Press release from ATRA partners United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) and Collegiate Running Association (CRA).
USSSA’s 20th National Snowshoe Championship will feature US, Collegiate and High School Categories.
December 3, 2019 – Corinth, NY – The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) is pleased to announce a partnership with the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) endorsing the 2020 Dion Snowshoes U.S. National Snowshoe Championships, to present the first-ever US National Collegiate Snowshoe Championships. The championships are scheduled for February 28th through March 1st, 2020 at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado.
The race weekend will offer events for everyone, of all ages and abilities. Male and female athletes will compete in either a 5km or 10km snowshoe race determined by their age as of December 31st, 2020. Working in partnership with the Collegiate Running Association (CRA), the USSSA National Snowshoe Championships will feature a national collegiate division in both the 5km (for collegiate athletes who do not turn 20 as of 12/31/20) and the 10km (for collegiate athletes who are 20 and older as of 12/31/20). Individual awards will be presented within these collegiate divisions. The top collegiate finisher in the men’s and women’s 5km and the top collegiate finisher in the men’s and women’s 10km race will be declared the 2020 Collegiate Snowshoe National Champions.
CRA co-founder Steve Taylor interviews 2014 Collegiate Mountain Running Champion and World Mountain Running Championship veteran Patrick Smyth.
“The Collegiate Running Association is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles to college students through running,” said Collegiate Running Association Co-Founder, Steve Taylor. “The expansion of the U.S. Snowshoe Championships to include a collegiate championship provides an opportunity for students to compete for a national snowshoe championship for the first time in history. We are ardent supporters of all running events, and this event opens trails during the winter months to a broader group – in some cases, college students who have never participated in a snowshoe event. There are locations across the nation where snowshoes are required if you want to enjoy trails during the winter months and it makes perfect sense to offer a snowshoe championship for those who want to enjoy the trails when covered in heavy snow. It’s exciting to watch this discipline grow.”
Collegiate athletes must qualify to compete in the USSSA National Snowshoe Championships and also be current USSSA members. Along with the traditional qualifying means, any college athlete who completed the 2019 Collegiate 10K Road Race National Championship (Richmond, Virginia) or the 2019 Collegiate Trail Running Championship (Athens, Ohio) have met the qualifying standard.
The top 3 overall finishers in the 5km National Championship event and the top 5 overall finishers in the 10km event will also earn berths on the 2020 US Junior and Senior National Snowshoe Teams and be eligible to represent the USA in national and international snowshoe competition over the upcoming year.
“The USSSA is excited to host the first ever collegiate snowshoe championships and partner with the Collegiate Running Association,” said Mark Elmore, USSSA Sports Director. “The USSSA is very pleased for this opportunity to introduce our sport to a new community of athletes.”
Questions regarding this exciting new event opportunity may be directed to the USSSA Sports Director, Mark Elmore, at 518-420-6961 or by email at [email protected]. Informational websites are located at: 2020ussnowshoechampionships.com, snowshoeracing.com and LeadvilleTwinLakes.com/Snowshoe.
Related Links:
https://www.2020ussnowshoechampionships.com/
http://www.snowshoeracing.com/documents/2020/USSSA%20Summer%202019%20Changes.pdf
Dates: February 28-March 1, 2020
Location: Leadville, Colorado
Distance: 5K (U20), 10K (Open)
Race director and trail / snowshoe racer Tim Van Orden cheers on competitors at the 2014 Dion Snowshoes U.S. National Snowshoe Championships in Woodford, Vermont.
Race Weekend Schedule
Friday February 28, 2020:
- 12:00pm to 5:00pm – Event Reg./Athlete Check-In at Race Headquarters at Colorado Mountain College
- 12:00pm to 5:00pm – Course Preview at Colorado Mountain College
- 5:00pm to 6:00pm – Championship Reception at TBD
Saturday February 29, 2020:
- 7:30am – Course Prev./Event Reg./Athlete Check-In at Colorado Mountain College up to 30 minutes prior to each event.
- 9:00am – Kid’s Kilo Snowshoe Run/Walk
- 9:15am –Middle School/High School/Young Collegiate (19 & Under as of 12/31/20) Men’s and Women’s 5km National Snowshoe Championship & Citizen’s 5km Snowshoe Run/Walk event
- 10:30am – Senior Men’s/Collegiate Men’s (athletes 20+ yrs. of age as of 12/31/20) 10km National Snowshoe Championship
- 11:15am – Citizen’s 5km Snowshoe Run/Walk & Kids Kilo Awards Ceremony at Colorado Mountain College
- 12:00pm – Senior Women’s/Collegiate Women’s (athletes 20+ yrs. of age as of 12/31/20) 10km National Snowshoe Championship
- 4:00pm-6:00pm – National Championship Awards Ceremony at TBA – To Be Announced
- 7:00pm – Championship after Party at TBA – To Be Announced
Sunday March 1, 2020:
- 7:30am – Course Prev./Event Reg./Athlete Check-In for the 4 x 2.5km Snowshoe Team Relay at Colorado Mountain College
Relay Team categories include; Junior (19 and Under), Open (20-39 yrs. of age), Family and Masters (40+ yrs. of age); All Male, All Female and Mixed Teams - 9:00am – Start of 4 x 2.5km Snowshoe Team Relay
- 11:00am – Relay Awards Ceremony & Championship Closing at Colorado Mountain College
Editor’s Note: Are you interested in trying a snowshoe race? Find one near you on our race calendar with hundreds to choose from! More 2020 snowshoe event dates coming soon.
Erik Hartmark winning the 2017 Dion Snowshoes U.S. National Snowshoe Championships in Bend, Oregon.
