Kuskokwim 300 

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Competitive Field  of K-300 Mushers Set to Race

A star-studded field of racers will assemble January 20^th, for the 27^th run of the Kuskokwim 300 in Bethel.  Included in the field of 25 mushers are 10 of last year’s top 15 Iditarod finishers, and numerous champions from the Iditarod,  Yukon Quest,  and Kuskokwim 300. 

Race chairman Myron Angstman rates the field highly.  “We believe this is the strongest batch of long distance teams ever assembled for any race other than the Iditarod,” Angstman said. 

One musher, Cliff Wang, of Lincoln Montana has withdrawn from the field.

December 22, 2005

Alaska Airlines to once again Sponsor the

“Walter Williams Best in the West Award”

Alaska Airlines has once again signed on as a major race sponsor of the Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee.  Its sponsorship includes, round trip tickets from Anchorage to Bethel for the K-300 vet crew, a pair of tickets for the winner of the Eddie Hoffman Humanitarian Award, a pair of tickets for the Race Committee to auction as a fundraiser and a pair of tickets for the popular “Walter Williams Best in the West Award.”

In 2002 Alaska Airlines and the Race Committee created the Walter Williams award as a way to show support for local teams who enter the K-300.  Often local teams have a hard time competing against the extremely tough field of K-300 mushers, which usually includes Iditarod Champions and Yukon Quest Champions.  The Walter Williams award, which consists of two round trip tickets to most Alaska Air destinations, will go to the highest finishing K-300 musher from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.   Walter Williams raced in the first K-300 finishing in 13^th place, in all he competed in 7 Kusko 300s.  Williams was a very colorful character, he has been described as the “Mohammed Ali of Western Alaska Sled Dog Racing.”  Walter’s brother Mike Williams won the first award in 2002, since then winners of the award have been Tomas Isrellson of Bethel, Willie Ekmrak of Akiachak, and Stanley Walker of Grayling. 

Mike Williams remembers his brother as a fierce competitor, who was out to show the world that racers from the Y-K Delta could compete against the best mushers in the world.  One of Walter’s mushing goals was to win a Kusko 300 title.  He was never able to attain that goal.  Walter Williams passed away in 1996.

 Walter Williams K-300 Race History:

Archived Press Releases:

Trail Change Notice 12/1/05