Sports

Mono Nordic Ski Club hosts annual race at Monora Park

February 9, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The big snowfall before the weekend may have caused concern for some on the roads, but for the Mono Nordic Ski Club, it was a welcome event that created perfect conditions on the trails.

The Club hosted its annual Race Day on Saturday, Jan. 28, on the trails at Monora Park.

Around 150 racers competed on the trails and represented 14 Nordic and cross-country ski clubs from across Southern Ontario.

Representing the local contingent were the Orangeville District Secondary School Bears cross-country team and the Mono Nordic Racing team.

Competitors on the trails came from diverse ages and experiences, but all were there for some serious competition.

Racers ranged in age from six years old to over 60.

The new snow created good conditions, and the trails were groomed and ready to go when the first race got underway in the morning.

Competitors raced on courses ranging from 1.5 km up to 6.5 km. Each course presented different challenges in terms of length and terrain.

The Mono trails cut through a beautiful park setting with treed areas as well as open and hilly terrain.

Hosting a race at the Club requires considerable planning and volunteers on race day to make sure everything goes smoothly. Over 30 Club members volunteered at the event to cover everything from trail grooming, registration, and organization to timing each race.

“We were lucky to get enough snow just in time,” Said René Beukeboom, Mono Nordic Race organizer. “We want to give a shout out to the grooming team for their hard work preparing the tails for the race in such a short time.”

John Ahokas, of the Mono Nordic Club finished first in the Masters’ Men division with a time of 19:37 over the 6.5 km course.

The Mono Nordic Ski Club is open seven days a week during ski season when trails are open.

Visitors are welcome.

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