2025 Kobuk 440 to feature fresh snow, mix of mushing experience
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Dogs and mushers will go for one last ride in the Kobuk 440, the mushing season finale in Alaska, when 13 teams take off in a mass start in Kotzebue on Thursday.
While the lack of snow and poor trail conditions have altered or canceled dog sled races throughout the state this year, there is no shortage of snow on the Northwest Alaska trails.
“The course looks good, we’ve got lots of snow, it’s been snowing quite a bit even the last couple of weeks, so plenty of snow,” Paul Hansen, the President of the Board of Directors with the Kobuk 440 said. “We’ve been getting snow the last few days, so it is hard to tell if that is going to have time to set up or if it is going to make for slow conditions.”
The field features a healthy mix of fan-favorite mushers and up-and-comers in the sport. The “top dog,” Jessie Holmes, is coming off his first Iditarod victory and is very familiar with these trails, competing in his 8th Kobuk 440, winning the race three times, including each of the last two years.
Veteran musher Hugh Neff won this race in 2022, while Kristy Berington has 13 Iditarod finishes under her belt and will be running much of the same team her twin sister, Anna Berington, ran during the 2025 Iditarod. Those three mushers have a combined 34 Iditarod finishes.
Other familiar faces include Iditarod veterans Lauro Eklund, Anna Hennessy, Rohn Buser, and popular musher Quince Mountain, who made his second attempt and finished the Iditarod last month.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Adam Lindenmuth | Caswell, AK. Kobuk will be longest race thus far. |
| Jody Potts-Joseph | Upper Yukon River. 2nd place in 2025 Yukon Quest Alaska. |
| Hugh Neff | 2022 Kobuk champion. 13-time Iditarod finisher. |
| Sam Paperman | Seward, AK. Ran Jr. Iditarod in 2020. |
| Sadie Lindquist | Seavey family friend. Former Seward High Runner/Skier |
| Kristy Berington | 13-time Iditarod finisher. 1st Kobuk 440. |
| Jessie Holmes | 2025 Iditarod Champion. 3x Kobuk Champion (2017, 2023, 2024). |
| Anna Hennessy | 2024 Iditarod finisher. Shameless Huskies Kennel in Willow. |
| Quince Mountain | Kobuk finisher. Lead dog is Dora. |
| Rohn Buser | 2x Kuskokwim 300 champion. Son of Martin Buser. |
| Lauro Eklund | 2x Iditarod finisher. Two Rivers, AK. |
| Kevin Hansen | 4th place Kobuk 440 finish in 2021. |
| James Bourquin | Seattle, WA, now Kotzebue resident. Multiple Kobuk finishes. |
From Kotzebue, teams will take a northern trail to Kiana and Ambler before Kobuk, the halfway point. Teams will take a southern trail on the way back that sees stops in Shungnak and Selawik before the double checkpoint of Noorvik ahead of the Kotzebue finish.
While other races may be considered “fan favorites,” Hansen says the Kobuk 440 is a musher — and community — favorite.
”We don’t have the biggest purse of mid-distance races in the state but I think what keeps people coming and what keeps the race alive is the strong, local support,” Hansen said.
“Dog mushing has a strong tradition here in the region. Years ago, when life was different, you had to have dogs if you wanted to eat or get anywhere ... The region really supports it and loves to have folks up. One of the things I know mushers look forward to is getting prizes made by locals in the villages, all sorts of hand-sewn crafts and that sort of thing,” he added.
The 2025 Kobuk 440 will take off in a mass start from Kotzebue at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, where you can follow the race at kobuk440.com.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
