Diehl leads Kusko 300, Bailey leads Summit Quest 300 in dueling sled dog races
Author: Anchorage Daily News
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On a day offering two mid-distance sled dog races in Alaska, Richie Diehl of Aniak held a narrow lead late in the Kuskokwim 300 and Jodi Bailey of Chatanika owned a narrow lead early in the Summit Quest 300.
Diehl is among 13 mushers racing for a fat purse of $160,000 in the Kusko, one of the most prestigious mid-distance races in the sport. The race started Friday evening in Bethel and is expected to end there Sunday morning.
Five teams, including six-time champion Pete Kaiser of Bethel and nine-time champion Jeff King of Denali Park, had made their third of four stops at a checkpoint near Tuluksak by 7 p.m. Saturday. They’ll visit the checkpoint one more time before making the final run to the finish line.