Info for Mushers

The 2026 Kuskokwim 300 is scheduled to start on Friday, January 23 at 8:00 PM.

Mushers should plan to arrive in Bethel on Tuesday, January 20 or Wednesday, January 21.
All mushers flying to Bethel for the race are required to bring a handler. Please review the Race Rules for a full outline of this requirement.
We recommend shipping dogs with one of our sponsors - Alaska Airlines, Ryan Air or Northern Air Cargo.
The K300 Race Committee provides lodging for visiting mushers with the help of volunteer hosts in the community. Please see the Race Rules for more details on lodging.
Finishers are required to attend the post-race musher meeting and Awards Ceremony and Banquet on Monday, January 26.
Mushers should plan to depart Bethel on Tuesday, January 27.

How are your trail conditions?

Weather in Southwest Alaska is best described as "erratic" and thus, our trail conditions change frequently, sometimes quickly and dramatically. You can expect a beautiful, well-packed trail, or ice, or water, or drifting snow or any combination of these elements and more! We can't report with any reliability on the race trail outlook until a few days before the race and even then, we might be crossing our fingers.

Is it a Whitefish Lake Loop first year?

Veterans know that we alternate the direction of the upriver portion of the trail each year. This year (2026) the race will follow the river from Kalskag to Aniak (approx 36 miles) and then follow the Whitefish Lake Loop on the way back downriver to Kalskag (approx 50 miles).

What are the distances between checkpoints?

Do you have "x" for sale in Bethel?

We do not sell dog food
We sometimes have straw available for sale but definitely recommend that you bring your own.
We do sell drop cables at the pre-race musher meeting
We do have HEET for sale (though most mushers don't find it's necessary during the K300)
We do sell a wide array of t-shirts, hats etc. which will be available for purchase at Race Headquarters throughout race week and at the Awards Banquet.

How do I get: from the airport to my host family's home?

to the starting line?

Our truck support volunteers are amazing and they will help you get everywhere you need to go (even if your cargo flight arrives in the middle of the night!). Please provide detailed arrival info when requested to help us make this run smoothly.

What happens to my dropped dogs?

Dropped dogs are transported from checkpoints to Bethel by plane or, when possible, by truck. Upon arrival in Bethel our Dropped Dog coordinator oversees the effort to reunite dogs and their mushers. Your handler will be our primary contact when your dogs get to Bethel.

Is there hot water available at checkpoints?

Typically, yes, there is hot water at all checkpoints but we can't guarantee this. We recommend that you bring a cooker to Bethel. Up to date information on the availability of hot water will be provided at the pre-race meeting.