30 kilometers. Six laps. 18.6 miles. Ninety-plus minutes. Whichever way you cut it, the men's mass start classic race at U.S. Nationals was one long race. Our images from throughout the day.
HomeCategory
US Nationals
US Nationals is the premier event of the season. The top skiers in the country battle for championship titles. Coverage of events and related news.
When it comes to great race stories, it doesn’t get much better than distance mass starts. Here are some interesting tidbits that didn't make Sunday's 20 and 30 k classic race reports.
BiathlonCanadian National Ski TeamContinental CupJuniorsNordic CombinedRacingTour de SkiUS NationalsUS Ski TeamWorld Cup
Weekly Roundup: Happy New Year!
Chelsea LittleJanuary 7, 2013
It's no exaggeration to say that this might have been the busiest week of the year to be a North American ski fan. With the Tour de Ski practically every day, U.S. Nationals, and some big NorAms used to determine junior and U23 trip rosters, plus biathlon and nordic combined, here are the highlights.
The 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championship continued on the trails of Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah with the senior women's 20 k classic mass start. The lead pack was established early with just six women in contention for the national title throughout the majority of the race. On the course's final major climb, Hermode's Hill, it was Sadie Bjornsen (USST/APU) who attacked, opening up a sizable gap by the time she entered the stadium. Check out our footage of the action.
Here you were thinking Torin Koos was a sprinter. Think again: he won his eighth career national title on Sunday in the 30 k mass start classic, his second of the week. He bested Erik Bjornsen and David Norris in second and third in a close, hard-fought race at Soldier Hollow.
Bjornsen Gets What She Came For, Wins National Title in 20 k Classic Mass Start
Alex KochonJanuary 6, 2013
A two-time runner-up at this year's nationals, Sadie Bjornsen proved to herself that she can achieve gold, winning her second national title in three years in her first-ever 20 k. Bjornsen skied away from the pack late, beating teammate Kate Fitzgerald by nearly 13 seconds.
The action at the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championship heated up this morning when the senior men started off the day with the 30 k classic mass start. Six laps of the challenging 5 k loop at Soldier Hollow made for an exciting race as eighteen skiers were together in the lead pack for the majority of the race, but during the final kilometers only a handful of men were in contention for the national title. As they climbed Soldier Hollow's fabled Hermode's Hill for the final time it was Torin Koos (BSF) who made a decisive move to claim the national title with Erik Bjornsen (USST/APU) and David Norris (MSU) finishing second and third respectively. Check out our footage of the race.
Soldier Hollow gets busy as athletes arrive for the mass start classic race and coaches make last-minute adjustments to kick and glide. Some scenes from the stadium.
There’s nothing like mass start classic racing on a perfectly-groomed, hard-packed course, and that’s exactly what awaits athletes at Soldier Hollow for the 20/30 k on Sunday. Can the Bjornsens both put together classic wins on the same day?
Dan Cnossen and Beth Requist claimed national titles Saturday in the 15- and 9-kilometer sit-ski competitions, respectively, at U.S. nationals in Soldier Hollow. A rookie herself, Requist beat a crew of newbies while Cnossen defended his title.
The men's 15 k freestyle at the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships at Soldier Hollow in featured fierce racing on a challenging course. The 15 second interval individual start format kept a steady stream of racers, and as the top seeds came to the finish line it was Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) that posted the fastest time and earned the national title. Watch our footage of the action.
Can't get enough of the action at U.S. Nationals? Here are some bits and pieces from top performers on Friday that didn't make the race reports.
The men's 15 k freestyle at Soldier Hollow featured everything a ski fan could ask for: perfect weather, a close finish and ideal lighting. Click through our photos to watch how the race unfolded for the top finishers.
Friday's 10- and 15-kilometer freestyle races at Soldier Hollow were hardly walks in the park. Racers had to tackle a modified 5-kilometer course, which some thought was harder than the Olympic 5 k. Photos from some of the top women on the two-lap sufferfest.
Rosie Brennan of APU notched her first national title at home just outside Park City on Friday, winning the 10 k freestyle individual start by nearly 11 seconds over teammate Sadie Bjornsen. Kate Fitzgerald took third to complete the APU podium sweep.
Sprint Specialist No More, Bjornsen Claims First National Title in 15 k Free
Audrey ManganJanuary 4, 2013
Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) took the opportunity to redeem his classic sprint race and won the 15 k freestyle at U.S. Nationals on Friday. He beat defending champ Tad Elliott by 6 seconds to claim his first career nationals podium. Matt Gelso was third.
It was a frigid morning on the trails of Soldier Hollow for the women's 10km freestyle race at the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships. After two grueling laps around a challenging course on slow snow it was the APU squad that gathered on all steps of the podium. Here is a look at some of the action.
Only minutes remain until the first starter takes off on the 5 k course at Soldier Hollow. Thermometers read - 7 degrees F early this morning and were still at -4 with only half an hour to go until takeoff. Some images from the scene
The opening event of the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Championships was as exciting as it gets, but it's a new day on Friday. The slate is wiped clean and athletes have another shot at glory in the 10/15 k freestyle.
Round by round the senior men displayed both their impressive power and tactics as the nations best battled their way through to the A-Final. Watch how things unfolded.