2024 Copper Basin 300 musher roster

The "hardest 300 mile" sled dog race is this weekend and it has a healthy roster of veterans and newbies alike. While all of the mushers have many miles under their belts, there's a big gap between experiences. We have a couple of Iditarod Champions, several rookies, and all those in between. Famous family names, a couple of "reality stars" (who are more than just an Alaskan version of the Kardashians)... and all of them are gearing up for a 300 miles race known for its tough trails and frigid cold temps.

We'll discuss that all in the race preview in the coming days, but let's look at the roster as it stands. Note that if you go to the race's web page they still have withdrawn mushers listed, but this roster has taken them off - as well as two names that have announced on their social media pages that they are not planning to run after all (Brent Sass and Matt Randall). So this roster may not look like the official one, however once bib numbers are drawn we'll know who all will be racing and the roster will be updated on the blog to reflect those changes.

Without further adieu:

Honorary Musher (Bib 1) Tim Taylor

Bib	Musher	Kennel	Link	Link	Link
2	Daniel Klein	Redington Mushing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
3	Jacob Witkop	Piledriver Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
4	Hunter Keefe	Redington Mush Alaska	Website	Facebook	Instagram
5	Nicholas Petit	Team Petit Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
6	Kelsey Winters	Can't Stop Racing Kennel?		Facebook	Instagram
7	Sadie Lindquist	Seavey's Ididaride	Website	Facebook	Instagram
8	Lara Kittelson	Seavey's Ididaride	Website	Facebook	Instagram
9	Cody Strathe	Squid Acres	Website	Facebook	Instagram
10	Kristy Berington	Seeing Double Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
11	Joey Sabin	VOA Racin	Website	Facebook	Instagram
12	Emily Ford	Shameless Huskies	Website	Facebook	Instagram
13	Tony Angelo	Bella Kennel		Facebook
14	Jessie Holmes	Can't Stop Racing Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
15	Matt Hall	Silver Ace Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
16	Justin Olnes	ReRun Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
17	Josi Thyr	There & Back Again Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
18	Samantha LaLonde	Dallas Seavey Racing		Facebook	Instagram
19	Sydnie Bahl	Dream a Dream Kennel	Website	Facebook
20	Elke Hall	Silver Ace Sled Dogs	Website	Facebook	Instagram
21	Dallas Seavey	Dallas Seavey Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
22	Jonah Bacon	Nautique Sky Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
23	Treven Hunter	Dallas Seavey Racing		Facebook	Instagram
24	Michael Dolinar	Happy Trails Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
25	Misha Wiljes	WW Kennel	Website	Facebook
26	Lauro Eklund	Skookum Expeditions	Website	Facebook	Instagram
27	Annette Llanes	Honky Tonk Kennel		Facebook	Instagram
28	Paige Drobny	Squid Acres	Website	Facebook	Instagram
29	Michael Parker	Northern Whites Kennel	Website	Facebook	Instagram
30	Sean Williams	Alaska Mushing School	Website	Facebook	Instagram
31	Brent Sass	Wild & Free Racing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
32	Matt Paveglio	Werewolf Mushing	Website	Facebook	Instagram
33	Calvin Daugherty	Seavey's Ididaride	Website	Facebook	Instagram

Edited 8:30pm January 12.

Who are you excited to see on the list? Predictions? Comment below with your thoughts and who you're cheering for!

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.  

Redington first into the halfway point

Knik Lake is bustling with activity tonight as teams come charging into the checkpoint and their mandatory six hour (plus time differential) rest. First in was Iditarod Champion Ryan Redington driving a "young team". Redington was a wildcard in the race when it was revealed he was giving his A team to Wade Marrs to run while he took a "puppy" team out. According to Ryan's kennel page, the puppy team is actually a few of his young dogs combined with some dogs out of his father's kennel - so not an entirely green team... well... other than the Ryan Redington Green.

By 9pm the first ten teams were into the checkpoint - joining Redington were Josh McNeal, Ed Hopkins, Amanda Otto, Dave Turner, Brent Sass, Emily Robinson, Michelle Phillips, Eddie Burke Jr, and Travis Beals. 

Because of start order, Brent Sass should be first out of the checkpoint at 2:32 Sunday Morning, just seven minutes behind him will be Jr. Mushing superstar Emily Robinson. The junior musher has dominated many of the races she's entered both junior and combined. According to her racing kennel page this is her "biggest race to date", but it doesn't seem to have fazed her as she isn't just hanging in there with the big dawgs, she's dominating. At the start Saturday Morning fans noticed her controlled demeanor and focus. 

Teams will continue to come through the late night and should all be in by the time teams start to leave early Sunday morning. You can keep up with in and out times from the Knik 200's spread sheet.

There was one scratch today, Matt Randall was forced to scratch after sustaining a "race ending" knee injury. Randall was working on his Iditarod qualifiers, and the Knik 200 was going to complete his requirements. 

There's about five hours left before the race starts up again and takes it to the next level. Once the mandatory rest is complete the playing field will be level and it will be whoever is first across the finish line who wins. 

Redington leads Knik 200 into first checkpoint

The "puppy team" of Ryan Redington came into Eagle Quest 1 Checkpoint alongside Josh McNeal's team at 1:55pm Alaska time. At about 45 miles into the 200 mile race, it's far from a declaration of his intentions, but it still had people talking for much of the day as they watched Ryan's tracker stay in the lead or very close to it.

Ed Hopkins rounded out the first three into the checkpoint just three minutes behind. Ryan had the fastest time into the checkpoint by about three minutes when you factored in the time differential. Redington reportedly grabbed straw and plans to camp somewhere in the 55 miles from the checkpoint to the halfway point back on Knik Lake where a mandatory 6hr+time differential rest awaits the teams.

Redington's team is made up of a combination of young dogs from his kennel plus dogs from his dad's kennel as well as one from Hunter Keefe. While it's still not sure what Ryan's plans are, it looks like he'll fall back a bit once he decides where to camp on the trail. 

The front runners are at least 4.5 hours until the halfway point judging by trackers. It'll be an early morning start tomorrow for many off of their differential. 

Dryland in September

I know, it's November, but I never shared my favorite shots from the morning I spent at the Chugiak Dog Musher Association's Dryland races at the end of September. I was in town for Scott Hamilton's Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer (and yes this fangirl cried because Scott Hamilton was RIGHT THERE) and then my wonderful friend Meredith Mapes twisted my arm to have me come snap some pics of her and her canine friends doing what they love.

I wasn't able to stay for the full day, but I did get some shots that I'm pretty happy with. Enjoy.

Kuskokwim 300 Race Board announces purse increases

The Kuskokwim 300 Race Board which governs not only the famed K300 but also the Delta Championship Series of races released a statement today with news that they would be increasing the purses of all of their races "substantially." The press release this afternoon broke down the increases for each of the three "big" races as well as giving numbers "for the rest" of the races. They weren't joking, the increases are substantial.

The Kuskokwim 300 sees a $25,000 increase in purse. The K300 pays out to the top 25 (out of 30) teams. The winner of the 2024 Kusko is guaranteed $28,500 - $3,500 more than last year. The other 24 "in the money" placements will also see pay increases. The Bogus Creek 150 purse saw a $15,000 increase, topping out now at $75,000 with the champion winning $12,000. The Akiak Dash which takes place the day after the start of the Kusko 300 saw a $10,000 increase bringing the total purse to $40,000 with the champ getting $5,500. All other races have purses of $25,000. You can see the breakdown of purses via a PDF provided on the race website.

The Kusko is not the only racing organization to boost the purse payouts. The Iditarod announced ahead of opening their 2024 registration that they had increased the purse by $50,000. The increase was the first for the Last Great Race in six years, and credited the fundraising efforts of the Iditarod Board of Directors.

For the K300 races, a lot of the fundraising comes from "rippies"/pull-tabs, but also come from very generous sponsors in the Kusko-Delta region. This is the first time in five years that the Kusko board has raised purses. 

The Kuskokwim 300 race has a rull roster of 30 teams set to race on January 26, 2024. 

As always, 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).

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".

Roster Run Downs (Pt 1)

Several mid-distance and junior races have opened registration for their races in the last couple of weeks. The Kuskokwim 300 capped their roster about ten days after opening. The Knik 200 closed their roster after just 48 hours. Copper Basin 300, John Beargrease, Yukon Quests Canada and Alaska, and the Can-Am have also released updated roster lists. 

Instead of trying to keep up, this blog decided to do a run down of all of the initial sign ups here. Let's get to it, shall we?

First up on the run down is the ACE Race. While an "unofficial" race for the season - as in it isn't used as a qualifier for anything other than the qualify that it's the start of the race season - it's one of the most popular races according to mushers and fans alike. It's not one to easily follow as there are no trackers, no checkpoints, and the only updates one can find are the ones on their Facebook page, still, it needs to be included on all mushing fan's radar.

The true kick off of the season will be the Knik 100 which will take place December 16, followed a few weeks later by the Knik 200 on January 6. Both rosters are FULL just 48-72 hours after opening registration and there are wait lists.

Minnesota's Gunflint Mail Run opened registration on November 1, and according to their website their roster of 15 teams is already full. They've not updated their website or social media with a current list of teams, however, so keep an eye open! This is another race that begins on January 6 - so just don't plan on doing anything but following multiple trackers and social media pages.

January 13th will host the start of the Copper Basin 300 - the COLDEST 300 miles of sled dog racing. This is another popular race in Alaska, though the race has yet to fill its roster (to be fair it caps at 50 which is the largest of the mid-distance rosters). Still, the roster is already getting fan buzz considering some of the names signed up. We'll let you guess who might have caused that.

Boasted as Oregon's only Iditarod/Quest qualifier, the Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race also has open registration for its race. The 100 mile race is already full with a waitlist, but it looks like the 200 still has some space (the 200 can be used as a qualifier for the bigger races in Alaska/Canada). You can keep up with the lists by visiting their website. The races begin on January 18.

The Pedigree Stage Stop race has opened registration and they put the roster on the main page of their website. Pretty easy to find, check it out. The first stage begins January 26.

The 40th running of the John Beargrease Marathon is FULL. You can take a look at the rosters of each of the miled races on their website! It's quite exciting. The race kicks off on January 28.

The Femundlopet opened registration this fall as well and it has its rosters for its different miled races on its website. You'll have to translate it into English, but there's a lot of great info on the race that begins February 7.

Caledonia Classic, which kicks off February 2, has their roster on their website.

The Klondike Dog Derby, also starting on February 2, has a FULL roster with an overflowing wait list. You can see all the registered names, and those waiting, on their website. A lot of very recognizable names DIDN'T get their paperwork in in time to have a guaranteed spot!

Yukon Quest Alaska has its rosters up on their website, you'll appreciate that they include kennel names and links (it's catching on)! The races take off February 3.

Yukon Quest Canada also starts February 3 (so sad when mom and dad can't get along, isn't it? The kids shouldn't have to choose which parent to love more.) They have their rosters on their website. Neither Quests are full. 

And to end this somewhat long blog, we'll feature the Willow JUNIOR race. This is NOT affiliated with the now defunct Willow 300 race, and that's a positive considering junior races are harder and harder to find these days. They took to facebook to share their current roster.

Check back soon for part two of the run down. But, for now, which of these rosters do you find most exciting? Who are you excited to see signed up? Which race is your favorite? Comment your thoughts below.

Do you like having an easy to find list like this and want to see them continue? 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.