Colorado to Play Host to Several Snowshoe Races and Events

This winter, Colorado snowshoe racers, athletes and enthusiasts will prove once again that their outdoor athletic activities don't slow when the snow piles up. Instead, they'll simply switch gears, pull out the snow shoes and keep on pumping.

"One of the great things about winter in Colorado is that athletes get to stay in great shape year-round," said Alma's Danelle Ballengee, a world-class adventure racer and the North American snowshoe racing champion.

Several snowshoe races are on tap starting in January, including Ballengee's Swift Skedaddle snowshoe series. The first race is Jan 15 at Silverthorne, followed by the March 19 event at the Frisco Nordic Center. Both offer a 10-kilometer and a 3K option. The Silverthorne race is one of two Colorado qualifiers for the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships on March 5 in Anchorage, Alaska.

"I try to make courses that are challenging and exciting, but not too hard or dangerous," Ballengee said. "A lot of people will just walk the 10K for fitness and to enjoy the scenery, which is spectacular. The 3K is good for snow shoe beginners, kids, older folks or those who are not in superhuman shape."

The Screamin' Snowman 5K and 10K snowshoe race Feb. 13 at the Eldora Mountain Resort is the other national qualifier. New this year, the race will have a high school division in the 5K. Demo snowshoes will be available in limited quantities for racing.

Longtime Colorado snowshoes adventurer Darrin Eisman, a sponsored racer, is offering two on-snow clinics in January but said first-timers shouldn't be intimidated. "The first time I ever put on a pair of snowshoes was about 5 minutes before a race," Eisman said. "You basically learn about 90 percent of what you need to know about snowshoe racing in the first race. It's a lot like running but you go anaerobic a whole lot faster and you have to deal with the snow conditions as well as the hills. It's a lot of fun."

Snowshoeing is also a staple in many winter multisport races. One of the most popular events in the region is the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, set for Feb. 19 in Grants, N.M. Colorado athletes descend on this grueling race in droves, including Ballengee, who has won the women's title the past five years. Participants bike, run, cross-country ski and snow shoe, and then reverse the order of events back to the start. Teams are welcome.

"I've done a lot of fun winter races, but the Mount Taylor Quadrathlon stands out as my favorite," Ballengee said. "The course is challenging, and the views atop Mount Taylor are stunning."
Closer to home in Colorado, Eisman said one of his favorites is the Steamboat Pentathlon, set for March 5. Participants climb Howelsen Hill on foot, then ski or snowboard down the mountain, snowshoe 3 miles, cross-country ski 4 1/2 miles, mountain bike 12 miles and run 5 miles. Team divisions and a short course option are available.

Breckenridge Resort hosts its own winter multisport adventure April 16. In the Imperial Challenge, participants bike from downtown Breckenridge to the base of Peak 8, followed by an ascent of Peak 8 on the equipment of choice (snowshoes or skis are popular). It ends with a descent of Peak 8 on skis or a snowboard snowboard.