Jessie Holmes Wins Copper Basin 300 Late Monday Afternoon

As of 6 pm Three Mushers Had Crossed the Finish Line Drawing of CB300 dog: Gail Niebrugge Update Monday Evening, January 12th The first t...

As of 6 pm Three Mushers Had Crossed the Finish Line

Drawing of CB300 dog: Gail Niebrugge

Update Monday Evening, January 12th

The first three mushers to cross the finish line at the Old Paths Church in Glennallen were: Jesse Holmes, Cody Strathe, and David Turner.

A very sophisticated tracking map and system allows everyone to follow each musher as they go around the race trail. An interesting feature just below the tracking map allow you to see the elevation of the different parts of the trail. So you can see each musher's position on the map of the Copper Valley, and also at what elevation they are in real time.

It is interesting to note just how much elevation gain and loss there is over the trail as a whole, which adds to the race's reputation for testing a dog team and driver over the 300-mile course.

The highest point is just past Excelsior Creek in the Alaska Range where the trail runs for a stretch at along just over 4,000 feet. (That's about the same as the Maclaren Summit of the Denali Highway.)

But the trail also has several times it is over 3,400 feet, and much of the trail is run at over 2,000 feet in altitude.

You can see the CB300 tracking map by

Clicking here.

The Copper Basin 300 starts in downtown Glennallen in front of KCAM Radio on Saturday, January 10th at 10 am.

The first checkpoint will be at Chistochina. Then it's on to Meiers Lake, Sourdough, Lake Louise Lodge, Tolsona Lake Lodge, and then back to Glennallen.

Here's the official map of the 2026 race:

According to the CB300 website, the race will go along the Glenn through Glennallen and turn left at the Richardson at the Hub.

Then it will follow the Richardson and cross under the Gulkana River bridge.

It'll head up the Tok Cutoff to Chistochina's Red Eagle Lodge. Posty's will be available with food, race officials say.

The race trail will cross Excelsior Creek 37 miles from Chistochina, and go up the high 4,085 foot summit called "The Hump" before continuing on to Meiers, Sourdough, Lake Louise, Tolsona and back to Glennallen.

The section between Chistochina and Meiers has always been extremely challenging – often windy and extraordinarily cold. Excelsior Creek has always been a place of concern.

Copper River History With the Journal

THE RACE WAS CANCELLED 30 YEARS AGO IN 1996 DUE TO EXTREME COLD WEATHER WITH DOWN TO MORE THAN 60 BELOW AT EXCELSIOR CREEK

In 1996, when 50 below zero temperatures occurred day after day, race officials put out the following press release and cancelled the race, with terrible temperatures at Excelsior Creek an important safety factor: