Weekend Events
May 22, 2019
May 25-26 Medcity Marathon - Rochester hosts a full weekend of running races, including marathon, 20 mile, and half marathon events.
May 25-26 Madtown Half - Madison also has a big weekend of running events, including half marathon, 10K and 5K races.
May 26 MDRA 10 Miler - Running along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
May 27 Brian Kraft Memorial - Scenic 5K race around Lake Nokomis in south Minneapolis.
May 27 Joy Memorial Criterium - Cycling races in New Hope on a flat and fast course.

Midwest MTB Report
May 22, 2019
Jay Richards Midwest MTB report this week highlights impressive performances on the World Cup, Enduro racing series, Buck Hill series, and the upcoming Minnesota Mountain Bike Summit.

CityTrail Loppet Results
May 19, 2019
Over 500 runners turned out Sunday morning to endurance cold, wet and muddy conditions for the CityTrail Loppet. The event ran from downtown Robbinsdale through streets and trails (many very slick) winding its way down to Theodore Wirth and then eventually over to finish at the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. Brian Gregg captured the men's title in the 10 mile distance, finishing in 1:03:40 with Kary Nygren second, Louis Sigtermans third. Alex Sharp was the best of the women's field with sisters Vivian Hett and Erica Wagner collecting second and third. In the 10K, junior Alex Nemeth took the overall title with Caitlin Gregg topping the women's field.
Related:
Results: CityTrail Loppet Results

Midwest MTB Report
May 14, 2019
In the Midwest MTB Report this week, Jay Richards hits on USA Cycling Marathon National Champs, Fat Fish 40, the environmental impact of MTB trails, Kikkan's Gran Fondo, and his usual look ahead.

LNR Summer Junior Programs
May 14, 2019
Loppet Nordic Racing has a full plate of summer programming for juniors this year, including a number of special camps and various teams to cover all levels of juniors. Plus, sign up before May 16th to avoid the next price hike.

Finn Sisu: Get Ready to Rollerski
May 14, 2019
Finn Sisu is fired up for rollerski season, offering up a comprehensive guide to roller skiing, including gear, maintenance, safety, and training.

Web Roundup
May 13, 2019
Nordic and MTB - Gear West's Jenny Beckman makes the case why Nordic skiing and mountain biking are very complimentary sports.
Kikkan Fondo - Kikkan Randall will be riding in the Michigan State Gran Fondo event in June!
Duluth Record - The snowfall last week in Duluth cracked a number of records, including the biggest May snowfall.
CXC Alumni Go Big - CXC featured past alumni athletes that have been nominated to the US National teams.
ANGi - New Moon highlights Specialized new ANGi helmet sensor that helps detect serious crashes and send notifications for help.
Still Devoted - Nordic pioneer Pat Lanin was featured last February as he still contributes to the skiing and running scene.
Twin Cities Trail Shutdown - Popular trail segments on Cedar and Kenilworth in the Twin Cities have been closed as work begins on the new light rail line.
Consistency - Some advice on training/preparation for major trail running events.
Dee on Lee - Charlie Dee wrote a tribute in Silent Sports to Nordic legend Lee Borowski who passed away last fall.

Gear West Duathlon Returns June 23rd
May 13, 2019
The popular Gear West Duathlon returns to the calendar this season, now scheduled for late June with the hopes of better spring weather, as well as adding a new shorter, Friends and Family non-competitive option.

CXC Hiring New Youth Program Director
May 12, 2019
After nine seasons with Central Cross Country Skiing, Youth Director Bruce Manske is retiring. Manske served in a variety of roles with CXC, bringing a great spirit to camps and competition programs, while logging tens of thousands of miles hopping from school to school across the Central Region for Nordic Rocks. CXC is now seeking a new youth director to carry on his work with Nordic Rocks and other CXC programs.

LNR Adult Summer Programs
May 11, 2019
Loppet Nordic Racing has a number of offering for adult training this summer including strength training, rollerskiing, and even pairing with Trail Kids. Sign up now, most programs fire up in June.

BNS: Hand-Selected Nordic Ski Order Deadline Extended
May 11, 2019
Boulder Nordic Sport is heading out for their annual Spring trip to hand-pick skis. In addition to hand-selecting skis for next year's inventory, they will be selecting Madshus Redline 2.0, Fischer Speedmax, Rossignol X-ium Premium, and Salomon S/Lab skis by special request -- the deadline for requests has been extended to May 15th.

CXC Online Auction Underway
May 9, 2019
The 6th Annual CXC Online Auction is officially open! Over 50 unique items for sale, proceeds benefit CXC programming and events. Check back often and get your bid in as the auction ends Sunday evening, May 19th.

CXC Congress Recap
May 7, 2019
Clubs and leaders from around the Central Region came together for a weekend of collaboration at the Central Cross Country Skiing's CXC Congress April 25-28 in Eau Claire. The four days of meetings and workshops were highlighted by the presentation of awards to regional coaches and officials.

Midwest MTB Report
May 7, 2019
The Midwest MTB Report by Jay Richards this week features recaps of the major WORS and MNMBS opening events, highlights on Vermont riding, National Women's MTB day, and CBD and MTB.

Web Roundup
May 6, 2019
Peru - Jessie Diggins recaps her trip to Peru in a pair of blog posts (part 2).
History Lesson - Tom Kelly provided a presentation on the history of XC racing in the central region at the recent CXC Congress.
Unexpected Break - Jake Brown fractures his fibula the day after knee surgery. 
Shoes - Jan Guenther discusses what she looks for in a pair of running shoes as she trains for the Ironman.
Recap - Elspeth Ronnander looks back on her 2018-2019 training and racing.
Reflection - Mara McCollor, MN state high school champion, recaps most of her racing season.
Selfish - Are mountain climbers selfish?  Interesting opinion piece from the NY Times.
No Lifts - Ski area with no lifts might become the next big thing.
World Champs 2025 - Trondheim, Norway, is the leading candidate for the 2025 World Championships.
Raising the Bar - Pole vaulting still at 84, after taking it up at age 65.
Sleep Myths - Recent paper looks at many of the popular myths about proper sleep.
Artificial - Serbia opens the largest artificial ski slope in Europe.

US Ski Team: Twenty Athletes Nominated to 2019-20 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
May 6, 2019
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced its U.S. Ski Team cross country nominations for the 2019-20 season. Nominations include those active athletes who qualified based on published selection criteria in the prior season. Midwest skiers include Jessie Diggins (A team), Kevin Bolger (B team), and Zak Ketterson (D team).

2019 Collegiate Tally Board May 5, 2019 We've fired up the collegiate tally board for the class of 2019. Let us know your college plans so we care share with the rest of the skiing community!

Snake River Canoe Race Results
May 4, 2019
Beautiful Saturday morning in Mora for the annual Snake River paddling races with over 125 entries competing. Pro Boat winners were Dana Henry and Bill Briggs for the men, Kate Ellis and Maria Schilling for the women, and Lilly Brick and Joes Manns the top mixed pairing.
Related:
Results: Snake River Canoe Race

NNF: Join the Board
May 1, 2019
The National Nordic Foundation is seeking candidates for their board of directors! Help support junior development across the US by lending your experience and expertise to this valuable organization. Application deadline is May 12th.

Midwest MTB Report
May 1, 2019
Jay Richards cranks out another update on the Midwest mountain bike scene, this week highlighting the Decorah series, Miesville ride, Minnesota MTB summit, Pump track in Cable, and racing series firing up this weekend.

Endurance United Adult Training Programs Start Next Week
April 30, 2019
Endurance United has a full slate of adult training programs -- everything from learning to rollerski to women's mountain biking to adult training camps, and of course year-round training. Programs are beginning next week!
Related:
Endurance United Junior Programs

WinMan Expansion and Vehicle Restrictions Input South
April 30, 2019
Wisconsin DNR/State Forest is soliciting comments related to the proposed expansion of the WinMan Ski trail system agreement. The State Forest is considering a proposal to limit vehicle access into this area once the expanded trail system is complete.

Battle Creek Snowmaking Advocacy Push
April 30, 2019
Big push this week to keep snowmaking for Battle Creek on target with the state legislature - make your voice heard!

Birkie Registration Opens Wednesday, May 1st
April 29, 2019
Registration will open for the 2020 American Birkebeiner schedule of events on May 1st. North America's largest cross-country ski race, the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, is scheduled for Saturday, February 22nd with the Kortelopet and Prince Haakon races slated for Friday, February 21st.

MDRA Mudball Run Coverage
April 28, 2019
The Minnesota Distance Running Association (MDRA) held their annual Mudball Run at Theodore Wirth on the trails around the Quaking Bog section on Sunday morning. Tryg Solberg captured the kids and adult racing action.
Related:
Photoset from Tryg Solberg: Kids Race - 22 photos, Adults Race - 195 photos
Photoset from Tryg Solberg: Top Picks (high res)

Hoigaard's Annual Bike and Boat Sale and Swap
April 25, 2019
Hoigaard's Bike and Boat Sale and Swap starts Friday, April 26th. It's not too late to bring in your used boats or bikes to sell in the Swap! Receive the full amount of any swap sale in the form of a Hoigaard's Gift Card.

Pioneer Midwest: Learn to Rollerski
April 24, 2019
Pioneer Midwest is hosting a learn to rollerski event on Saturday, May 4th, at Elm Creek. Come out and get some lessons on skate skiing on rollerskis. A limited number of demo rollerskis available by request.
Related:
Pioneer Midwest Rollerski Equipment

Help Sought for Battle Creek Snowmaking Project
April 23, 2019
Funding to jump start snowmaking at Battle Creek is once again in the Minnesota state legislature -- and this might be the year it passes! Please help out by contacting your representatives to let them know how important this project is.

Midwest MTB Report
April 23, 2019
Jay Richards of Maplelag is back for another season, giving us the latest mountain biking news for the Midwest (and beyond). The opening report highlights the Minnesota and Wisconsin series, the popular Sea Otter Classic out West, and an assortment of interesting tidbits from the cycling world.

CXC Congress and Club Excellence Conference this Weekend
April 23, 2019
Cross country club leaders from around the Central Region will have an opportunity to play a role in the future of the sport during Central Cross Country Skiing's annual CXC Congress. The event features three days of workshops and meetings set for April 26-28 in Eau Claire, WI, and is free and open to all interested parties.