Eddie Burke, Jr. is a musher on the rise.
Burke won the Knik 200 mushing race on Sunday by coming from behind to top some of the biggest names in the sport.
Eddie Burke Jr. at the finish line. Photo courtesy of Knik 200.
Burke completed the two-lap course in the Mat-Su Valley in 25 hours, 16 minutes. That placed him 11 minutes ahead of 2022 Iditarod champion Brent Sass and 31 minutes ahead of 2022 Knik winner Nic Petit.
Burke credited his dogs, including leader Blunt, and others in a Facebook post.
“Blunt and the gang have done it again! I am so proud of these guys! I asked and they gave me everything they had!” Burke exulted. “10 of these boys and girls have been training and racing with me since the beginning. They’ve gone from puppies to bad asses and it’s been a incredible thing to watch over the past 3 years.”
Burke, 33, is an Anchorage native who trains out of Alaskan Wildstyle Racing Kennel in Nenana and is mentored by veteran mushers Aaron Burmeister and Tony Browning.
“Aaron and Tony have built a incredible program with a tremendous breed of dogs. Their mentorship has played a major role in our success,” Burke said on Facebook.
After serving his 6-hour layover at the halfway point, Burke left Knik Lake in fifth place 20 minutes behind Petit, the leader. He eventually passed Petit, Sass, fourth place Hugh Neff and fifth place Michelle Phillips to take the crown.
The race was extremely tight the second time through the Eagle Quest Checkpoint at Mile 147, where Burke led Sass by just one minute with Phillips five minutes back, Neff six and Petit 10. Burke, who was fourth at the Knik 200 last year, then held them all off with a strong final push.
Burke earned $3,500 and a trophy while Sass, a Knik 200 rookie, took home $2,500 and Petit earned $2,000. Twenty of the 26 mushers who started reached the finish line.
“I’m super proud of the young group of dogs that did an amazing job! I had never raced 9 of them and it was really fun to see them get better with every step!,” Sass said on Facebook. “Huge thanks to the Knik race organizers for putting on an excellent race! It’s fun to be around true dog people!”
The event is officially called the Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race. The course was modified to a lollipop shape of about 100 miles that mushers completed twice.
“Due to trail conditions on the river (open water, shelf ice, etc.), we are sorry to announce that the Knik 200 will not be able to go to the Sheep Creek Lodge for our Halfway Checkpoint,” race organizers posted on January 3.
Trail conditions were good with a temperature near zero at the start and colder on some sections of the course. The route traveled on forested trails, through frozen swamps, on rivers and included some hills but no major climbs. Mushers were treated to sunny skies on Saturday with views of Mount Susitna (Sleeping Lady) and a near full moon that night.
Burke, 33, only started racing in 2021. He placed 3rd in the 2022 Kobuk 440 and is signed up for this year’s Iditarod. He’ll next race the Kuskokwim 300 in Bethel on January 27.
The competitive mushing season continues this upcoming weekend with the Copper Basin 300, where Sass, Petit and Jessie Holmes are among the entrants.
Cover photo by Julia Robinson/Northern Wonders Photography.