Will Rhodes takes first in the Knik 200

The Knik 200 Joe Redington Senior sled dog race has concluded.  This year’s winner was Will Rhodes of Two Rivers, who completed the race in twenty hours, seventeen minutes, and ten seconds.  Second place went to Ben Harper of Wasilla, whose pace was just under an hour slower than Rhodes’.  Robert Redington of Knik took third.  In total, thirty teams ran in the Knik 200, and twenty-six of those finished.

Like many mushing events this winter, the Knik 200 faced difficulty due to lack of snow.  The race was postponed, but there was still not enough snow cover near Knik to satisfy race organizers.  Ultimately, the race’s course was altered. This year, instead of beginning on Knik Lake, the race began at Deshka Landing in Willow.  Mushers made two round-trips between Deshka and Yentna Station to complete the 200 mile course. The race is a qualifier for both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.