The start of a snowshoe race looks a lot like the start of a cross country race--only with much bigger shoes. Photo by Jim Lewis.
Special to Colorado Track XC by Darren Brungardt, Summit High School
Snow is falling on the Colorado HS Snowshoe Championship course!
Winter has recently taken hold of Summit High School, site of the 2011 Colorado High School Snowshoe State Championships. The snow started falling on October 25th and is showing no signs of stopping. After last year’s bone dry winter, this is a welcome sign to the snowshoe racing community. It is only a matter of time before the click-clacking sound of racing snowshoes will become the soundtrack of the forests of Colorado.
Summit High School is proud to host the 2011 Colorado High School Snowshoe State Championships once again. The race will take place on February 12th, 2011 at Summit High School in Frisco, CO. Runners will race in the Iron Springs Open Sp ace once again, a hidden gem in Summit County. The rolling course is unique to snowshoe racing in Colorado. It is arguably the fastest 5K snowshoe race course in Colorado, and will be a true adventure for any runner.
Last year’s race was a success in the growing of the sport in the high school realm of Colorado. High school racers from Thompson Valley, Boulder, Smoky Hill, Cheyenne Mountain, Evergreen, and Summit raced in its inaugural year. Cheyenne Mountain won the coed team title by nearly sweeping the podium on the boys’ side. Mitch Kasyon of CMHS won the boys’ race, followed by teammate Postyn Smith, and Evergreen’s Jak Hamilton.
The girls’ race was exciting and featured the eventual US National High School Champion Sam Lewis from Boulder High School. She was followed by Thompson Valley’s Emma Howard and Summit’s own Tess Olson.
The 2011 edition will continue to feature a team title that will be based on the coed finishers and individual titles. As the field expands, so will the championships. The 2011 race will also be a qualifier for the US Snowshoe National Championships that will be held in March at the lake resort of Cable, WI. The race is open to any high school runner. Adults are encouraged to race the challenging Love Me Tender Snowshoe Adventure 10K starting at the same time. This race is a qualifier for the US National Championships as well.
If you are new to the sport is not very difficult to train for. It involves something you do everyday right now: running! Racing conditions will be cold, but no colder than that early March track meet out on the eastern plains. Wear the same clothing you would if you were racing at a cold meet: gloves, tights, a warm top, sunglasses, and a stylish snow cap. There are no uniform rules and I encourage teams to be creative with their team uniforms. Cheyenne Mountain raced in plaid long sleeve shirts; they looked like true mountain men racing through the hills of Summit County, and the outerwear proved to be a great barrier against the elements!
Snowshoes can be rented free of charge on the day of the race, but there is a limited supply.
