In 1963, the U.S. Post Office Department honored Chester Noongwook of Savoonga, on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. He was the last mail driver...
The race has been delayed by weather conditions - see update at the Klondike 300 site.
Get your tickets (while they are still available) to the 2009 Wells Fargo Mushers' Drawing Banquet to take place on Thursday, March 5th at the brand new Dena’ina Center in downtown Anchorage. This is the first time for this banquet that the venue is large enough to hold every Iditarod fan who wants to attend. We’ve been turning people away for years. So come join us this year! Dress is casual. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The program and dinner begin at 6 p.m. The dinner menu consists of boneless short ribs, salad, vegetables and desert. (Vegetarian meals available upon request.)Seavey early this morning wrapped up his second consecutive Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, coming from behind on the last stretch to win in 38 hours, 30 minutes, just eight minutes faster than Martin Buser of Big Lake.The Kuskokwim 300 site has complete race updates.
Jeff King of Denali Park, who led earlier Monday, slipped to third, 90 minutes behind Seavey.Seavey's second consecutive Kusko victory was his third overall in the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race, earning him $20,000 of the $100,000 purse. Only King, who has won eight times in Bethel, owns more Kusko titles.
Wet, warm weather that's blanketed much of Alaska forced organizers of the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race to postpone today's scheduled start.
The 30th running of the $100,000 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, due to begin at 6:30 tonight, has been pushed back to 3 p.m. Saturday, with the shorter Bogus Creek 150 now due to start and hour later.
Some racers and organizers feared this week's warm-up would turn the race into a rerun of last year's "Kusko-swim" that turned the 300-mile trail from snow to water in 24 hours, pinning two mushers down 50 miles from the finish line and putting more than a dozen snowmachines underwater.
Alaska Airlines is to be commended for it's unbelievable work in accommodating dogs and people through the entire ordeal. Ticketing, reticketing, moving dogs, working so hard to get dog teams and mushers into Bethel. Our flight included Jeff King, John Baker, Mitch Seavey and dogs, Ken Anderson and his dogs and Martin and our team. The service provided makes Alaska Airlines one of the most unique in the business, remaining flexible and working hard to get people and dogs where they need to be safely. We can't thank all the Airline people associated with this flight enough. They worked overtime and went way beyond the regular duties to make this trip as managable as possible.
...as usual, the Kusko field is stacked. Entrants include:
• Four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King, whose eight victories in Bethel make him the winningest Kusko musher in history;
• Fellow four-time Iditarod champ Martin Buser, who has prevailed twice at the Kusko;
• Defending champ Mitch Seavey of Sterling, who last year earned more prize money in a single season than any musher in history. In addition to the Kusko ($20,000), Seavey was seventh in the Iditarod ($48,000) and won the All-Alaska Sweepstakes' $100,000 winner-take-all jackpot.
• Ken Anderson of Fairbanks, whose second place in the Yukon Quest, followed by fourth in the Iditarod, suggest he's poised for a championship breakthrough.
All are chasing the winner's $20,000 share of the $100,000 purse, mushing's biggest prize after the Iditarod and Quest.
For his time on the trail he’ll take home 25% of the $18,000 purse, or $4,500, and his name will be added to the base of the handsome race trophy. Previous winners of the Copper Basin 300, billed as “the toughest 300 miles in Alaska,” are listed at the CB300 website.
Among the front runners who also left the Sourdough checkpoint in the running for first place position were Hans Gatt, Brent Sass, and Allen Moore, three time winner of the CB300.
Congratulations, Lance!
No one in sight behind him! Photos in a few minutes…
Team crossing the Richardson Highway
