21 stalwart snowshoers came out this morning for barely double-digit temperatures and a challenging but scenic course at the inaugural Get Rec’d 5k+ snowshoe race at the Town of Stratton Recreation Area in South Londonderry, VT. In a few short weeks RD Mike Owens pulled together what was repeatedly referred to as an “old school” snowshoe race – off in the woods with snow-covered trails, a shelter open to the winter weather, a warming fire, and a chilly pit toilet. Despite the cold weather, conditions were good for running on snowshoes, with hard-packed trails with just a bit of cushioning powder and abundant sunshine. It was definitely a great morning to be running or walking through the woods!
Tim Van Orden and Jamie Woolsey continued a three race streak of first place finishes on a challenging course that saw runners following a rolling path out to a double loop, climbing approximately 300 ft over a half mile on each lap, before finally heading back on the same path they’d taken from the start.
After the race the top 3 men and women had their pick of some classic Vermont prizes: maple syrup, cheese, or a Dion Snowshoes fleece hat.
(Note that the wind jumbled the finisher tags a bit, so if you ran the race and see an error in your time please email me so we can get it corrected.)
Thanks to RD Mike Owens for a fun event and for everyone who trekked out to the wilds of Vermont to make it a success!
UPDATE – Get Rec’d runners, here’s a thank you gift from RD Mike Owens and RoadID for your support of his event.