(1) Rental cost is $5/pair for the first two races, then $10/pair for any subsequent races.
If you expect to attend several races a season, it would be a good idea to purchase a pair of snowshoes – not only will you avoid the possibility of the rentals being sold out when you get to a race, but you’ll also be able to practice on the same snowshoes you race on. See Bob and Denise Dion at any of the dozens of races they attend every season or go to www.dionsnowshoes.com. There are a number of local retailers across the northeast and online retailers who also carry Dion snowshoes, but if you buy direct from Bob and Denise you can also get first-hand advice from the people who design and build the snowshoes as to which model and combination of features is best for what you’ll be doing.
(2) If the race site includes instructions for reserving a pair of rentals, take the time to follow the instructions and reserve a pair. Rentals are sometimes available in very limited numbers; reserving a pair ahead of time means you’ll have a rental pair waiting for you when someone who shows up day-of with no reservation may be out of luck.