Willow 300 Vice President: "There is no more board."

The last man standing has spoken, there's no one left on the board of directors for the Willow 300. Essentially, the race is no more as of this weekend. On the eve of registration, an announcement was made that put the final nail in the coffin. 

After a dramatic announcement over two weeks ago sent the Alaskan mushing community into a bit of a tailspin. Hyperbole, maybe, but when half of your board resigns in a single day with a reason of concern of the "morals and values" of the race - you maybe deserve a bit of hyperbole.

In response, Board President Al Eischens (who also played the part of Race Director/Marshall) wrote a statement shared by the FORMER social media page for the race where he offered to step down immediately. Eischens posted on September 16:

"To the membership of the Willow 300 Dog Sled Race.

Pursuant to and responding to the recent actions and internet posts by the former Board of Directors of said race, I Alan Eischens, after much consideration and concern for the race - which has always been uppermost on the minds of the BOD and mushers -  will gladly step down as Director of the race immediately.  In the interest and love of the sport I am sorry to see that there has been what I feel are misinterpretations and misunderstandings by some of the board members of the W300.

I will gladly step aside and let the membership of the W300 vote in a new board of directors from its current membership to continue this race.   We will gladly help with a smooth transition so as to facilitate a swift and easy transition to whomever is elected to take over.    I feel the new board needs to come from the mushing community and not board members who have previously stepped down.  I am sure a fresh BOD and approach to the race moving forward will be welcomed by all W300 members. My withdrawal from this race is effective immediately and I thank the membership for allowing me to try to make this race better.   God bless."

Essentially, with Eischens stepping down that left only a couple of members on the board according to the list on the race's website. According to that list, only two were left standing the VP and the Treasurer. With Eischens stepping down the writing was on the wall that there would most likely be no Willow 300 or 150 for the 2023-24 season. 

Then Saturday the Willow 300's official page posted yet another update on the race ahead of the October 1 opening of registration. A simple exchange between whomever runs the page and the last known standing board member Matt Smith. The question was what was to happen with registration day, Smith simply wrote back: "There is no board there is no race I resign my position".

With other races having opened registration earlier this summer, and a handful opening this weekend, fans may see an uptick in rosters for those races, but this further complicates many kennels' plans to qualify/train for Iditarod and Quests. The Willow 300 was a newer race, but one that was very popular and centrally located in an area that has hosted a race even in the worst of winters. 

Because of the latest happenings with the board, the race's website has been taken down. In response to a question of where the website went, someone with inside knowledge of the decision wrote "As a rule today October 1st was the 1st day for sign ups/payment to race. So this also prevents people from depositing money and it needing to be returned."

The only question remaining - at least by fans - has do do with Nicolas Petit's winnings. At this time, no one has responded to inquiries. 

Petit 'has a question' for the Willow 300 board, others speak

Nicolas Petit at the Iditarod Picnic.
Iditarod Headquarters. Wasilla, AK. 2023

Things are still very muddled after news broke this weekend that the Willow 300 had several board members announce they were leaving the board effective immediately due to the race "not going in the direction that aligns with our moral and values". As the comments poured in it became clear that the somewhat vague announcement was going to need more explaining. Mushers began asking questions, the board members who once were willing to let all questions flow through just one of them spoke up.

While those not in the know wanted to know more, it wasn't until Nicolas Petit asked questions publicly that they were answered publicly. Those that wrote to the resigned board members earlier in the weekend were essentially told that it had to do with "transparency". Some worried that the values and moral concerns had something to do with dog care, but when Nicolas Petit - the 2023 Willow 300 champion - entered the conversation it was made a tad more clear.

"Ok so Here’s my question…" Nic's post began. "For months now I’ve been trying to have the race reissue my check for this year’s first place prize." Petit's post noted that he had been irresponsible and misplaced the check for his winnings from this year's race. He gave a quick explanation of how he contacted race organizers asking for them to reissue. "At the time I was told “no problem but we on vacation so we’ll send it out when we get home”. I don’t want to nag people so I let time go by as I checked my mail box occasionally."

Nic does not give an exact timeline on how long he waited, however the Willow 300 runs in January, and we're now in Mid September. Petit reported that he did try contacting organizers again via facebook messenger and he was told that he would not be able to get his check until November because "they" were once again out of town. 

No one has named who is still in charge of the race. The website has not been updated with a revised list of Board of Directors. Of the website's list, if it is accurate, four out of the eight members are no longer members - if it's accurate as to who holds what title. 

Resigned member Juliah DeLoach responded to comments accusing those that resigned as being full of ego. "I just came on board in spring then we didn’t have meetings that I was aware of for a few months," DeLoach shared. "The bylaws were requested at the August meeting. It took until last week to get those from the directors. No one on the board knew the situation we were in when we attended the spring meeting and accepted nomination."

That new board members were not provided with bylaws, policies, and expectations at their initial join meeting is a tad odd for non-profits. Most organization give out some sort of "welcome packet" with all the necessary information and paperwork. Still, this is mushing, and in a sport where the champions misplace their winning checks, it should come as no surprise that things aren't done "normally". However, that several board members noted and commented on these issues and were essentially ignored as DeLoach's comments would suggest, is not a good sign.

Casey Randall who resigned as vice president earlier this year for similar reasons also took to the comments to explain frustrations. " There are a lot of great people, including all of the people who resigned tonight, who wanted to make this race awesome. If this is what is needed to make a better future race, then let’s work toward the future!" Randall has now turned her attention to the Willow Jr 100, which is a race separate from the 300/150 races with its own board and trail.

Randall, DeLoach, and others all brought up the fact that "transparency is key" to a successful board. At the core, that seems to be what the resignation is about - these members do not believe that those in charge are being forthcoming with the goings on of the race and its organization.

DeLoach responded to Nic saying that the board members who resigned want to see him paid and paid in a timely manner. Mushers who reached out to Karin Hendrickson in the hours after the original announcement (to which Karin posted all questions needed to come to her) reported that all they were told was that there was concern about transparency and to not plan on running a Willow 300/150 this year.

For Petit, he didn't want to see his questions used to further divide an already divided race. " I’d like to know what I’m supposed to do about this without causing any more trouble to the race. Thank you," the musher wrote, then continued "Also Thank you to all who have made this race great".

Ship Creek Lodge remained silent this weekend on the goings on with the race, but by all reports is still unwilling to be the meeting place or finish line for the 2024 race.

Juliah DeLoach added one final comment to those coming down harshly on the news. "Someone else stated that by so many resigning it makes dog mushing and racing look bad. We are trying to represent our sport by being good role models," she wrote. "We had no other course of action available."

Willow 300 board of directors implodes

The headline may be a bit of hyperbole, but the fact is that as of tonight - September 13, 2023 - there has been a massive upheaval with the board of directors of the Willow 300 sled dog race. Several members of the board and volunteer staff posted on the race's Facebook Page announcing their departure, as well as the departure of main sponsor and race host Sheep Creek Lodge. The announcement created a slurry of comments by fans and mushers, many of whom seemed to be taken completely off guard by the announcement.

"The current board of the Willow 300 Sled Dog Race 2023 is not going in the direction that aligns with our moral and values," the Facebook announcement stated. "Therefore Secretary Karin Hendrickson, Member at Large Melinda Crawford, Sponsorship and Volunteer Coordinator Catrina Mathis, membership Coordinator Marianne Schoppmeyer, and Member at Large Julia DeLoach all resign. Sheep Creek Lodge also withdraws all support as race headquarters and finish."

Karin Hendrickson, retired Iditarod musher and (now) former board secretary quickly took to her personal Facebook page to share the race's post stating that if any mushers had questions they could message her. Several mushers commented on the posts with concern and sadness as the Willow 300 in a well loved race by many in the sport.

Known for its well marked trails and strong purse. The Willow 300 came about in 2016 to fill the void left by several long time mid-distance races ending. The Willow 300 managed to run even in poor snow years that saw other races in its general area cancel or move. Sheep Creek Lodge provided logistics for the race as well as a finish line and housing for handlers. Now all of that seems to be over in less than ten years, and it's left fans and participants wondering why.

This is a developing story.

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 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).

2022 Willow 300 Musher Roster

Since its beginning five years ago, the Willow 300 has proved to be one of the most competitive and popular mid-distance sled dog races in Alaska. 2022 looks to be no different. There is also a 150mile race this year that also saw quite a few teams join up. The final roster (before, of course, the bib draw where we'll know the for sure, for sure roster) boasts 35 names, with the cap being 40. Until the Bib Draw (if they have one) I'll list mushers alphabetically. As I took this from the race's official list most teams have their kennel name attached. If this is a popular feature I'll add them to my other rosters going forward? Many thanks to the Willow 300 for doing most of the work! For now the roster is as follows:

Anja Radano (Swamp Dog Kennel) - Facebook
Anna Berington (Seeing Double Kennel) - Website / Instagram
Benjamin Good (Good Alaska Mushing Co.) - Facebook / Instagram
Cody Waterbury (Shameless Huskies Kennel) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook 
Dwayne Beals (Sled Dog News Kennel) - Website / Facebook 
Eric Kelly (Day Break Mushing) - Facebook / Instagram
Gerhardt Thiart (Seavey's Ididaride) - Website / Facebook 
Grayson Bruton (Seavey's Ididaride) - Facebook / Instagram 
Hugh Neff (Jim Lanier's Northern Whites) - Facebook / Instagram
Hunter Keefe (Redington Mush Alaska) - Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Isaac Teaford (Dallas Seavey Racing) - Facebook
Jeff King (Husky Homestead) - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Joshua Armstrong (Cim Smyth's Kennel?) - Facebook / Instagram
Joshua McNeal (Crooked Creek Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Joshua Robbins (Evermore Adventures?) - Facebook / Outreach 22 / Kennel Facebook
Julie Ahnen (Team Can’t Stop) - Facebook / Instagram 
Karin Henderickson (Blue on Black Kennels) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Kiana Korta (Trail Breaker Kennel) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Kristy Berington (Seeing Double Kennel) - Website / Instagram
Lara Kittelson (Seaveys Ididaride) - Facebook / Instagram
Matt Paveglio (Shameless Huskies) - Facebook / Instagram
Michael Dolinar (Sivo Racing) - Facebook / Instagram
Mitch Seavey (Seavey's Ididaride) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Nic Petit (Team Petit) - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Ramey Smyth (Smyth Racing) - Facebook
Riley Dyche (Dark Horse Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram
Shantel Wiley (Battle Dogs) - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram
Tonya Helm (Lost Creek Kennel) - Facebook
Travis Vanderhoof (Dream Team Kennels) - Facebook / Instagram
Will Rhodes (Mackey's Distance Racing) - Website / Facebook / Instagram

1/27/2022 - Edited to reflect two more teams withdrawn due to date change and/or weather. 
1/23/2022 - Edited to take off Brent Sass as he has withdrawn prior to race start due to a broken down dog truck. Thank you MeowVT for the heads up! 

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).

2021 Willow 300 Musher Roster

The season is rolling along, and we have another weekend of big races in the sled dog world. While the Willow 300 is one of the newer races (as in, less than 10 years old) it has become one of the most popular mid-distance races in Alaska. Not only is it used by veteran teams to train for the big races - but it's a race that sees a lot of teams looking to qualify for those races. This year is no exception even with all of the uncertainty brought on by that lovely little concern called Covid-19.

The Willow 300 does not do a bib draw, mushers are given the bib number in order of sign up (makes it easy for me as I don't have to come back and edit this list just hours before the start!) Of course, we won't know if all of these teams show up or are who they say they are until race day, but this is the roster as of January 29 February 1.

Willow 300 Musher Roster

1. Grayson Bruton - Website / Facebook
2. John  Lloyd - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram 
3. Dave Turner - Facebook*
4. Casey Randall - Facebook / Twitter 
5. Deke Naaktgeboren - Website / Facebook / Instagram
6. Jacob Witkop - Facebook 
7. Eddie Burke Jr - Facebook / Instagram
8. Amanda Otto - Facebook / Kennel Facebook / Instagram 
9. Misha Wiljes - Website / Facebook
10. Julie Nelson - Facebook 
11. Gerhardt Thiart - Website / Facebook 
12. Sean Williams - Facebook
13. Allen Lau - Facebook
14. Jessi Downey - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram**
15. Gabe Dunham - Website / Facebook / Instagram
16. David Hassilev - Facebook / Instagram 
17. Hunter Keefe - Facebook / Twitter / Instagram 
18. Nic Petit - Website / Facebook / Twitter
19. Rick Casillo - Website / Facebook / Instagram
20. Cim Smyth - Facebook
21. Jim Lanier - Website / Facebook*
22. Rebecca Rowin - Facebook
23. Julie Ahnen - Facebook / Instagram 
24. Victoria Hardwick - Facebook
25. Susannah Tuminelli - Website / Facebook / Instagram
26. Samantha La Londe - Facebook / Instagram
27. Elliot Hubbard - Website / Facebook 
28. Kai Leddy - Website / Facebook / Instagram
29. Linwood Fiedler - Website / Facebook / Instagram
30. Katie Timmons - Facebook*
31. Dane Baker - Facebook / Instagram
32. Anja Radano - Facebook / Instagram
33. Wade Marrs - Website / Facebook / Instagram
34. Michaela O’Connor - Facebook 
35. Karin Hendrickson - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
36. Eric Kelly - Instagram / Facebook
37. Lev Shvarts - Website / Facebook
38. Josh Armstrong - Facebook
39. Travis Beals - Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
40. Aaron Burmeister -  Facebook
41. Josh McNeal - Website / Facebook / Instagram
42. Adam Worsell - Facebook
43. Unknown*
44. Joshua Robbins - Facebook
45. Mike Dolinar - Facebook / Instagram

*Edited to remove teams who chose to Withdraw as of February 1. 
**Edited to add links for Jessi Downey (thank you Jae March) 

2021 Willow 300 Race Preview

Mushing fans are excited that, once again, we have a mushing weekend to celebrate. Covid-19 will not win against the sled dog season as  another race with a very healthy roster is set to get underway on Thursday. The Willow 300 in a relatively new race, but very popular among veteran and rookie mushers alike. The race came to be after several mid-distance races stopped running due to funding and lack of interest. They've had no problems filling their roster each season.

There were concerns the race would not run this year due to a lack of volunteers (a struggle this race has had since its inception), however an early season plea by the race saw a good number of people sign-up. With Covid-19 still a concern, the race adopted a similar mitigation plan to what the Copper Basin 300 implemented earlier in January. 

Because of construction at Willow Lake, teams will leave from Deshka Landing just a little way up the trail. With this change comes the change from starting with a Mass Start to the more traditional staggered start with teams leaving in two minute intervals with a mandatory rest with time differential. For a full look at the rules for this year's race you can read up at this link. 

As stated, the 2021 Willow 300 has a healthy (and FULL) roster of 45 teams. A good mix of veterans and rookies grace the list, so the Iditarod/Quest qualifier will be an exciting race to follow. As with most of the mid-distance races we can't be 100% sure who will show up on race day, but don't expect a lot of changes past today as they closed the window to switch out names at Noon. 

With so many teams, it makes it interesting for who will come in the top spots, but let's shake out a few of those teams that could easily take the top prize.

Aaron Burmeister - Burmeister is one of those solid teams who you can count to challenge for first place in many races. He's come close in the Iditarod several times in the last 10 years, and manages top ten finishes. Burmeister has a "puppy" team in this race as well so it's unsure if he'll hold back to keep an eye on his "rookie" musher or if he'll be racing, but I expect if things are going well Aaron will work to take the lead.

Cim Smyth - Never, ever, ever count out a Smyth. No one can close out a final leg like Cim (okay, except maybe his brother Ramey), it's been said he trades out his boots for running shoes. Cim is a five-time Tustumena 200 champion, so he's very capable of winning mid-distance races. Never, ever, leave him off of a prediction list. (I'm also wildly biased as I just think he's one of the really good ones all the way around.)

Dave Turner - Dave is also a former Tustumena 200 champion (winning the very last running of that race) and has steadily risen up the ranks of other mid-distance races. Expect him to run for the lead and stay there. He's run against and beaten several of the teams listed here, so it's anyone's guess how he'll do in this race.*

Julie Ahnen - It's not every day you want to put a rookie musher who's working on qualifying for the BIG race up as a team to watch to win, but she's proven that she has a team and the knowledge to be right up there with the big names. Running Jessie Holmes' team doesn't hurt either. Ahnen really challenged Nic Petit in the Copper Basin 300 and had the possibility of beating him if not for a mistake in calculating her differential (a classic rookie mistake). Do not expect her to make that mistake a second time.

Nicolas Petit - Another speed demon on the trail, Nic just won his fourth consecutive Copper Basin 300. He's almost always near the top when he's racing. Look for Nic to continue that streak in this race. There's not much more to say, he seems to be the king of mid-distance right now, and it's doubtful to change any time soon.

Travis Beals - Travis is part of that up and coming now they're here group of mushers proving time and again that you don't have to be an old dog to win these races. The musher from Seward named his kennel Turning Heads, and he certainly has over the years. Expect Travis to be near the top at the finish.

Wade Marrs - New Dad Wade Marrs is looking to start his season off strong in his backyard. Another solid front of the pack team, expect Wade to be there with the others and could easily take a win away from anyone who makes even the minor-est of mistakes. (Plus he has this super cute puppy named Stitch so he wins all the awards from me!)

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

Unlike the other races, the Willow 300 just has a web page as part of the Willow Dog Musher Association's website. It holds links to the official rules, the tracker map, the forms and applications for mushers, and ways to sponsor the race (including purchasing a mile of the trail for $30.)

GPS Tracker

Where would we be without our wonderful GPS trackers from TrackLeaders.com?

Social Media

For the Willow 300, Social Media is the race's life blood. They post mainly to their Facebook Page, but are also active on their Twitter account at race time. They also share a few photos and posts on their Instagram Page. Expect a live feed for the start and finish on their facebook page - though they have not announced that to be planned. 

Start begins at 11am (a one hour difference from years past) on Thursday, February 4, at Deshka Landing up in the Willow, Alaska area. As with all of the races during Covid all other festivities have been canceled and they ask that spectators keep away from all official checkpoints and staging areas.

So there's your 2021 rundown, hopefully this helps a little in choosing your Fantasy Mushing team. Who are you cheering for? Comment below with your favorites.

*Edited to acknowledge that Dave Turner has withdrawn from the race.

Mid-Distance sled dog races open for registration

Several mid-distance races opened registration last weekend for their 2021 races. With all of the uncertainty in 2020, fans wondered if races would see a slow start to the season - but the worry was all for naught. Every race has seen a very healthy return of applications, some are even full. Even with the uncertainty of travel, teams from Canada and the Lower-48 plan to come up to Alaska for the racing season. Alaska wasn't the only state to see races come alive for registrations.

The John Beargrease opened registration for it's different classes (with the 120 being full), with many familiar teams returning for another go at the Lower 48's premiere race. The Pedigree Stage-Stop race also opened registration with several familiar names on the roster. 

The Willow 300, which earlier this fall announced they were unsure they would be able to put on a race due to lack of volunteers, filled out within minutes. The race capped its number at 45. Willow 300 is one of the few races that does not do an interval start. Teams line up for a mass start on Willow Lake, though some choose to hold back and give their teams room to run. It makes for an exciting bit of race action for anyone watching.

The Kuskokwim 300 - which starts and ends in the Western-Alaska town of Bethel - also opened registration and is boasting the largest opening day of registration roster to date with many of the sport's top names. With Covid being a very real possibility for concern leading into 2021, Bethel has already been very pro-active in how they plan to make sure this race is safe for everyone. It's still early in the season, but this race is shaping up to be the one to watch. The Kusko always delivers an exciting race. 

Copper Basin 300 opened up registration, with 24 teams signing up on opening day. The CB300 is known as the coldest mid-distance race and offers many challenges for veteran and rookie teams alike. The 2020 race was nearly called off mid race due to cold, with many teams choosing to scratch at the first two checkpoints because of weather reports. This year there's a good balance of veterans and rookies hoping to take on the course.

The Yukon Quest has had to restructure for the 2021 race due to border and financial concerns. With Covid-19 a persistent issue, the race decided it would not be feasible to try to hold the traditional thousand mile race, and the lack of funds made running two 300 mile races difficult. However the Alaska side of the Quest has decided to hold the Yukon Quest 300 and have renamed it the Summit Quest, recognizing that the Alaska 300 trail goes over several of the famous summits of the Quest trail. 20 teams signed up on the first day. Several popular Quest teams are in the mix, including former Champion Hugh Neff. 

New race "Sweeps" also opened up registration this past week and announced two sign ups. First to register is DeeDee Jonrowe who retired from competitive dog mushing several years ago (do mushers ever really retire?) as well as Iditarod Champion Jeff King. Sweeps has a very expensive entry fee of $4000 to help build a giant purse payout. However, this is a steep price and it is unclear if there will be enough teams to make the race viable (the race states it needs 25 teams to sign up and race at minimum). 

Of course, all (except the Beargrease 120 and Willow 300) are still open for registration - as is registration for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Most races will keep registration open through December, the season is shaping up to be an exciting one. 

Which races are you excited to follow? Who are you rooting for? Who are you hoping to see sign up for some races? Comment below!

Willow 300 needs volunteers

September into October often sees many sled dog races start to amp up their social media presence (if they have one at all) with updates on race dates and registration links. It's not often that a race starts asking for volunteers to commit to shifts so soon, but that's what the Willow 300 did on Tuesday. The Willow 300 is a fairly new race in Alaska - having started in 2017, but having to cancel in 2019 due to weather. The race returned in 2020, but has always struggled for man power. 2020 saw a small field of volunteers having multiple duties all at once. There was talk of burn out, but the love of the dogs and sport kept them in the trenches. 

Wanting to improve the quality of the volunteer experience, as well as address burn out and safety concerns, the Willow 300's 2021 race is contingent on volunteer sign ups. The teams to run the race are there, but they need the infrastructure to successfully continue one of the few races in South Central Alaska used as an Iditarod and Yukon Quest qualifier. 

"Urgent: Please spread the word.
We want more than anything to hold the Willow 300 Sled Dog Race this year, but if we can be frank, we need more volunteers to make it happen. Experience, no experience, all are welcome.
The last few years we have managed on fewer volunteers than we really should have. We never jeopardized safety, and we never will, but this year, due to not only Covid but the strain of everything else that is ongoing, many of our regular volunteers may not be able to assist. Due to travel constraints, essential employees needed where they are and economic reasons, many volunteers will have to sit out this race.
If you can help, in any capacity, we need a firm commitment of the day or days, hours you can give us. We can take it from there once we have people who are willing to commit. We will see where you can be placed and work with you to make it happen.
We can't stress enough the urgency of our need. Will you help keep a tradition alive?
If so, please contact us by pm or contact Marshall at 907-707-9254. Call or text is fine.
If you are a musher and have friends or family that can volunteer, we appreciate you sharing our call for help. 🙂
The dates of the Willow 300 are Thursday, February 4 - Sunday, February 7, 2021. Volunteers are also needed the day before and after the race dates.
Thank you in advance for helping us keep a wonderful tradition alive." - W300 Facebook

The volunteer positions will mainly fall to Alaskans with the pandemic still hanging over the race season. While the Willow 300 has not stated what - if any - special accommodations they have planned depending the state of Covid by February, several other races have given details into how they will keep contamination to a minimum. The Yukon Quest has cancelled their Canadian version of the 300 - which originally was going to be in place of the 1,000 mile race - and on the Alaskan side they've renamed the 300 race to the Summit Quest. Iditarod put out a statement this weekend saying that they are planning for several options dependent on the severity of the Covid-19 Pandemic by March and how villages feel. The Kuskokwim 300 gave the most detailed plan this week on how they plan to allow teams and volunteers to travel into the Western Alaska town and villages. 

With travel still limited, it may be a great way to encourage Alaskans to stop thinking of Hawaii and instead take up some volunteering with the state's official sport. If you are interested in volunteering for the Willow 300 contact Marshall at 907.707.9254 for info. 

2020 Willow 300 Race Preview

One of the newer races in Alaska, the Willow 300 came about as a way to give mushers another option to Qualify for the Iditarod after so many races were being called off due to poor weather conditions or cancelled entirely for lack of participation. Started in 2017, the Willow 300 quickly became one of the most popular races by rookies and veterans alike.

The Willow 300 has some unique qualities to their race, there is no Bib Draw - the order of registration & payment determines the bib number of each team. The Willow 300 is one of two Iditarod Qualifiers in Alaska to start with a Mass Start where all teams leave the starting line at the same time - no need to do math for time differentials. For teams not confident in a mass start, they have the option of waiting until the chaos clears and they will take off shortly afterward. There is no real advantage or disadvantage doing the start either way - it's all a matter of preference.

37 teams are set to leave Willow Lake at 10am on Thursday. For some of the big name teams this is another way to evaluate their A-listers to see who will make the final cut for Iditarod, others will use this as a training run for the more inexperienced pups. There are quite a few familiar faces in this weekend's line up, fan favorites, and a healthy list of names working to finish qualifying for the thousand mile races. So who are some of our front runners? Let's break it down.

Jeff Deeter - The frontman for Black Spruce Kennel wasn't originally signed up for the race, and his wife KattiJo was... however after watching their team run in the Copper Basin Jeff decided he wanted a crack at running the dogs before he takes them down the Iditarod Trail. Jeff is one of the young guys that was really made waves in the last few years in the sport, and could prove to be one of the top teams in this year's Willow 300.

Lance Mackey - Lance may have won the Red Lantern at this year's Kusko 300, but don't expect that to be the plan in Willow. While Lance may choose to take it easy again in this run, it's also foolish to count him out. It will be fun to see the four-time Quest and Iditarod champion in the mix.

Linwood Fiedler - With the roster that we have, I expect Fielder to have a solid run. Fielder is a consistent top 30 Iditarod finisher, with more top twenties than thirties.

Nic Petit - Not having the inside scoop on Petit's plan for the Kusko meant I guessed he'd be a front runner when that clearly was not his plan. This time, though, the team and musher have had sufficient rest and recoop before this race and I expect Nic to take command early and hold onto it.

Ramey Smyth - The Smyth teams are fast, strong, capable, and know how to win mid-distance races. Expect Ramey to stay with the leader and push strong at the end. Don't be surprised if he pulls off a win.

Cim Smyth - A late entry to the race, Cim Smyth is not expected to be late to the finish. Like Ramey, he knows how to get his team to kick it into high gear in the final push. Smyth is a multiple time champion in the difficult Tustumena 200. Look for him to have a strong race in Willow.

Kristy & Anna Berington - They are really coming together as a kennel with strong results last season. It's unsure what their plan is for the Willow 300, so they're my wildcard for this race. Most of the time the two race together, so that can sometimes hold them back from taking the top placements, but in a race like this I expect them to do very well.

Karin Hendrickson - Another wildcard. I expect her to be in the mix.

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
Unlike the other races, the Willow 300 just has a web page as part of the Willow Dog Musher Association's website. It holds links to the official rules, the tracker map, the forms and applications for mushers, and ways to sponsor the race (including purchasing a mile of the trail for $30.)

GPS Tracker
While they may not be "sophisticated" to have their own website and a lot of cool features, this race does have the beloved GPS Trackers by Trackleaders. Click here to see the GPS Tracker map.

Social Media
For the Willow 300, Social Media is the race's life blood. They post mainly to their Facebook Page, but are also active on their Twitter account at race time. They also share a few photos and posts on their Instagram Page.

You'll also want to follow Kale Casey Live on Facebook because he will have a live feed of the Mass Start at 10am (AKST) on Willow Lake. Sled Dog News also plans to go live for parts of the race, so make sure to follow both.


The race kicks off at 10am on Willow Lake, Teams will start showing up about two hours before that. Who are you cheering for? Comment below with your thoughts!

**Edited to correct information on the mass start - the Kobuk 440 also starts with a Mass Start - and to add Cim Smyth to the list.**