Big Lake musher bests star-studded field, wins Kuskokwin 300 race

BETHEL —Big Lake’s Rohn Buser raced to the front of a star-studded field en route to making Kuskokwin 300 history Sunday.

Buser, a Wasilla High School graduate and son of four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Martin Buser, used an elapsed time of 41 hours, 12 minutes and 2 seconds to win the grueling 300-mile race, which leads teams from Bethel to Aniak and back.

Buser finished about a half-hour ahead of defending Iditarod champion John Baker, the runner-up with a time of 41:43:48.

Rohn also finished ahead of a pair of four-time Iditarod champs. Lance Mackey was fifth and Martin Buser finished ninth.

Willow’s Ramey Smyth was seventh and Wasilla’s Ray Redington Jr. finshed 12th.

According to the race website, k300.org, Rohn Buser, 22, is the second-youngest musher to win the race. Rohn and Martin Buser also become the first father and son to both race to titles. Martin Buser won the K300 in 1994 and 2007.

Rohn Buser, who finished with 10 dogs, earned $20,000 with the win.

Kuskokwin 300

Final results

1. Rohn Buser 41:12:02, 2. John Baker 41:43:48, 3. Paul Gebhardt 41:59:16, 4. Richie Diehl 43:12:09, 5. Lance Mackey 43:38:26, 6. Aaron Burmeister 44:17:48, 7. Ramey Smyth 44:18:16, 8. Scott Smith 44:26:56, 9. Martin Buser 44:41:16, 10. Mike Williams Jr. 45:07:39, 11. Pete Kaiser 45:09:44, 12. Ray Redington Jr. 45:44:44, 13. Ken Anderson 48:34:50, 14. Louis Ambrose 49:32:01, 15. Mike Williams Sr. 50:18:03.