Highlights
Midwest MTB Report
September 20, 2022The days continue to get shorter and the nights colder as we steadily march on into the fall. Two big races dominated the Midwest mountain biking scene over the weekend: the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival held in Cabel, WI; and the Marji Gesick held in the UP of Michigan. With recaps and interviews to boot, Jay Richards shares in-depth coverage of both races, as well as an accompaniment of photos and results, in this week's Midwest MTB report.
Northshore Inline Marathon Rollerski Race Results
September 17, 2022Saturday saw rollerskiers descended upon the Duluth area for the 26th edition of the NorthShore Inline Marathon. Starting with a field of over 50 skiers in the 42K race, the men's title was ultimately contested by a group of six, with Xavier Mansfield taking the victory by a handful of seconds. The women's title would end up going to Jenna Ruzich who crossed the finish line with a sizeable lead over her competition.
Crystal Grinder Oct 16th
September 12, 2022The Crystal Community Ski Club is hosting a rollerski race on Oct 16th at Crystal Mountain, just outside of Thompsonville, MI. Featuring a 10k Masters race and a 5k Juniors race on a smooth course with no perilous downhills and a gentle uphill start, the event should provide an excellent opportunity for skiers to experience what the Lower Peninsula has to offer, especially in advance of the JNQ race being held nearby at Hickory Hills this upcoming season. Helmets are required, although technique and wheel speed will be left to the discretion of competitors.
CXC Rollerski Cup: NorthShore Inline Marathon Weekend
September 9, 2022The NorthShore Inline Marathon, the final race of the annual CXC Rollerski Cup, is scheduled for next weekend, Sept 17th - 18th, with a point-to-point marathon and half marathon taking place on Saturday, and sprints taking place on Sunday. Unique to the sprints, competitors will get the opportunity to experience an FIS style event, with qualifying and knockout rounds seeded by U.S. Ski & Snowboard/FIS points.
US Ski Team: Diggins Wins 42K Kangaroo Hoppet
September 9, 2022The Kangaroo Hoppet, the first stop of the Worldloppet, took place this past weekend in Falls Creek, Australia. With nearly 1,000 competitors, there was no shortage of competition for Americans Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern who had been there for several weeks training for the upcoming World Cup season. From the start the two were hot on the heels of the men's lead pack, only falling back once fellow American and men's champion, Peter Wolter, made a move to break up the group. Diggins would end up being the first woman across the line, followed shortly after by Kern in second, with Australian Casey Wright rounding out the women's podium in third.
Minnesota Paddling Championships, Sep 10-11th
August 31, 2022Minnesota Paddling Championships are set for Sep 10th and 11th in Bemidji. Saturday will feature tandem canoe and kayak races, Sunday will be solo race events.
Biathlon: Max Cobb to Head International Biathlon Union
August 30, 2022U.S. Biathlon President and CEO Max Cobb has been named by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) as its new secretary general. The highly-respected biathlon leader will be leaving U.S. Biathlon this fall to take the helm of the international sports federation based in Salzburg, Austria.
Ski Hut: Women's Enduro Race Coming Sept 13th
August 24, 2022The COGGS Duluth Enduro Series is thrilled to announce the first inaugural Women’s Enduro Race, presented by Ski Hut and Ursa Minor Brewing, taking place at Lester Park on Tuesday evening, Sept 13th.
CXC Rollerski Cup: Grinding Up Granite this Sunday
August 24, 2022The annual CXC Rollerski Cup will be making its next stop with the Grinding Up Granite Race in Wausau, set to take place on Sunday, Aug 28th. Grind up Granite will feature classic and skate race options to race to the top of Rib Mountain with a total climb of 700 feet in 2.5 miles.
Midwest MTB Report
August 16, 2022We're midway through August and, despite the local racing series starting to wind down, there is still plenty of racing to be found near and far. The antepenultimate race of the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series took place over the weekend, along with the Ore to Shore and the Leadville 100, all of which are covered in Jay Richards' Midwest MTB report for this week. Closing out the report are a trip to Maplelag Resort by the Stillwater Mountain Bike Team and the requisite look ahead.
CXC Rollerski Series: Up, Up and Away Set for Aug 13th
August 3, 2022The next stop in the CXC Rollerski Cup will be August 13th at Blue Mound State Park in southern Wisconsin. There are 6K and 10K classic rollerski divisions, racing to the high point.
Midwest MTB Report
July 21, 2022Another round of hot and sticky weather made for challenging racing over the weekend as Jay Richards took on the Rock Splitter Challenge for this week's Midwest MTB report. Including a synopsis of his experience at the inaugural event, he also highlights visits to a few newer trail systems in Northern Minnesota, alongside a few links and a look ahead.
Midwest MTB Report
July 12, 2022Busy is where we find ourselves as the summer days fly by, and busy is the theme of this week's Midwest MTB report from Jay Richards. Covering the recent Minnesota and Wisconsin series races, upcoming events, and relevant articles, including one about an NHL bound local rider, this week's report is jam-packed and sure to have something for just about everyone.
Machinery Hill Rollerski Criterium Coverage
July 12, 2022Hitting the Minnesota State Fairgrounds a month early, rollerskiers were treated to some fast criterium style racing along the streets of the famous venue. Daniel McCollor dominated the junior mens/masters race. Caitlin Gregg pulled away with the women's title. And Brian Gregg scooped up the men's victory. Results linked in, photos posted, plus some video clips.
Shoreline Sprints Freestyle Results
July 9, 2022The Shoreline Sprints wrapped up on Saturday with scenic freestyle rollerski races along the waterfront in downtown Rice Lake. Ingrid Thyr and Graham Ritchie won the sprint titles.
Shoreline Sprints Classic Coverage
July 8, 2022The Shoreline Sprints rollerski racing weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon on a quiet county road east of Rice Lake, with strong sunshine matching the heat generated on a challenging course. Michaela Keller-Miller powered away from the women's field along the final climbs to capture the women's title with fellow Minnesota natives Ingrid Thyr and Amanda Kautzer rounding out the top three. Canada's Graham Ritchie took the men's title, even after losing a pole tip in the final stretch, with Pierre Grall-Johnson second and Brian Gregg breaking the Canadian block for third. Results linked in, along with photosets from both races. Racing continues on Saturday with freestyle sprint races in downtown Rice Lake.
Loppet Rollerski Criterium on Machinery Hill Set for July 12th
July 4, 2022The Loppet Foundation is hosting the CXC Rollerski Series kickoff event on Tuesday, July 12th at Machinery Hill on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds! The event will use matched pair rollerskis with a limited set available so register now!
Midwest MTB Report
June 28, 2022The last weekend of June saw riders flock to the North Shore for the Lutsen 99er, the spotlight of this week's Midwest MTB report. A quick update from Jay Richards delivers coverage of the race from the perspective of both the women's and men's champions, as well as updates from an Alexandria rider taking on the Tour Divide, and highlights from the opening ceremony for new trail at Cayuna.
Midwest MTB Report
June 23, 2022And just like that, we're officially past the solstice and into summer. Aligning with the longest days of the year are some of the longest races of the year as this week's Midwest MTB report covers both the Chequamegon 100 and Epic Bike Fest that took place these past few weeks, and also looks ahead to the Lutsen 99er happening this weekend. Included as well: clinics, camps, and more; all courtesy of Jay Richards.
Worldloppet Bans Russia Skiers, Events
June 18, 2022As part of the Worldloppet Annual General Meeting, this year held in-person in Mora, Sweden, it has been announced that Russian (and Belarus) athletes will be barred from Worldloppet events, and the Demino Skimarathon has been suspended as a Worldloppet series event. The American Birkebeiner and the Gatineau Loppet are both Worldloppet events.
CXC Announces Coaching Excellent Award for Team Birkie's Caitlin Gregg
June 17, 2022Each year CXC recognizes one of its great coaches with the Igor Badamshin Coaching Excellence Award. This year’s recipient of the Igor Badamshin Coach of the Year Award goes to Caitlin Gregg, a driving force behind the creation of Team Birkie, the newest professional cross country ski team in the Central region.
Olympics: Nordic Combined May Be Cut From 2026 Winter Games
June 16, 2022Nordic Combined could be dropped from the Winter Olympic Games as one possible outcome of resolving gender equity issues. It is the only Olympic sport without women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to make a decision soon about whether to allow women to compete in Nordic combined at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Games. Men in Nordic combined have been publicly pushing on social media and elsewhere for women to be included.
Chippewa Triathlon Results
June 12, 2022Just over a month after the lakes and rivers thawed out in Cass Lake, the Chippewa Triathlon took place on Sunday, drawing in a sizeable crowd from across the Midwest. Chris Godwin and Deanne Hart were the fastest finishers in the solo category, while John Kallemeyn and Maria Janowiak retained their titles from the previous year in the doubles category. First place in the 2-4 person relay went to the Michigan Paddlers, Ryan Harris and Jim Harwood.
Team Birkie Returns After Successful First Season
June 9, 2022After a standout inaugural season, Team Birkie is reaching for new heights during the 2022-2023 cross country ski season. The team expands with four additions: Renae Anderson, Erin Bianco, Xavier Mansfield, and Gus Schatzlein, all Minnesota natives. Consider helping fund their efforts this season with an individual donation.