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Collegiate Dryland Feature Juniors News Racing

From Grassroots to the Summit: The Mt. Greylock Hill Climb Marks a Storied Ascent

Matthew VoisinNovember 3, 2025

LANESBORO, MA — On a crisp Sunday morning, nearly a hundred rollerskiers lined up at the base of Massachusetts’ highest peak, ready to test themselves against one of New England’s classic ascents. The Mount Greylock Hill Climb has always been more than a race—it’s a rite of passage, a season-ender that blends community, endurance, and a dash of history stretching back four decades. A Long Tradition on a Steep Road The Mt. Greylock Hill Climb...

Dryland News Racing Regional / Local

Thrills and Triumphs at the Climb to the Castle Roller-Ski Challenge

FasterSkierSeptember 24, 2025

On Sunday, athletes from across the region gathered for the highly anticipated Climb to the Castle roller-ski hill climb, hosted by the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) in partnership with the New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF). Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway, this event marks an exciting addition to the 2025 NENSA Rollerski Race Series. Participants faced the daunting task of tackling either a long course of approximately...

Dryland Feature News Training

Summer Training: Purposeful, Productive, and a Little Fun

Jason KaskMay 2, 2024

Returning to training after a spring hiatus means laying out a plan for the upcoming training season. In making such a plan, there are a couple of questions that will help to define how the season should go: – Early season dryland training: what should early season training prioritize? And how much of a “break” do you advise taking after the ski season concluded? – Early season roller skiing: how early is too early? What...

Dryland Feature News Training

In Good Standing—Fundamental Elements of Ski Stance

Ned DowlingOctober 20, 2023

“Big motor, lousy suspension.” That’s how I often describe the endurance athletes I see in physical therapy. They have the physiology to go fast but are lacking the stability and/or coordination for efficient movement. Decreased efficiency equals increased load. And excessive load has led to injury and a visit to their friendly, neighborhood PT. I used the same description while Greta Anderson, the US Cross Country Development Coach, and I stood trackside last August watching...

Dryland General News Racing

Ben Ogden Leads Americans in Opening Race at Toppidrettsveka

Gavin KentchAugust 25, 2022

After technique work on snow comes race effort on rollerskis. Racing Thursday evening in Hitra, Norway, Ben Ogden led four American men when he placed 18th in a field of nearly 100 in the 54-kilometer classic mass start, the opening race of the Toppidrettsveka race series in the Trondheim region of western Norway. Ogden finished 50.2 seconds back of the winner, and 10.4 seconds off the podium. He was followed by fellow USST athletes Finn O’Connell...

Dryland News Racing Results

Skiers Take on Mount Marathon, and other Running Race Roundups (Updated)

Ella HallJuly 10, 2022

Occurring annually on the 4th of July, and touted as the toughest 5 k on the planet, the 94th edition of the Mount Marathon race took place this past Monday in Seward, AK. Needless to say, the race is a storied tradition, beginning with its first “official” running in 1915. Over the years, participation has increased to such an extent that these days there are a number of complex ways for race entrants to register,...

Community Dryland News Racing

Rollerskiers in the Mist: Patterson, Brown Win Foggy Climb to the Castle

Peter MindeOctober 5, 2021

The rain stopped just long enough for Caitlin Patterson and Jake Brown to savor their wins at the 2021 edition of the Climb to the Castle last Saturday in Wilmington, NY, near Lake Placid. Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP) swept the women’s podium; Caitlin Patterson edged Margie Freed for the win in 46:48.8, with her teammate just .7 second back in 46:49.5. Tara Geraghty-Moats placed third in 47:35.0. Brown, skiing for US Biathlon / CGRP,...

Dryland Feature Racing Regional / Local US Ski Team

NENSA Rollerski Series Gains Momentum: An Interview with Justin Beckwith

Rachel PerkinsSeptember 16, 2021

On the heels of our coverage of the Martin Fourcade Nordic Festival and the Alliansloppet Action Week, we turn our attention to the Northeast where the burgeoning New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) rollerski race series is well underway. The next round of racing will take place this upcoming weekend, starting with a freestyle sprint event dubbed “The Keys to the Castle” on September 18th at Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY, followed by...

Dryland Opinion Racing

The not so Lost – Lost Nation Roll

Jason AlbertDecember 4, 2020

During the long pandemic slog, there have been times to celebrate small victories. One of those moments was the Lost Nation Roll – a skate rollerski race on October 25 at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Over a month ago now, during which Covid-19 restrictions have become more restrictive in Vermont, athletes were able to compete and grasp, even for a few hours, some normalcy. Justin Beckwith, the competition director for NENSA and Ollie Burruss, a...

Dryland Racing

APP Gap 2020 Recap

Kaitlynn MillerSeptember 10, 2020

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 BY KAIT MILLER NENSA just wrapped up a hybrid App Gap Challenge with invitational in-person and all-inclusive virtual components. This rollerski competition was important for both the competitors and NENSA as we start to implement protocols of how our winter events will be conducted. Athletes, parents and coaches were energized by and thankful for this iconic event. Due to the event’s success and the safety compliance of all involved, we look forward...

Dryland News Racing

Norway’s Blink Festival: Rollerski Racing with Some Social Distance

FasterSkierAugust 10, 2020

Times are what they are. Precautions are the name of the game. This year’s Blink Festival in Norway played to a reduced field and limited spectators due to COVID precautions. Some races, as will be noted, included modified race rules to limit close contact between athletes. Lysebotn Opp – 06/08 The Lysebotn Opp is perhaps the marquee event. It features lovely fjord views and a grueling 7.5-kilometer uphill skate switchbacking up a mountainside. In...

Dryland General News

Elite Programs Ramp Up for Modified Training

Jason AlbertMay 20, 2020

Although the training cycle has officially begun, it decidedly has a different vibe and look. Adding some complexity to our short-term new normal are a crosshatch of state, county, and city regulations as it relates to mitigating the community spread of Covid-19. The core question elite cross-country ski programs are asking is this: How can we most responsibly promote safe and effective training for their athletes? (The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has...

Dryland General News

Jordan Fields and his FKT of the Presidential Traverse

Jason AlbertOctober 15, 2019

For those growing up in the East and worshiping high peaks, one stretch of ridge line is the most storied: the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. On September 6th, former Williams College skier Jordan Fields established a new fastest known time (FKT) of the Presidential Traverse in 3:42:38 hours. Here’s the stunner: the previous FKT established in 2018 was 4:04:30 by Lee Berube. On the FKT website documenting all things FKT, the Presidential...

Dryland News Racing

Laura Dahlmeier Running Fast

FasterSkierOctober 1, 2019

When she retired from international biathlon competition at twenty-five-years-old Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier retreated back into a more private existence. Although still arguably in her prime and flush with a treasure chest loaded with championship medals, Dahlmeier’s path was hers to define. Like many nordic sport athletes of late, Dahlmeier has taken to mountain running. Although just coming to our attention, Dahlmeier’s mountain running feat on August 31, deserves some spray. She won the 52-kilometer Karwendelmarsch,...

Dryland News Racing Regional / Local

A Full Weekend of Rollerski Races in Upstate New York

Peter MindeSeptember 16, 2019

The NENSA rollerski series ramped up this past weekend outside Lake Placid, New York. As part of the drive to draw more skiers to the rollerski series, Saturday included a two race format known as a doubleday event: event 1 consisted of a 3-kilometer skate prologue followed by a 1.5-k cross-country cross (XCX) featuring several agility segments. Athletes earned a reward for performances in each event. Both events were individual start and their aggregate times...

Dryland General News Racing

News Brief for the Week: The Mountain Runners & Skiers

FasterSkierSeptember 6, 2019

Needless to say, cross-country athletes have big motors. Let’s start with The Rut 50-kilometer mountain run in Big Sky, Montana. With 10,000 feet of climbing and descending, it’s a burly affair. On September 1st, Erika Flowers, cross-country skier of note and Bozeman local, won the women’s 50 k overall in a time of 6:51:52.41 hours. This was Flowers’ first 50 k running race. South of rugged Montana, in the thin air of Colorado, Liz Stephen won The...

Dryland News Nordic Combined Other News Racing

Geraghty-Moats and Watabe win Individual Events in Oberwiesenthal (Press Release)

FasterSkierAugust 26, 2019

Press Release Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) and Akito Watabe (JPN) were the winners of the first individual event of the Summer Grand Prix 2019. The American won by a large margin of +1:48.3, while Watabe distanced Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT) by 1.5 seconds. Yoshito Watabe completed the podium on the men’s side, Stefaniya Nadymova (RUS) and Jenny Nowak (GER) claimed the podium positions for the women. Difficult wind conditions made ski jumping in Oberwiesenthal very difficult...

Dryland General News Racing

Toppidrettsveka Rollerski Races in Norway: Day 2’s Sprint and Day 3’s Classic Pursuit

FasterSkierAugust 24, 2019

On Friday in Norway athletes gathered for a double-header day of rollerski races at the Toppidrettsveka festival. First up was a 25-kilometer skate race for both the men and women that concluded with a 1.5 k classic sprint in Aure. Below are the sprint race results. The U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Sadie Bjornsen placed seventh overall, while Sophie Caldwell (USST) was 13th. Katie Feldman of the SVSEF Gold Team placed 27th overall. Women’s sprint...

Dryland News Racing

Toppidrettsveka Rollerski Races in Norway: Day 1

FasterSkierAugust 22, 2019

The first day at the Toppidrettsveka rollerskis series featured a point to point 47 k classic race starting in Hitra, Norway. Results: Women’s Top-20 Sophie Caldwell (USST) was the only U.S. women to enter Thursday’s race. Full men’s results Four U.S. skiers entered the race. Erik Bjornsen (USST) placed 28th (+1:29.8), Simi Hamilton (USST) 42nd (+2:49.2), Andy Newell (Salomon/US) 46th (+3:16.4), and Kevin Bolger 61st (+8:07.0). The series continues tomorrow with a 24 k...

Dryland General News Racing

Quick Wrap from Blink

FasterSkierAugust 7, 2019

If you didn’t burn your Sunday watching the 2019 Blink Ski Festival re-runs you can still do that here. If you’d rather invest less time, here’s a rundown from some of Friday’s and Saturday’s rollerski racing. (Need a refresh on the festival’s earlier racing? You can find a link to last Wednesday’s distance classic race, and Thursday’s Lysebotn Opp hill climb results here.) ...

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