WEEKEND RACE UPDATES:

Here is the entire Squirrel Hill Nordic Weekend Schedule, updated 2:00 PM Thursday

THURSDAY

11:59pm - Online Registration closes for all races!

FRIDAY

3pm - 7pm - Late Registration and Bib Pickup at the MWP Chalet 

SATURDAY

7:30am - Winter Park Chalet Opens for bib pickup, late registration and transition zone setup.

9:30am - Day-of-race registration closes for the 24km & 10km Pursuits

10:00am - 24K & 10K PURSUIT RACE START TIMES 

Wave 1 - 10:00am 24k Individuals

Wave 2 - 10:03am 24k Individuals

Wave 3 - 10:06am 24k Individuals

Wave 4 - 10:09am 24k Relay Teams

Wave 5 - 10:12am 10k Individuals

Wave 6 - 10:15am 10k Individuals

Wave 7 - 10:18am 10k Relay Teams

10:24am - Fastest skiers finish classic lap

10:55am - Fastest skiers finish skate lap

12:30am - Awards Ceremony for Overall 24k & 10k Division Winners

+ Day-of-race registration closes for 4km Pursuit & 2km Beat the Bunny Kids Race

1:00pm - 4k Youth Individual Pursuit Race Mass Start

1:30pm - Awards Ceremony for 4k Pursuit Overall Winners

1:35pm - Awards Ceremony for All Pursuit Age Class Winners

2:00pm - 2km Beat the Bunny Kids Race

Until 5:00pm - Snow Tubing Hill/Lift Open - Free for all racers (half-price for family)!

SUNDAY

8:00am - Winter Park Chalet Opens for bib pickup, late registration

9:30am – Skijor registration closes

10:00am - Squirrel Hill Skijor 5k Race Start

10:10am - Squirrel Hill Skijor 10k Race Start

10:30am – CANCELLED: Snowshoe race registration closes

11:00am - CANCELLED: Squirrel Hill Snowshoe Race 5k & 10k Mass Start

Noon - 5:00pm - Snow Tubing Hill/Lift Open - Free for all racers (half-price for family)!

Spend a weekend in the Northwoods with Squirrel Hill Nordic Weekend, sponsored by Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care, at Minocqua Winter Park & Nordic Center! We will host cross-country ski, skijor, and snowshoe races for all ages.

TITLE SPONSORS

Marshfield Clinic's mission is to serve patients through accessible, high quality health care, research and education. Marshfield Clinic is the largest private group medical practice in Wisconsin and one of the largest in the United States, with more than 700 physicians representing over 80 different medical specialties, more than 6,000 additional employees, and over 50 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin. More than 1,200 hospitals, clinics and other sites participate in a variety of Clinic outreach programs. Clinic physicians and staff provide off-site consultation in 52 specialties.

Ministry Health Care is an integrated healthcare delivery network serving more than 1.1 million people across Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. Ministry generates nearly $2.2 billion in annual operating revenue with 15 hospitals, 47 clinics, and more than 12,000 associates including 650 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Ministry Health Care recently joined Ascension Health as the second healthcare ministry in Wisconsin. Ascension is the largest Catholic and not-for-profit healthcare system in the nation. Ministry is ranked among the top 20 percent of healthcare systems in the country according to Truven Health Analytics.

SQUIRREL HILL PURSUIT

On Saturday, March 1, we'll run the Squirrel Hill Pursuit and Kids "Beat the Bunny" Ski Races.

• 24km continuous pursuit race for individuals and 2-person teams (aged 15+)
• 10km continuous pursuit race for individuals and 2-person teams (aged 13+)
• 4km continous pursuit for individual youths (aged 10-15 years)
• 2km Kids "Beat the Bunny" Ski Race

For those unfamiliar with 'continuous pursuit' format races, it'll go like this.  Waves of skiers will be sent out for a lap (10k during the 24k race, 4k during the 10k race, and 2k during the 4km youth pursuit) using classic or diagonal stride technique. The skiers will then ski into an exchange zone and change their skis and poles to skating gear and ski a lap (14k during the 24k race, 6k during the 10k race, and another 2km lap for the youth pursuit) using the skate technique.  Combined times of the classic leg + gear switch + skate leg are used for the final standings.  Those who will be participating in the relay version will use the exchange zone as a simple tag zone after the first skier's classic lap to have the second skier start their skate lap of the race. 

The race will be chip timed by the professionals at iTiming and awards will be presented to women and men in the following age categories:

• 24k Individuals and 10k individuals: 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
• 4k youth Individuals: 11-14
• In the Relay Division there will be a Men's Race, Women's Race, and a Mixed Race (one male and one female) broken down into the following (combined age of the two teammates) categories: 36 and under, 37-50, 51- 100, and 101+

 If you'd like to participate on a relay team but don't have a partner, register now and let us know what technique you'd like to ski and your level of racing experience, and we'll get you hooked up with a partner of similar age and ability who'd like to race the opposite technique.

SQUIRREL HILL SKIJOR

Formerly the Winter Park Bark, the Squirrel Hill Skijor is a 5k and 10k skijor race for skiers with one or two dogs. The race course mostly follows Minocqua Winter Park's skijor loop in one- or two-passes. Interval starts beging at 8:30 AM on Sunday, March 2. Official race rules will be posted here and emailed to registered participants.

SQUIRREL HILL SNOWSHOE

The Squirrel Hill Snowshoe Race is a one- or two-lap 5K or 10K snowshoe race and a 1K Kids "Beat the Bunny" Snowshoe Race.

The 5K & 10K distances are part of the Braveheart Snowshoe Race Series. Participants may earn series points towards awards in multiple categories, including Open, Kilters, Athena, Juniors, and more classes. Braveheart Series participation is free.Visit www.cutemoose.net for more info.

The Squirrell Hill Snowshoe 5K & 10K are half of the Northwoods Trappers Mini-Snowshoe Series, a snowshoeing weekend in the Northwoods. To complete the series, participate in the Klondike Days Snowshoe Challenge 5K Race on Saturday in Eagle River, Wisc., and the Squirrel Hill Snowshoe 10K Race on Sunday. Participants can register for both events and receive a discount. Mini-series awards will be given to the top 3 male and female finishers in the open class of the Klondike 5K and Squirrel Hill 10K combined.

                 Course Maps & Information

As it becomes available, more race info will be posted here and email to registered participants.

The Gear Transition Zone will be a first come first served zone (open at 7:30am) to set up your equipment change area.  The lane inbetween the red v-board will be kept open for skiers exiting the area, and the outside area of that zone will be for you to set up your skating gear.  Your chip will start at the start line, give you a split time for your classic leg, and give you a final finish time. 

The classic lap of the 24k Pursuit includes moderate climbs on Base Loop, Survivor, and Nose Dive trails, two S-curves on Beaver Pond, rolling terrain on Base Loop, Creek Trail, and Red Pine, and long, gentle stretchs on Nepco's Cruise, Sleigh Ride, and Silver strider.

The skate courses of all Pursuit races will begin up along the edge of the southwestern tree line, up Squirrel Hill, past the snowshoe trail and Beaver Pond return entrances, to the downhill side of Squirrel's Tail trail. This course adds the sweeping views and long drops of Yukon Trail, the roller coaster feel of VO2 Max, and the flowing turns of Steeple Chase. The final 4km of the race are relatively flat and fast, with only a few descents and tight turns.

The classic lap of the 10k Pursuit includes moderate climbs on Base Loop, Survivor, and Nose Dive trails, two S-curves on Beaver Pond, and gentle, rolling terrain on Base Loop back to the stadium and transition zone.

The skate courses of all Pursuit races will begin up along the edge of the southwestern tree line, up Squirrel Hill, past the snowshoe trail and Beaver Pond return entrances, to the downhill side of Squirrel's Tail trail. The majority of the course is rolling intermediate terrain.

The stadium and transition zone will both be adjusted at 12:30pm to prepare for the 4k Pursuit. This race will start in the opposite direction of the 24k & 10k Pursuits. Unclaimed ski gear left in the transition zone will be moved to the gentle slope adjacent to the zone.

From a mass start, participants in the 4k Pursuit will start on Base Loop just north of the transition zone, trigger their chip timing, and scramble through the stadium area and onto the Base Loop. After one lap, racers will exchange gear for a skate lap and procede out of the stadium and up the south slope of Squirrel Hill just like the 24k & 10k Pursuit courses. This is followed by an immediate return to the stadium for a quick finish.

Squirrel Hill Pursuit Race Start Times

All waves are self seeded.  Your chip will start when you cross the start line.  Faster skiers should go in the earlier waves of their respected race. 

Wave 1 -  10:00am 24k Individuals

Wave 2  - 10:03am 24k Individuals

Wave 3  - 10:06am 24k Individuals

Wave 4 -  10:09am 24k Relay Teams

Wave 5 -  10:12am 10k Individuals

Wave 6  - 10:15am 10k Individuals

Wave 7  - 10:18am 10k Relay Teams

Mass Start - 1:00pm - 4k Youth Pursuit

Mass Start - 2:00pm - Beat the Bunny Kids Race

Squirrel Hill Skijor

Winter Park's Skijor Loop includes rolling and winding terrain on the first half of Red Pine ski trail, and several long, gentle, wide stretches on Silver Strider, XC Express, and Nepco's Cruise trails. Nepco's includes two intermediate descents in the final kilometer. The race will start and finish on Silver Strider trail near the southeast corner of the Winer Park parking lot.