Willow has a new mushing king

Eddie Burke Jr. crossed the finish line last Monday afternoon to win the very first Su Dog 300 sled dog race. He rolled into Willow at 4:06 p.m. with 12 dogs still in harness after grinding through 300 miles of winter trail.

This race replaces the old Willow 300 and brings mid distance mushing back to the Willow in a big way. The course pushed teams over long climbs and technical stretches near Talkeetna, and Burke said parts of it felt like X Games mode on a sled.

His team was a mix of young dogs he has been building up for bigger mileage, and they held steady when it counted. The inaugural race filled up fast, showing there is still strong energy around competitive mushing here in Alaska.

This win stacks onto a hot season for Burke, adding another major finish to his 2026 run. With crowds lining the Willow trails, it felt like a new chapter just started for this race.

New race, new title, same Alaska grit.