Interview: Ben Popp
July 1, 2009
Ben Popp completed his 3000 mile journey in the Race Across America on Sunday. He was back in Minnesota the next day and soon fielding questions in our post-race interview.

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
June 30, 2009
Jay Richards recaps the big weekend at Mt Kato with the Bluff Riders Charge and looks forward to the WORS Firecracker race this weekend.

The Kid's Derby
June 29, 2009
This Thursday, July 2nd, is the annual kids event at the Hoigaards Canoe Derby. Kids are paired up with adults for an exciting evening of racing and post-race Paddler's Potluck.

Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest
June 29, 2009
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is announcing a contest to design the official t-shirt for the 2010 American Birkebeiner ski race. The winning designer will receive a host of prizes, including VIP parking, race entry, new skis and more.
Related:
Birkie T-Shirt Contest Rules

Bluff Riders Charge Coverage
June 28, 2009
Jay Reports reports: Ideal summer racing conditions greeted riders at Mt Kato for race #4 in the MNSCS. Visiting relatives in the area, Pro rider and Utah native Jason Saeger ended Brendan Moore's winning streak by taking the lead on the first climb and continued adding to it to the finish. Hometown hero Jenna Zander continued her dominance in the Midwest, once again working her way up in the mens expert field to take another convincing win. Close to 400 riders competed as the series continues record growth. Photosets coming in later from Jay.
Related:
Photoset from Jay Richards: Sport - 168 photos, Comp/Expert - 174 photos
Results: Bluff Riders Charge

Danhaus, Popp Complete their RAAM Rides
June 28, 2009
Wausau's Paul Danhaus and St. Paul's Ben Popp completed the Race Across America on Sunday. Both were rookie solo riders and finished the 3000 mile journey in 11 days.
Related:
RAAM Blog: Paul Danhaus Post Race Plans

Tri-Loppet Coverage
June 27, 2009
Showers overnight night (and even a few sprinkles during) made for a damp and sloppy City of Lakes Tri-Loppet race on Saturday. Kim Rudd and Zach Handler posted the top times, racing in the womens double and mens solo respectively. Danielle Pellicano was top female solo, Karl Schultz the top doubles male.
Related:
Photoset: Paddle - 132 photos, Trail Run - 53 photos, Mountain Bike - 183 photos
Results: Tri-Loppet

RAAM Closing to Exciting Finish
June 25, 2009
The Race Across America is turning out to be one of the closest races in years with the top riders just minutes apart after thousands of miles. Midwest riders Ben Popp and Paul Danhaus have survived the blazing heat of Kansas/Missouri and are still riding strong. The winning solo riders should finish sometime Friday.
Related:
Paul Danhaus RAAM Blog
Ben Popp RAAM Blog
RAAM Google Rider Location Map
RAAM Leaderboard

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
June 23, 2009
Jay Richards headed east last weekend to catch the action in the WORS Cup Stage race, providing a full recap, along with reports from Chain Drive and Woolly races, along with the usual look ahead.

Midnight Sun Midnight Run 5K
June 23, 2009
The annual Midnight Sun Midnight Run 5K is coming up this Friday evening starting and finishing at Canal Park in Duluth.

Grandmas Marathon Recap
June 22, 2009
Rich Hoeg offers a slideshow from the blazing Grandmas Marathon last weekend in Duluth.
Related:
Pioneer Press: Grandma's Marathon: Minnesota native Chris Raabe joins Mary Akor in winner's circle
Duluth News Tribune: Officials considered calling off race because of weather

Midwest RAAM Riders Updates
June 19, 2009
Midwest solo Race Across America (RAAM) riders are cruising well.  As of 11 pm Friday, Ben Popp, St. Paul, was in seventh place and had the top American time.  Paul Danhaus, Wausau, was feeling good as he passed though Chama, New Mexico.
Related:
Paul Danhaus RAAM Blog
Ben Popp RAAM Blog

Tri-Loppet Training: Hoigaards Canoe Derby
June 17, 2009
Two final chances to get in some quality paddling time for the Tri-Loppet with the Hoigaards Canoe Derby races June 18th and 25th.

RAAM Rider Paul Danhaus
June 17, 2009
There is another Midwest rider doing the solo RAAM: Paul Danhaus of Wausau, Wisconsin, is racing in the 60+ solo division, riding one day ahead of the young solo men. The Wausau Wheelers provided him with a GPS tracker so you can follow his progress online.

Interview: Ben Popp
June 16, 2009
Ben Popp is hitting the road today, Wednesday, as he begins his 3000 mile bike race across the United States. We caught up with Ben on Monday evening to get some details on his pre-race preparations.
Related:
Local Media Coverage on Ben Popp's RAAM

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
June 16, 2009
Jay Richards recaps the Dirt Spanker race in Duluth and looks forward to the big WORS Subaru Cup this weekend.

US Ski Team: Randall Empowers Through Sport
June 15, 2009
Though World Championship silver medalist Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) is best known for carving out the history of her sport for U.S. Women, Randall has an equally large passion in building up the future of the sport through the organization Fast and Female.

Rock for Broc June 30th
June 14, 2009
Turn out Tuesday evening, June 30th, for the Rock for Broc 1 mile fundraiser run. Proceeds will help Cindy Brochman in her fight with cancer.
Related:
Cindy Brochman Update

Red Bridge Run Results
June 14, 2009
Joe Manns reports: Third Annual Red Bridge Run Marathon Canoe Race was held in Park Rapids on June 14, 2009. The race is hosted by the Red Bridge Inn, who provides a wonderful post-race meal and massage for all racers. The race is a favorite for those racing the Chippewa Triathlon the day before, just a short drive from Cass Lake.

NVGP: Stillwater Criterium Coverage
June 14, 2009
The Nature Valley Grand Prix wrapped up an exciting five days of pro racing with the popular Stillwater Criterium. Huge crowds once again turned out, especially on the incredibly steep Chilkoot Hill. Kristin Armstrong showed exceptional strength in dropped her breakaway trio on the final lap to take the womens victory and overall title. The mens race provided some real fireworks as Floyd Landis helped open a lead group that threatened the overall lead of Tom Zirbel.
Related:
Photoset: Womens race - 119 photos, Mens race - 126 photos
Results: Womens, Mens
NVGP: Mankato Road Race

Chippewa Triathlon Coverage
June 13, 2009
A bit of rough weather for the Chippewa Triathlon on Saturday as showers rolled through off and on. The canoe-mountain bike-trail run triathlon is a favorite among the Nordic skiing community. Dave Nelson won the solo division, Bill Dossett and Kathryn Ladig won the doubles division titles, Jan Guenther collected the doubles mixed title.
Related:
Photoset from Bill Grundy: 53 photos
Results: Chippewa Triathlon

NVGP: Uptown Criterium
June 13, 2009
Big crowds turn out Friday evening to line the course of the new Uptown Criterium in Minneapolis. The circuit course carved through the heart of Uptown, including a run up Hennepin Ave past Calhoun Square. Once again, the races came down to pack sprint finishes. Sebastian Haedo and Brooke Miller collected the victories. The NVGP series wraps up this weekend with races in Mankato and Stillwater.

MSHS Announces High School Nordic Ski Team
June 12, 2009
Marquette Senior High School will add a self-funded Nordic Ski program beginning with the 2009-2010 winter sports season. An informational meeting and reception for the new team will be held at Marquette Senior High School on Monday June 15th.

NVGP: Cannon Falls Road Race
June 12, 2009
Thursday's stage 3 in Cannon Falls featured rolling SE roads and one crash that shook up some of the standings in the womens race. Field sprints marked the finish of both the mens and womens races with Alejandro Alberto Borrajo and Erica Allar taking the victories.

NVGP: St. Paul Criterium
June 11, 2009
Nature Valley Grand Prix finished the opening day double-header with criterium racing on the streets of downtown St. Paul Wednesday evening. No major shake ups in the overall standings as both the mens and womens races featured big pack sprint finishes. Sebastian Haedo and Kirsty Broun took the victories.

NVGP: Time Trial Coverage
June 10, 2009
The Nature Valley Grand Prix started on Wednesday morning with a time trial along Lilydale Rd just across the river from downtown St. Paul. Off-and-on drizzle put a dreary look on the course but had little impact on the riders performance. Time trial star Kristin Armstrong dominated the womens field, averaging 26 mph. Tom Zirbel posted the top mens time. The series continues with an evening criterium in St. Paul tonight then hits the roads near Cannon Falls for stage 3 on Thursday.
Related:
Photoset: Womens TT - 129 photos, Mens TT - 159 photos
Results: Womens TT, Mens TT
NVGP Time Trial Course Details, Start List
Cycling News Stage 1 Recap

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
June 9, 2009
WORS Big Ring Classic recap, Jolly Rogers downhill race summary, and a look at some alternate singletrack opportunities highlight Jay Richards' weekly MTB report.

Grand Old Day Coverage
June 7, 2009
Despite cool and drizzling weather, there was another big turnout for the Grand Old Day inline and running races on Grand Avenue in St. Paul Sunday morning. Kassaye Gemeda and Amy Lyons sailed to clear victories in the 8K run; skiers Johanna Winters and Laura Dewitt finished 3rd and 5th respectively. The inline race came down to photo finishes between David Savmiento and Mike Anderson for the men and Susan Welch and Sarah Oftedahl for the women.
Related:
Photoset: 8K Inline Race - 66 photos, 8K Running Race - 92 photos
Results: 8K inline, run
Jun 13 Baxter Inline Marathon

Summer Junior Programs Start Next Week
June 5, 2009
The big summer training programs for juniors kickoff on Monday, June 15th. There are still some openings available if you act quickly.
Related:
Swain, Winters Join Sisu Juniors' Coaching Staff
Matt Liebsch to help coach Baker Rollerski Program

Friday Night Frenzy Coverage
June 5, 2009
The Rice Creek Boat Club kicked off their three day race weekend with sprints on Long Lake Friday evening. Strong NW winds made for some tricky early conditions but the winds slowed down as the evening progressed. Saturday paddlers will return for the Long Lake Lap and then head over to the Mississippi River for the final event on Sunday, the Jensen Handicap.
Related:
Rice Creek Boat Club Race Weekend
Photoset: Friday Night Frenzy - 57 photos

NMU XC Racing Club Team Announcement
June 4, 2009
Sten Fjeldheim announces the formation of the XC Racing Club Team at NMU to help athletes continue pursuing the skiing goals.

Hoigaards Canoe Derby Coverage
June 4, 2009
A beautiful opening night for the Hoigaards Canoe Derby with temperatures soaring into the upper 70s and a mild SW breeze. We joined in the action, playing catch up most of the way as we learned on the fly how to get our timing down in the racing canoes. The series continues Thursday nights into early August. A limited number of rental canoes are available for those wanting to test the waters (or prep for the Tri-Loppet).
Related:
Hoigaards Canoe Derby
Photoset: 21 photos

Gustavus Ski Camp
June 3, 2009
Gustavus will be hosting their annual high school Nordic Ski Camp June 14-18 on the campus in St. Peter, MN. Multiple workout sessions each daily plus evening guest speakers.

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
June 2, 2009
Jay Richards covers a full plate this week: WORS and MNSCS recaps, plus National and even Canadian racing updates.

Rice Creek Boat Club Race Weekend
June 1, 2009
The Rice Creek Boat Club is hosting a weekend long race series in the Twin Cities, June 5-7. Sprints on Friday, Long Lake Lap Saturday, and Jensen Handicap (on the Mississippi) Sunday.

Afton Avalanche Coverage
May 31, 2009
Moderate temperatures with gusty winds and dry weather generated some dusty conditions for the annual Afton Alps stop on the MNSCS series. The series popularity continues to soar this year with another big turnout on Sunday.
Related:
Photoset: Sport Race - 90 photos, Kids Races - 26 photos, Expert/Comp Race - 170 photos
Results: Afton Avalanche

St. Scholastica Scores Top Minnesota Prep Skiers
May 29, 2009
St. Scholastica has a big incoming freshman crop of Nordic skiers from Minnesota, including top ranked Kasey Bacso from Wayzata and Ryan Wright from Forest Lake.
Related:
2009 Collegiate Tally Board

US Ski Team: 2009 Team Named
May 27, 2009
World Championship silver medalist Kikkan Randall, along with World Cup sprint medalist Andy Newell, Kris Freeman and three-time U.S. champion Liz Stephen are among the athletes headlining the newly named 2010 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. Midwest skiers Garrott Kuzzy and Lindsey Williams were named to the B team.

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
May 27, 2009
With a slow weekend for the Memorial holiday, Jay weighs in with some observations on the variety of mountain bike setups, especially the growing trend of 29" wheel sets.

Ski to Sea 2009
May 26, 2009
Brian Gregg of the CXC team recaps the 2009 Ski to Sea race. The race is a relay event with cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking and sea kayaking segments. Dave Christopherson, a regular participant, was the other Midwest competitor.
Related:
Results: Ski to Sea

From 80th to 1st: Annie Hart's Story
May 23, 2009
Minneapolis Ski Club highlights Annie Hart's journey from 80th in 2007 to 1st in 2009 at the Minnesota State Meet.

US Ski Team: XC Trains On Snow in Oregon
May 21, 2009
Following a season of incredible success, including Kikkan Randall's World Championship silver medal, the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team reunited this week in Oregon to begin its training season in the lead up to the 2010 Olympics.

Minnesota Half Marathon Rollerski Race Cancelled
May 20, 2009
Update from race organizers: Due to the majority of the race surface being concrete and several roller skiers letting us know that it is an impossible surface to rollerski on, for safety reasons we will produce the MN Half Marathon for inline skaters and runners only.
Related:
Minnesota Half Marathon

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
May 19, 2009
A busy weekend on the off-road calendar with the Cable Area Off-road Classic, the MNSCS Spring Cup and WORS Iola Bump and Jump races providing a lot of racing action. Jay Richards recaps all the events plus a look ahead.

Spring Cup Coverage
May 17, 2009
The MNSCS series opened on Saturday with one of their biggest fields ever, as perfect weather attracted over 500 riders out to Harmon Park for the Spring Cup races. Temperatures eased into the lower 60s with light winds and bright sunshine for the events. The lack of rain this spring made for some loose conditions (and some creative cornering) and the organizers added another twist by running the race course the opposite direction this year. Brendan Moore and Jenna Zander solo'd away from the expert fields to easily capture their respective titles.
Related:
Photoset: Sport - 199 photos, Expert/Comp - 387 photos
Results: Spring Cup

Cable Area Offroad Classic Coverage
May 16, 2009
Jay Richards reports: Riders were greeted with snow showers and temps in the lower 30's at the Cable Area Off Road Classic. Yesterday's rain showers provided a near perfect conditions (albeit a bit chilly) compacting the sand and tacking the singletrack. Sections of singletrack were removed from previous race courses making for a fast course. Back from Arizona, TJ Woodruff pulled away from the main field after 30 minutes into solo in for the win followed by Matt Kurke and Charly Tri who posted some personal bests. New mom, Sara Kylander-Johnson, took womens' honors.
Related:
Photoset from Darlene Prois/Patrick Pfister: 13 photos
Results: Cable Area Offroad Classic

Synergy Time Trial Coverage
May 16, 2009
Strong northwest winds and cool temperatures made for a tough morning out on the Synergy time trial course on Saturday morning. Winds were in the mid 20s gusting at times to the 30s as temperatures scratched their way up into the 40s.
Related:
Photoset: 20K - 36 photos, 40K - 144 photos
Results: 20K, 40K

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
May 12, 2009
Jay Richards recaps the short-notice Spring Fling race in Elk River last weekend and highlights a busy upcoming weekend as both WORS and MNSCS series fire up.

TNT Time Trial Coverage
May 12, 2009
The Tuesday Night Time Trial (TNT) series greeted riders with strong and gusty cross winds and some off-and-on rain for the opening event of the series. This season the course starts at near Baker Park and rolls east first before turning around shortly after Holy Name Lake and heads straight back west.
Related:
Photoset: 86 photos
Results: TNT #1
Tuesday Night Time Trial Series (TNT)

USSA Honors
May 12, 2009
USSA highlighted top coaches, athletes and clubs recently:
- Coaches
- Athletes
- Clubs

Giro on Universal
May 11, 2009
Universal Sports, which offered on-demand free video coverage from the World Cup Nordic season, is now showing live daily coverage of the Giro d'Italia.

Spring Fling Coverage
May 9, 2009
Hillside Park in Elk River kicked off the Minnesota MTB season with a short-notice race, the Spring Fling, on Saturday morning. The Hillside Park course has undergone a number of upgrades in recent years providing some new challenges.
Related:
Photoset: 185 photos
Results: Hillside

Kim Rudd's Fossavatn Ski Marathon Report
May 7, 2009
Kim Rudd recently traveled to Iceland to ski in the Fossavatn Ski Marathon. Rudd was awarded the opportunity after series champion Mary Beth Tuttle was unable to attend due to a family emergency. Rudd provided a pre and post-race recap while traveling in Iceland.

Race Recap: Ham Run Half Marathon
May 6, 2009
Jonathan Rova highlights the recent Ham Run Half Marathon and their green initiatives.
Related:
Gunflint Nordic Ski Trails Carbon Off-Set to Gunflint Green Up

Midwest MTB Racing Recap
May 5, 2009
Jay Richards weekly report touches some new races, including a short-notice one this weekend at Hillside in Elk River, and even goes "on-road" to highlight rising Minnesota native Rolf Eisinger.
Related:
Bike Dr: CXC Ski Clinic, Bike Routes, Women's Sale, Youtube

Minnesota Half Marathon Rollerski Race
May 4, 2009
Organizers of the Minnesota Half Marathon inline race have announced a rollerski race. The course will use much of the same route as the St. Paul Inline Marathon running along the St. Paul riverfront. The race goes down on August 15th. Note: The rollerski event has been cancelled due to unsafe road conditions for rollerskiing.