First-Ever Collegiate Snowshoe National Championships Announced
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.
“The Collegiate Running Association is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles among 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 usssasnowshoeguy@gmail.com. Informational websites are located at: 2020ussnowshoechampionships.com, snowshoeracing.com and LeadvilleTwinLakes.com/Snowshoe.
Related:
2020 Collegiate Championships Home
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 Day Schedules:
Friday February 28th, 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 29th, 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/U20 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 1st, 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
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About the Collegiate Running Association
The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded November, 2013 with a mission to promote healthy lifestyles among college students by providing and expanding opportunities in the sport of running. The vision of the CRA is to offer national championship events in road, mountain, and trail running with prize money specifically reserved for college students enrolled in at least one class. Since 2014, the CRA has awarded over $120,000 in prize money specifically to college students in road, mountain and trail running events. Membership is open to the public (click here).
Follow the CRA on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and LINKEDIN.
About the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA)
The United States Snowshoe Association is devoted to promoting outdoor winter safety in conjunction with recreational snowshoeing. The USSSA also serves as the lead governing body for the sport of snowshoe racing in the USA.
Contact: Collegiate Running Association
