The Copper Basin 300 is a winter dogsled race held each January, beginning in Glennallen, Alaska. It covers roughly 300 miles through Alaska’s interior, the kind of terrain that tests both mushers and dog teams with cold, isolation and the wild. The CB300 is entirely volunteer-run and has strong roots in the local communities.
The race began in 1990 as a way to support local businesses in the slower winter months and at the same time honour dog mushing traditions in rural Alaska.
Because of the terrain, conditions and volunteer nature, the CB300 is often regarded as one of the tougher 300-mile races in the sport.
Jody entered the 2025 Copper Basin 300, as bib number 7.
For Jody, the CB300 is a big stepping stone. Running and finishing a 300-mile event strengthens both musher and sled dog team ethically, physically and mentally. It means dealing with the cold, checkpoints, dog care under fatigue, long nights and changing weather. It shows you are serious.
Also, for her story in particular, it connects back to the roots of mushing in Alaska’s native communities and interior villages. The CB300 passes through checkpoints in small Alaskan villages, and it is deeply tied to the land and tradition of winter travel, dog teams, and remote living.
When a musher like Jody, with an Indigenous background and genuine connection to the land, competes, it highlights how the sport still belongs to those original traditions and not just the commercial/race circuit version.
The 2026 Copper Basin 300 starts on January 10
