either way neither musher is an unknown to the top of the field and they could prove successful again here in the Copper Basin.

Jeff Deeter - Half of Black Spruce kennel, Jeff is not shy of the race circuit, and can always play a "spoiler" in the favorites' standings. He has more than an outside chance of coming in for one of the top places. 

Jessie Holmes - Team Can't Stop really can't. This will be Jessie's first big test to see how his recovery is going after having a close to death experience in Golovin this summer. The veteran musher and reality tv star had no doubt that he would make it to the starting line, but it will be interesting to see if he takes it easy or goes all in (and hopes his body holds together). He shared a few updates early on in training and it seems he hasn't missed much time at all with the dogs. Mushers are a different breed.

Matt Hall - The 2007 Yukon Quest champion is another who is no stranger to the crazy cold temperatures that the CB300 is known to throw at teams. While it does seem it may be a tad warmer thatn in years past, the Interior dog teams thrive on this race for a reason. This is just like home. Watch Hall to be another contender for one of the top placements.

Nic Petit - Nic took to facebook after the Knik 200 where he placed a respectable third conceding this season to other, faster teams. Whether that was hyperbole to fake his competition out or not, do not trust Nicolas Petit to not give it everything he's got. Expect him to be in that chase pack and make a move when he can. Do not trust the down and out posting.

Travis Beals - One half of the Turning Heads kennel in this race, be sure Travis has the main race team. His ultimate goal is Iditarod Champion, and to win that he has to have an unbreakable bond with the team he's taking to hopefully get there. Beals will be joined by his partner Sarah Stokey on the trail, but don't expect them to travel together (though if it does go that way, good for Sarah!) Travis and Sarah have withdrawn from the race.

There are five other teams I would also suggest adding to your fantasy team, they could all be spoilers to this whole field. Calvin (Leon) Daugherty is the son of "Lost Boy" Larry Daugherty and is running dogs out of Mitch Seavey's kennel, many of his team are looking to become the A-team for Christian Turner's Iditarod team, but Mitch typically sends his handlers (especially in their first season) to the races with very conservative schedules so he's a very outside shot - but he'll definitely finish (unless it goes to -60 again, then be prepared for a WD). Riley Dyche is another up and coming musher who has already made his mark in past seasons and could easily spoil those listed in the who to watch listing. Jeremy Traska is another solid musher and team that could find themselves in good position for a top placement. And the Vitellos, a father and son duo who are rookies to Iditarod, but not to mushing. 

But how can you watch if you aren't right there with the action? Glad you asked...

How to Follow

2022 marks the full return to whatever we call normal in the sled dog world. Thankfully while a lot of the world shut down in 2020-2022, mushing was able to continue with little change due to the remote nature of many of the races. This year it's back to normal routes, normal volunteering, and normal armchair watching. Here's how you can have the winning strategy to keep tabs on all the action.

GPS Tracker
The best way to make a mushing fan happy is make GPS tracking available, and the link should go live sometime after the bib draw on Friday. As always, this blog will be edited to add in that click for your one stop shopping for all things race following. TrackLeaders.com is once again supplying all of our GPS tracking obsession needs, you can find this year's map and teams here.

Radio Broadcast
KCAM Radio will broadcast the start beginning at 10am (or shortly before). If you're in the area you can listen to the broadcast on AM 790, or online through this link.

Social Media
Updates will most likely be posted on the race's facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. There may even be live video feeds, but there's been no promise that systems will work for the whole start. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #CB300.

KCAM normally posts updates throughout the weekend on the race on facebook as well. KTUU/Alaska's News Source is always good for a recap of the races.

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 13
10am-4pm Registration and Mandatory Vet Checks
5:30pm Mandatory Handler Meeting
6pm Mandatory Musher Meeting & Bib Draw
*Rookie Meeting follows directly after Bib Draw*

Saturday, January 14
10am - Race Start

Tuesday, January 17
6pm - Award Banquet

Will you be watching? Who are you hoping takes the win? Comment below with your thoughts!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).