Cookie Race
February 23, 2019
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta
Information
Date: February 23, 2019
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta
The Kananaskis Ski Marathon is a cross-country ski loppet open to the public, taking place at the beautiful Peter Lougheed Provincial Park trail system, 90 minutes west of Calgary. Competitors enjoy great snow conditions, fabulous scenery, home-made cookies at aid stations, and hot soup at the finish line.
Course Details
Classic technique only. Distances include 42 km, 24km, 15km, 5km, 3km, 2km, 1km, 0.5km.
42 KM Race starts at Pocaterra Hut at 10am sharp and follows a figure-8 course with over 500m of elevation gain, to finish at Pocaterra Hut. It passes four feed stations at 9km, 13km, 23km and 32 km. See the course map on the Race Notice.
24 KM Race and Tour start a few minutes after 10am at Pocaterra Hut and follow a loop with about 200m of elevation gain, to finish at Pocaterra Hut. The 24km course passes two feed stations at 9km and 13km. See the course map on the Race Notice.
15 KM Race and Tour start a few minutes after 10am at Pocaterra Hut, following a fairly flat course and passing a feed station at 9km, to end at Pocaterra Hut. See the course map on the Race Notice.
5 KM Race starts and finishes at Pocaterra Hut, starting at 10:30am. Participants require snowplowing skills as the course features some steep sections. See the course map on the Race Notice.
3 KM Race starts and finishes at Pocaterra Hut, starting at 10:35am. See the course map on the Race Notice.
Age Categories
The Cookie Race is open to classic cross-country skiers ages 5 years old and up.
| Birth Year | Race Options | Tour Options |
| (awards for top 3) | (no awards) | |
| 2013-2014 | 0.5km | - |
| 2011-2012 | 1km | - |
| 2009-2010 | 2km | - |
| 2007-2008 | 3km | - |
| 2005-2006 | 5km | - |
| 2003-2004 | 15km | - |
| 1989-2001 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
| 1979-1988 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
| 1969-1978 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
| 1959-1968 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
| 1949-1958 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
| 1900-1948 | 24km or 42km | 15km or 24km |
Skiers should self-seed at the start line. Faster skiers should move to the front to avoid congestion as the trail narrows.
Schedule
* Inclement weather or unsafe conditions may necessitate schedule/route changes.
| Category | Start Time | Feeding Stations | Start/Finish |
| 42km Race | 10:00 | 9km, 13km, 23km, 32km, Pocaterra Hut | Pocaterra Hut |
| 24km Race | 10:10 | 9km, 13km, Pocaterra Hut | |
| 24km Tour | 10:15 | ||
| 15km Race | 10:25 | 9km, Pocaterra Hut | |
| 15km Tour | 10:25 | ||
| 5km Race | 10:30 | Pocaterra Hut | |
| 3km Race | 10:35 | ||
| 2km Race | 11:00 | Pocaterra Hut | Across Highway
from Pocaterra Hut |
| 1km Race | 11:30 | ||
| 0.5km Race | 11:30 |
Bib pickup: 8:00 – 9:30 on the morning of the race at Pocaterra Hut.
Feed stations at Elkwood, Boulton, and Elk Pass provide water, Gatorade, oranges, and cookies. The soup tent at Pocaterra Hut provides all that and hot soup too. Please bring your own bowl and spoon to minimize waste!
If you choose to discontinue racing, you MUST hand over your bib to a race official at Boulton or the finish line before leaving the area. We will provide a shuttle service from Boulton to the finish line at Pocaterra.
Cut-Off Times
- 12:00 cut-off for skiers leaving Boulton station (13km) on the outbound leg of 24km & 42km races
- 13:30 cut-off for skiers leaving Boulton station (32km) on the finish leg of 42km race
Skiers arriving at Boulton after the cut-off times must discontinue racing and turn in their bibs. They can continue skiing or take a shuttle back to Pocaterra Hut. If we must adjust cut-off times for safety reasons, we will make every effort to notify skiers of the change.
Registration
Entries will only be accepted on-line through the Zone4 website. Click on the Register button below to register. Registration opens on December 22, 2018 and closes on February 20, 2019 at 21:30 MST.
Participants aged 18 and up must consent to a waiver during the registration process on Zone4. Participants under the age of 18 must download the waiver, complete it, and email it to [email protected] or else print it out and bring it to the race.
Registration Fees
| Race Distance | On or before Feb 1, 2019 | After Feb 1, 2019 |
| 0.5km, 1km, 2km, 3km, 5km | $ 20 | $ 22 |
| 15km | $ 40 | $ 55 |
| 24km | $ 75 | $ 95 |
| 42km | $ 85 | $ 105 |
* These fees include a $2/person fee to Cross Country Alberta and a $1/person fee to Alberta Parks.
Important Dates: Registration opens 12/22/2018 and closes 02/20/2019
Weather
For current information about the weather conditions in Kananaskis, go HERE. Note that this forecast is for Nakiska Ridgetop and the weather in Peter Lougheed may differ. Be prepared for sudden changes in the weather. This is the mountains afterall!
Trail Report
All ski trails are open to the public while the race is in progress. Be cautious and courteous! Dogs are not allowed on the ski trails.
Volunteer
Volunteering
Volunteers are heros! It takes over 120 volunteers to make the Cookie Race happen, not including the army of cookie bakers. We need people to help Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Many people volunteer for more than one job, and many racers volunteer to help before or after the race!
Jobs
Controller Team: Controllers take position at key points on the course to track skiers’ progress and ensure no one goes missing. This is job requires skis, warm boots, warm clothes, a hardy soul, and a thermos of hot chocolate. Additional Information for Course Controller positions
Race Office Team: Check in volunteers, hand out bibs and transponders before the race, or help load the race office materials back into the trucks after the race.
Course Team: Pre-ski the course on Friday placing flags and signs, or sweep the course behind the racers Saturday afternoon, picking up flags and signs as you go. You must be fit enough to ski the course quickly while carrying equipment in a backpack!
Stadium Team: Help set up tents and fencing on Friday, put the final touches on the stadium Saturday morning, then tear it all down and load it up Saturday afternoon. Stadium marshals guide racers and spectators into their respective areas from the parking lot. Many of these positions are perfect for racers because they happen before or after the race!
Timing Team: Write down finish times as backup for the electronic timing system, collect transponders at the finish line, and hand out candy bags to finishers – they will love you for it!
Refreshments Team: Volunteer either in the soup and cookie tents, where happy and grateful skiers and volunteers congregate, or at one of the three feed stations out on the course. The soup tents are warm and cozy, and the feed stations are definitely a focal point of fun on the race course.
Jackrabbit Team: Help run the 5km, 3km, 2km, 1km, and 0.5km races for the kids. These are some of the most fun jobs!
Transportation Team: Help load gear from the storage locker in Calgary onto the trucks (Thursday), pull a trailer to Pocaterra Hut, help unload and set up (Friday), reload at the end of the race and then unload again in Calgary (Saturday evening). Perfect for racers because it doesn’t interfere with the race!
Volunteer Sign Up Details
The sign-up sheet shows remaining unfilled jobs and exact time requirements. Please consider volunteering. Thanks!
Partners
A BIG THANK YOU goes out to our Sponsors and Supporters.
About Us
Team
Organizing Committee
Chief of Competition Tom Lambert
Chief of Cookies/Refreshments Rosie Hickey
Jackrabbit Chief Paul Repp
Chief of Stadium
Chief of Course Clayton Paradis
Chief of Controllers Greg Hofer
Chief of Timing
Chief of Race Office Ann Lohka
Race Administrator Judy Aitken
Jury
Technical Delegate Cross Country Alberta
Duty Conservation Officer Kananaskis Country
Chief of Competition Tom Lambert
Chief of Course Clayton Paradis
History
The Kananaskis Ski Marathon, a.k.a. the Cookie Race, is the Foothills Nordic Ski Club's flagship event. It is the second oldest Nordic event (after the Lake Louise Loppet) and the second largest loppet (after the Canadian Birkebeiner) in Alberta.
Don Gardner, who designed the X-C trail system in Peter Lougheed, and the late Ruedi Setz, then Race Director of FNSC, organized the first Kananaskis Ski Marathon in March of 1978, with 67 participants and one 45 km distance – track-set by Don and Ruedi on skis, not snowmobiles!
The race has grown to 500 participants annually (the maximum number of racers allowed by Alberta Parks). Over the years, a 24km event, a 15km event, and Jackrabbits (youth) races of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 5 km have been added. Over 120 volunteers are required to host the Cookie Race.
Recognition
Jackrabbits get a candy prize at the finish line. We will present awards for Jackrabbits at 13:00 on the podium beside Pocaterra Hut. Awards for all other race categories start at 14:00. In each race category we present awards to the top three female and male finishers. Skiers in the 15km Tour and the 24km Tour receive admiration, but no awards.
