KNOM’s staff and especially its volunteers are busily covering the distinctive, rural Alaska sled dog and snowmachine races that captivate and inspire Western Alaska each year.

Sled dog races like the Kuskokwim 300 and the Yukon Quest traverse the rural wilds of Alaska and tap into one of the most cherished traditions of the state’s first peoples. KNOM broadcasts help listeners keep tabs on their favorite mushers, some of whom hail from their hometowns.

There’s similar excitement for the epic Iron Dog, a long-distance race in mid-February that takes a favorite pastime of the sub-Arctic — running snowmachines — and turns it into a pro-level competition. KNOM follows this race closely.

Stay tuned for more on race season: in particular, KNOM’s coverage of perhaps the most well-known Alaskan race of them all, the Iditarod.