With the start of the 2018 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race just a week away, 22 mushers have signed up to compete, but one of them has switched places with his alternate.
According to race manager Madelene Reichard, Mike Williams, Sr., has selected his alternate, Thomas Carl, to race in his place for the 39th running of the K300. Besides this registration swap, the newest musher to add their name to the list was Jessie Holmes.
In the months leading up to Holmes’ second K300, he has participated in other sled dog races, like the 2017 Kobuk 440, which he won this year. Holmes has been mushing since 2004 and is currently signed up to run this year’s Iditarod for the first time.
The 2018 Kusko 300 begins at 6:30pm next Friday, January 19th. Keep listening to KNOM for more information about this year’s race and who is where on the trail.
Update, 4:35pm Friday 1/12/2018: According to K300 staff, Mats Pettersson has elected to drop out of this year’s race before it even begins. The current list of registered mushers is now at 21.
Image at top: file photo: Mike Williams, Sr., speaks to KNOM just after his finish in the 2013 Iditarod. Photo: David Dodman, KNOM (2013).
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Jessie Holmes would be a rookie in the 2018 K300. In fact, Holmes is slated to run the race for the second time in 2018. The error has been corrected.
