Winter Race Series kicks off next weekend in Des Moines

Tue December 07 2010
Posted Dec 8, 2010
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Des Moines, IA By Matt Miller matt@dmcityview.com

Making tracks

Steve Cannon is an adventurous man who enjoys pushing his body to its limit. This past year, Cannon became just the second person to ever run across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River in a journey entitled “The Run to Cure Cancer.” But this time of year, Cannon is seeking another type of physical activity that he and others hope to turn into a Des Moines wintertime tradition — a Winter Race Series where competitors will snowshoe race over the course of three months. “During the winter, there isn’t much to do in Iowa,” Cannon said. “People have been doing these types of activities solo or in small groups, but there really hasn’t been much organization for an official event. We’re here to change that.” The Winter Race Series will kick off Dec. 18 at Mullets, followed by races on Jan. 15, 2011, at The Cumming Tap and on Feb. 12, 2011 at the Waveland Golf Course. Each race begins at 11 a.m., as participants will use snowshoes to compete in races that will range from 30 minutes to one hour. Cannon says the idea for the Winter Race Series began after a cyclocross event was held this past fall. “We had a couple hundred participants in the cyclocross, so the idea for a wintertime race was really born out of that,” he said. “It was a great fall event — it was a blast and a way to get together throughout the week.” Snowshoeing takes minimal effort as it distributes the weight of the person over a larger area so that a person’s foot does not sink completely into the snow. The sport is popular in the western and eastern United States and is also part of the Arctic Winter Games and winter Special Olympics. It is not yet an Olympic event. “There are a lot of big races around the country,” Cannon said. “We want to grow this into something big, too.” To date, officials report that approximately 60 people have registered ($10 per race) on the event’s Facebook website by searching “Winter Race Series.” Most of this year’s participants range in age from 25 to 55, but Cannon hopes to see both younger and older generations get involved, too. “Most of the people are right around the Des Moines area, but we’ve also had some people show interest from around Iowa City,” Cannon said. “It’s really an extension of the cyclocross group, but we’re gaining interest from other people, too.” For those wanting to learn more about the Winter Race Series or how to snowshoe race, practices will be held at Mullets on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. “Obviously we’ve seen only a little snow, and not enough to race or even practice yet,” Cannon said. “But once that snow starts flying, we’ll be out the following Tuesday on the course.” Cannon says anyone can learn to snowshoe run, but it can be challenging. “I don’t want to make it sound too hard, but it’s kind of like running with a bunch of mud on your shoes,” he said. “The running snowshoe is pretty quick but if there’s a lot of snow, you’ll end up with it piling on your shoes. Each time you lift your foot, you get a little more resistance. It’s a very challenging workout.” While the sport may be new to people around Des Moines, organizers say the focus isn’t about competition, but rather having fun. “It’s about trying to have more and more fun,” Cannon said. “Some people really enjoy seeing how far they can push themselves. People look for new challenges that make your eyes pop out of your head, and when you’re able to do it with other people, you feel great.” CV Find more information about the upcoming Winter Race Series on www.facebook.com and search “Winter Race Series.” Photo courtesy of Steve Cannon Dec 18 EVENT INFO