The 2010 AXCS National Masters hosted by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont is just over a week away with strong entries reported in all events. A record 2.5 feet of snowfall in parts of Vermont earlier this month no doubt helping push registration for what is shaping to be a fantastic long weekend of skiing fun.
NM2010 events begin with the Thursday, January 28 afternoon 10km freestyle championship race. Organizing Chair John Brodhead has this report on the opening event:
“We are looking forward using the newly refurbished Ruthie’s Run, a 10 km long single loop, which descends and climbs 4 or 5 modest hills while traversing quintessential Vermont Farmlands including streams, hardwood and softwood forests, beaver ponds and high meadows. The entire trail is now wide enough for two skating lanes and smooth enough to groom with a PistenBully snow cat. The snow has been very good this winter since mid-December. The trail crew continues to do yeoman snow-farming, moving snow onto the course with shovels and scoops to further enhance snow depth on miles of trail. The plan for the start of the 10 km skate is to have about 10 wave starts by gender/age class, one wave each 3 minutes starting at 2:30. Everyone should be on course by 3:00 with still plenty of light at 4:00 when I anticipate all would be finished. I believe we may have close to 200 registered by race day (last winter Anchorage enrolled 125 in the first year of the new National Masters format)!”
On Friday, January 29 a special addition to the 2010 National Masters will take place in the form of the Onion River Sports Dash for Cash individual sprints. Although an “unofficial” National Masters event in terms of scoring for the honorary U.S. Masters Team, there is a very official $1000 purse in the balance with categories ranging from juniors to M8 masters!
This fun-and-fast sprint will be held on a 200m course with one qualifying round followed by semi and final heats for the top 8 in each gender (thus only a max of 3 x 200m for any skier the evening before the marathon).
Events wrap up on Saturday, January 30 with the beast of the East — TD Bank Craftsbury Ski Marathon. Over 600 skiers are now registered in one of the classic technique 50km or 25km events with more anticipated up to the event day.
As with the NM2009 in Anchorage, master skiers of any age/gender class are welcome to ski either distance at the marathon. Only skiers interested in chasing “national masters titles” or the honorary U.S. Masters Team designations need to race the “official” designated distance for their category. Every skier taking part in the Marathon will be automatically considered part of the NM2010 — no special registration process is required nor any license or qualification.
On-line registration is open until Saturday, January 23 or as soon as the 1000 person limit is reached.
Race week and Day of Race Registration for any of the events on National Masters Week is available. Contrary to other reports, organizers stress that you indeed can sign up in person after online registration closes. However, a surcharge of $20 for either of the two distance event and $5 for the Dash will be charged for late entry after January 23.
To register for NM2010 events or find additional NM2010 event details, please visit:
http://www.craftsbury.com/skiing/marathon/masters10.htm
For more information about the U.S. Masters Team scoring process or the innovative NM2010 Club Challenge, please visit xcskiworld.com.
As Organizer John Brodhead says — “During the 2010 National Masters Championships we are looking forward to showing off the best of New England here in the Vermont’s scenic Northeast Kingdom. We have a great week of events scheduled for Masters from all over the USA. Don’t miss this event!”
