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!

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Twenty teams already signed up for 45th Kusko

In just 48 hours of opening registration, the Kuskokwim 300's roster is 2/3 full. This is the 45th year for the beloved Kusko race, and it seems it's a not to miss event again this year. With registrations coming in quickly, the race took to their Facebook page to announce that mushers still contemplating entering better hurry as there were only ten spots left. The race traditionally limits the roster to 30 teams so as not to overwhelm the communities involved in the race. Unlike many of the mid-distance races, the Kusko is not "on the road system" and so villages rely on local volunteers to keep the race going.

With the smaller roster, it always makes for an incredibly competitive and coveted race. So far for the 2024 Kusko there are three former Kusko champions in the mix as well as two Iditarod champions. There are two women currently signed up, and six rookies line the roster. Several local mushers are in it, including the champion of the newly formed Delta Championship Series (which, don't worry fans, it will return this season). 

Here's the list of names as of October 12, 2023 at 9pm:

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

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

Mushers have until December 31 to register at the $400 fee, after which it will be $800 to register (if there are spots available). 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.

Who are you most excited to see sign up? Who are you hoping joins the roster? Any early predictions on who takes home the prize? Will Kaiser Re-PETE for an eighth time? Comment below with your thoughts.

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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!

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.

Picnic Photo Highlights

I apologize for the lateness of the photos. I was hoping to upload them to a facebook album and share them that way, however their latest greatest changes have made it impossible for me to upload anything! Computer is a total 0 after many tries over the last month and I have to fight often for hours just to post a photo from the cell phone. So for now we'll have the highlights on the blog and then eventually I'll make an album in my professional portfolio.

Rookie Lauro Eklund signs up for his first Iditarod and is all smiles.

Hunter Keefe and Isaac Redington keep tabs on the registration
lists for both the Iditarod and Jr. Iditarod.

Rookie Isaac Teaford sits down to register. He will drive a team
from Dallas Seavey racing kennel, but won't be alone in that...

Yes, that's Dallas Seavey getting a hug from daughter Annie as he
signs up to run Iditarod 52!

More under the break. :) 

Twenty six teams sign up opening day for Iditarod 52

Mushers, Volunteers, and fans came together Saturday for the annual Iditarod Picnic and Musher Sign Ups. Musher registration opened at 9:30am and it wasn't too long before social media was abuzz as the first names popped up online. By the end of the day, 21 mushers would sign up in person with 5 sending theirs online. 

Alaska has been under some very wet weather since at least April (and if you count all the snow accumulated all winter and how 2022's summer ended we can safely say it's been nearly a year of WET), but the sun broke through the clouds with only a light breeze. While the gathering still felt small, it was the general consensus that the overall look and feel of the picnic this year was far more positive. As names were added to the list under the registration tent excitement grew. As always, mushers hovered near to get a glimpse at how many were on the roster in direct competition for winning back their entry fee. 

By noon there were ten names signed up in person and three online. Last year fourteen signed up in person with eight choosing to send in their application electronically. Last year there were no Iditarod champions on site at HQ during the picnic, this year there were three. The atmosphere felt different, nearly normal. Aside from a still smallish crowd, and the fact that the teacher's conference was being held in the lower 48 this year, the picnic felt very similar to those from the last 50 years.

Riley Dyche was first in person to sign up - not surprising as he is running tours at HQ this year and was hard at work throughout the entire picnic giving rides to guests at $10 a pop. Rookie of the Year for 2023 Eddie Burke was next, with several rookies behind him. Fan favorite Hunter Keefe is once again running dogs out of Ramie Redington's kennel. Dallas Seavey Racing was on hand at the picnic as rookie Isaac Teaford signed up for his first Iditarod followed by the Five-Time Iditarod champion.

That's right, Dallas's "taking time off until my kid doesn't think I'm cool" plan is over... his daughter turns 13 in another month and hinted that she's ready for dad to get back to racing. Still, it was surprising when he took a seat at the table and handed over his already filled out paperwork and credit card over to the crew.

Brent Sass made the drive down to throw his hat in the ring. The 2022 Iditarod Champion chose last summer to register from "somewhere on a beach", but this year he decided to do so in person. As his "Wild and Free" truck pulled into the parking lot the tables were buzzing in anticipation. 

Also buzzing was Barbara Redington who kept tabs on the Junior Iditarod sign ups (her grandchildren both signed up at the picnic, racing each other to see who would get that number one slot... Ellen won) as well as trying to find out where her son - reigning champion Ryan Redington - was. Dressed in a button up shirt (with sponsor logo Inukshuk Dog Food), Ryan finally made his way into the picnic to sign up. Ryan was all smiles as he was greeted and congratulated by friends and fellow mushers.

Jessie Royer made her way back to Iditarod last year after the pandemic kept her away due to border issues, but this year she was able to once again attend the picnic. She reported that she was very sore as she had an accident with her horse and was pretty bruised up. She was all stories and smiles at the picnic, though, and if she didn't tell you about the accident you wouldn't know.

Seeing Double Racing Kennel were all present for the picnic, but only Anna Berington signed up to run Iditarod 52. Anna was overheard saying how she and Kristy plan to split the races this year due to the make up of the kennel this year.

Registration in person closed at 2:30pm with the drawing for which two mushers would win back their entry fee being held at 3pm... at about 2:58pm Nicolas Petit arrived to sign up. Petit was giving tours and hoping to have a sponsor to be able to make the entry fee - it took a little longer than he thought but he made it and after a quick talk with officials he was allowed to make the roster before they announced the winners of the raffle.

Rookie Joshua Robbins won the dog food ladle and dog dishes, Dallas Seavey won 500 dog booties.
And then what the mushers were all waiting for, the entry fees, were decided - Eddie Burke Jr. and Brent Sass were able to get their refunds same day this year. Brent was overheard saying that it was worth the drive!

Mushers caught up with each other, as they also celebrated the number of dogs going back to 16 (Jessie Holmes responded with "as it should be!"). CEO Rob Urbach made his rounds chatting with most of the mushers. At the end of the picnic he announced that there was a Musher Incentive program they would have this year where each musher would be getting their own link to share to sell Insider subscriptions and other Iditarod merchandise with a percentage to be shared with the musher.

21 mushers signed up in person, 5 online. Of those signed up officially on the first day, 8 are rookies. There is known to be at least one more musher who has sent in their application, so expect the list to grow in the next few days as rumor is there are several that didn't make the official list today (applications in the mail/sent in after closing of registration today).

Riley Dyche
Eddie Burke, Jr.
Josi Thyr (R)
Connor McMahon (R)
Jason Mackey
Jeff Deeter
Hunter Keefe
Lauro Eklund (R)
Isaac Teaford (R)
Dallas Seavey*
Jessie Royer
Jessica Klejka
Brent Sass*
Gabe Dunham (R)
Mille Porsild
Joshua Robbins (R)
Anna Berington
Jessie Holmes
Ryan Redington*
Travis Beals
Mats Pettersson
Rob Cooke
Bryce Mumford (R)
Erin Altemus (R)
Matt Hall
Nicolas Petit
* Notes past Champion
(R) Notes Rookie status

Iditarod Picnic and sign ups set for Saturday

Jessie Holmes and Dan Kaduce chat at the 2022
Iditarod Picnic & Sign Ups. Iditarod HQ.
June 25, 2022

Happy Summer Solstice, IditaFans! We're nearing the end of June and with that comes the final Saturday of the month being the kick off for the next Iditarod. No, teams are not running any time soon to Nome, but they are dreaming big as the official opening of registration for next year's race opens Saturday morning at 9:30am Alaska time.

The Picnic is a thank you to the countless hours put in to make the race successful each year by the numerous volunteers throughout the State of Alaska. Located in Wasilla at the Iditarod Headquarters, it is an informal but festive get together for mushers, volunteers, and fans to chat with one another in the relaxed Alaskan setting.

Though the picnic is about the volunteers and feeds over one hundred people each summer, there's some very serious stuff going on as this is also when mushers show up to through their hat in the ring for the next Iditarod. Mushers that sign up in person and stay through the whole picnic are eligible to win their entry fee back as well as possible other door prizes (typically dog food and other items for mushing purposes). 

The Iditarod Headquarters is a popular tourist destination throughout the summer, with tour buses coming in regularly to stop and drop off vacationers wanting to learn about the last great race. This does not take a holiday on picnic day, so adding them into the mix makes for a very busy and bustling day for those working the gift shop inside HQ. 

Most years there are also dog cart rides run by an Iditarod kennel. These happen the entirety of summer and, like everything else, do not stop just because the picnic is happening. For years the Redingtons (most recently Raymie and Barb) conducted the tours, but after "retiring" from the gig in 2021, it's now Riley Dyche's party this summer. Not only do visitors get to take a ride, they also get to meet the dogs and often get to snuggle puppies. What's not to love, right?

Attendees can also expect to see a few "old timers" from the early days of Iditarod. Often you'll see Dick Mackey and Dan Seavey attend to swap essentially the same stories about those first few years of Iditarod. Both have seen their mushing legacy continue in their children and grandchildren and both can boast of their accomplishments (Dan is father to Iditarod Champ Mitch Seavey and grandfather to Iditarod Champion record holder Dallas Seavey, Dick Mackey is father to Iditarod Champions Rick Mackey and the legendary Lance Mackey). There are always several Redingtons on hand and we often see fan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe stop by to check in.

The great thing about the picnic is everyone is laid back and you can easily snag a relaxed photo with your favorite musher and get autographs. There are door prizes for volunteers attending, some old Iditarod memorabilia and some are door prizes donated by the kennels. No matter the weather people are in a good mood and everyone is eager to see who puts their name on the list.

If you're local, stop by. Even if you aren't a volunteer it's a nice way to learn a little bit about the race and maybe catch the volunteer bug. If you're visiting Alaska and are traveling through Wasilla be sure to make a stop at the Iditarod Headquarters. Even if you miss out on the picnic, there's still a good chance you'll run into a musher or two any day of the week (anyone bitten by the Iditarod bug can't seem to stay away). If nothing else you can get you some IditaSwag and maybe snuggle a puppy (but man they will frisk you before you leave if they think you tried sneaking a puppy in your pocket).

The one thing EVERYONE will be wondering throughout Saturday is who and how many will sign up for Iditarod 52. While registration is open through November, the biggest surge is always opening day. Who do you hope will sign up, or who do you expect to sign up? How many teams do you think will sign up opening day? Comment below with your thoughts or if you're planning to attend the picnic! (and if you see me I'm shy but please don't hesitate to come up and say hi. I just don't initiate conversation, but I don't mind holding conversation!)

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).

Iditarod raises purse ahead of 2024 race

After six years of no purse raises that saw inflation play a pivotal role in the shrinking numbers on the roster, the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) announced Saturday that they had raised the overall purse for the 2024 race.

With just a week away from the opening of registration for the 2024 Iditarod, it's quite obvious that the ITC hopes that this will boost opening day sign ups. Last year's race saw the smallest roster in race history with just 32 taking off for Nome, and only 21 signing up at the picnic. One of the top reasons given by teams as to why they didn't sign up was because the financial strain training and entering the race is on most kennels. 

The ITC announced an additional $50,000 to the TOTAL purse to include the "special awards" (like Humanitarian, First to the Coast, Most Inspirational, etc.) They have not given a breakdown as of yet how the purse will pay out but announced the purse for 2024 will be $574,000. If they hold to the traditional purse break down, the majority will go to the top 20 finishers before giving the rest of the field $1049. 

The Iditarod stated:

"This increase was a result of a commitment and subsequent fundraising effort by the Iditarod Board of Directors. “Given that the pandemic and inflation disproportionately impacted our mushing community we feel it is very important to increase the prize purse at this time. We realize more is needed to further defray the increasing costs of maintaining an Iditarod kennel, but this is the start of what we hope will be our ability to further increase the purse,” said Mike Mills, President of the Iditarod Board of Directors."

The release also promised more announcements on fundraising initiatives to support the Last Great Race coming soon. 

Sign ups for the 2024 Iditarod open on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 9:30am (Alaska Time). Mushers may sign up in person or online. At this time (Monday, June 19) the Iditarod's link to the "2024 Information for Mushers" link does not work, so it will be interesting to see when that goes live to see rules/entry fees/etc.

What do you think of this announcement? Do you think this will be enough to see a surge of sign ups this year? Any guess as to how many sign up Saturday? Comment below with your thoughts!

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