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2006 Winner, Lance Mackey leads the pack of 18 teams. A newly formed organization, the Kobuk 440 Racing Association is preparing to host the annual Kobuk 440 Sled Dog Race with a mass start in front of town in Kotzebue on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 4 pm. Eighteen teams have entered the 2007 race with last year's winner, Lance Mackey, leading the pack.

Also signed up are Paul Gebhardt, Martin Buser, Ramy Smyth, Hugh Neff, Ed Iten, Tollef Monson, Louie Nelson, Robert Nelson (Louie's son is a rookie), Rick Swenson, Kelly Williams, Noah Burmeister, Karlin Itchoak, Melanie Gould, Ken Anderson, Raymond Wood, Henry Horner, Jaime Nelson

This popular distance race covers 440 miles and will be routed from Kotzebue to Noorvik, Kiana, Ambler, Shungnak, Kobuk, Shungnak, Ambler, Selawik, Noorvik and finish in Kotzebue. The first place finisher is anticipated to be in Kotzebue Sunday morning.

The race is limited to 12 dogs, with a $60,000 purse. In 2006 Lance Mackey beat fellow musher and past Kobuk 440 Champion, Jeff King, by 26 minutes. Mackey says he is signed up for this year's race to defend his title and he adds, "I would not miss it..the 440 is always a fun race and the dogs just love it".

Major sponsors of the race include NANA Regional Corporation, Arctic Transportation Services, Hageland Aviation, Alaska Airlines, and Northern Air Cargo. Other sponsors and support provided by Crowley Marine, Kotzebue Electric Association, Alaska Commercial Company, Bering Air, KIC Sports and Hardware, OTZ Telephone Cooperative, and SKW Eskimos, Inc.

There is anticipation and enthusiasm about the event as the race has become a welcome sign of spring. Since the race offten occurs during Easter weekend, it is now a part of the Easter celebration with a drawing for the children in the village to win Easter baskets loaded with toys and candy. New this year, Northern Air Cargo is donating eggs for an Easter egg hunt at each checkpoint.

The Kobuk 440 is planned by volunteers with race organizers in Kotzebue and participating villages. A $500 donation is made to the Search and Rescue organizations in the villages along the race route for their assistance with staking the trail.

At this year's banquet, Johnnie Norton, from Selawik, and Thomas Pungalik, Jr. from Noorvik, will be recognized. Both of these long-time volunteers have passed away and they will be missed during the race. The banquet is planned for monday evening.

Official Kobuk 440 web site

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