photo by Greg Lincoln
by Greg Lincoln
Pete Kaiser of Bethel is the 2023 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race Champion! He crossed the finish line at 12:26pm on Sunday, January 29, 2023 with 11 dogs after racing up to Aniak and back to Bethel. His total elapsed time was 41 hours, 56 minutes. This is his seventh K300 crown. Congratulations to Team Kaiser.
Sliding in to the finish line in second place was Matthew Failor of Willow with 8 dogs, his total elapsed time was 42 hours, 6 minutes. Failor is the 2019 Kuskokwim 300 champion and the elapsed time record holder.
In third was Eddie Burke Jr. of Nenana/Anchorage with 11 dogs in harness. He finished with a time of 42 hours, 46 minutes. He races for Alaska Wildstyle Mushing. He is the 2023 Knik 200 champion.
Taking the number four spot was Jacob Witkop of Salcha. This is his first run in the K300. His time was 43 hours, 24 minutes. He finished with seven dogs.
Rounding out the top five was Richie Diehl of Aniak. He crossed the finish line with a total elapsed time of 43 hours, 30 minutes and 8 dogs in the line. Diehl is the 2021 Kuskokwim 300 and Bogus Creek 150 champion.
The 2023 K300 featured a field of 21 teams. Vet checks took place on Wednesday and Thursday. Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures provided the musher checkpoint food drops. On Thursday night the K300 hosted the musher starting position selection at race headquarters at the Bethel Longhouse. Mushers chose their starting numbers in order of sign up.
The teams began their trek up the Kuskokwim on Friday night, January 27th, 2023. Race fans flocked to the frozen river in front of Bethel to cheer on the mushers and the dogs. The temps were a balmy 20s with snow falling. By Sunday the snow and ice began thawing due to the warm temps.
After the last team departed, everyone was treated to the Lead Dog Light Show fireworks sponsored by First National Bank. On Saturday night, the festivities continued with the K300 Concert with The Jangle Bees.
It was a traditional K300 start with mushers leaving two at a time from the starting chute on the river near First National Bank Alaska. Race emcees Myron and Andy Angstman provided commentary. Folks enjoyed the complimentary hot chocolate.
After leaving the starting chute, mushers traveled upriver to Straight Slough, then continued on upriver until turning onto the Gweek River. At roughly the 20 mile mark, teams turned onto the overland trail behind the villages of Akiachak and Akiak. Below Tuluksak they returned to the Kuskokwim River then through the traditional Tuluksak Checkpoint.
From Tuluksak the K300 followed its traditional route through Bogus Creek then on to Kalskag. From Kalskag mushers made their way to Aniak via the Whitefish Lake loop and then returned to Kalskag on the Kuskokwim. From Kalskag they followed the same route downriver to Bethel.
Livestream footage was provided by KYUK and the Lower Kuskokwim School District media students, you can view the live broadcasts at www.facebook.com/Kuskokwim300.
Race fans from throughout the world followed the mushers with their GPS trackers.
Kwethluk musher, 19 year old Jason Pavila, scratched from the race at the Tuluksak checkpoint on the way back to Bethel. News reports say that he suffered a fall and potentially injured his left arm.
Another musher, Twyla Eldhardt of Bethel, scratched also in Tuluksak. She and her dogs are good and were on their way back to Bethel by truck on Sunday.
Currently as of early Monday morning, one musher is still on the trail – Reese Madden of Nome. He arrived into Tuluksak at 9:57pm on Sunday night.
The mushers who competed in the K300, Bogus Creek 150 and the Akiak Dash will be honored and presented with their awards at the K300 Awards Banquet on Monday. Dinner will be served by Ravenous Enterprises.
2023 Kuskowkim 300 Race Results
January 27-30, 2023
Bethel, Alaska
Place/Musher Elapsed time
1 Peter Kaiser 41:56:00 11
2 Matthew Failor 42:06:00 8
3 Eddie Jr Burke 42:46:00 11
4 Jacob Witkop 43:24:00 7
5 Richie Diehl 43:30:00 8
6 Will Rhodes 43:31:00 11
7 Jeffrey Deeter 43:34:00 10
8 Dave Turner 43:41:00 6
9 Cim Smyth 44:53:00 10
10 Jessica Klejka 45:04:00 10
11 Nate DeHaan 45:06:00 9
12 Jackie Larson 45:48:00 7
13 Paige Drobny 46:09:00 11
14 Brent Sass 47:07:00 11
15 Lev Shvarts 47:59:00 6
16 Josh McNeal 50:38:00 8
17 John Snyder 52:14:00 7
18 Isaac Underwood 53:16:00 6
19 Reese Madden Inbound
Jason Pavila scratched
Twyla Elhardt scratched
