Battle of Round Mountain

The Kuskokwim 300 is among the more highly regarded mid-distance dogsled races in Alaska, annually attracting some of the top mushers in the sport. The race starts and ends on the Kuskokwim River in Bethel, Alaska, and is run on and adjacent to its namesake river.

History

Often referred to as the "Kusko 300", or "K-300", the race has been held every January since 1980 (except 2021 which was held in February), and commemorates an early mail route that once tied the settlements along the river to the outside world. Top mushers and hundreds of sled dogs participate in the race for a purse of $160,000, the largest offered by any 300-mile (480 km) sled dog race.

The race is renowned for its often difficult weather and trail conditions. The inaugural race saw a fierce blizzard with dangerously low windchills for the first half of the race, followed by a freak thaw and rain for the latter half. Three separate K-300s (1991, 1999, 2008) earned the nickname "Kusko-Swim", due to strong winds, rain, and deep overflow on top of the river ice.

2021 will see the race be rescheduled for mid-February, avoiding Super Bowl LV.

List of race winners

External links

• Official website
• 2010 Kuskokwim 300 results
• "Kotzebue musher Baker pulls away to win Kuskokwim 300", Anchorage Daily News