Willow 300 off and running

WILLOW — "This is the newest race of its kind in the area and is on track to be the largest middle distance roster this year in Alaska," said well-known Mat-Su musher Wade Marrs about this weekend's inaugural run of the Willow 300 sled dog race.

More than three dozen mushers gathered at Willow Community Center Friday for the start of the three-day event. Teams departed heading west across Willow Lake. The race was set up in five legs. It included 18 hours of layovers with one six-hour stop at the end of leg four. The race has a $15,000 purse which will be divided among the top five finishers.

After the noon start at the Willow Community Center, the first run of 50 miles wends through the swamps of Big Lake, to the gas line trail and on to the end of Point Mac Road. From there, the second 50-mile run took musher across Flathorn Lake and on to the old Iditarod Trail, across the Big Su River onto the overland trail to Talvista Lodge. Heading southeast, teams and mushers headed down the Susitna River to Deshka Landing for the longest run of the race — 75 miles. Race checkpoints include: Knik Lake, Yetna Station, Talvista Lodge, Deshka Landing, Sheep Creek Lodge, and Willow Community Center. From Deshka Landing teams dropped back onto the river heading north up the Big Su to and along the Kashwitna River and into Caswell. From there, racers followed the trail into Sheep Creek Lodge checkpoint — a 55-mile total to finish up leg four. The 70-mile home stretch took the teams along the Willow trails to Corral Hill and back to the finish line at Willow Community Center.

Those wishing to watch the mushers' progress can check out the race's webpage w300ak.com and click on the race tracker link. Live music is scheduled for tonight, from 9 p.m. to midnight at the Sheep Creek Lodge. The lodge will also host Sunday evening's awards banquet starting at 7 p.m.

The event ties in with the second week of Willow State Winter Carnival which has its own list of events for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's events included among other things a vintage snow machine race starting at 11 a.m. and poker run beginning at noon. Sunday's offerings include a 25k bike, ski, or run, homesteader events and a tug of war contest.

Contact reporter Chris Ford at 352-2270 or

chris.ford@frontiersman.com