Tyson Smith was the first to cross the finish line at the Kananaskis Ski Marathon, also known as the Cookie Race, winning in his first attempt at the 42-kilometre grunt, Saturday (Feb. 23).
His time of 2:28:27 was good enough for a two-and-a-half minute lead over his nearest competitor, Menno Arendz of the Rocky Mountain Racers.
“I had a few guys yo-yo off me at the start, but I was pretty much on my own for 40 km. It was a bit lonely,” said Smith, who retired last year from the Biathlon Canada national team and now coaches with Foothills Nordic.
The Cookie Race gets its name from the three feeding stations on the course, which supply skiers with homemade cookies and warm drinks.
With dozens of his students cheering him on, Smith said he was relieved to win. He advised them the key to success was to take your time and eat lots of cookies.
“I’d probably lose my job if I didn’t win, so I had to represent,” Smith joked. “There was a bit of fresh snow in the tracks, so it was hard leading, but it felt good.”
He paced the distance well, and said that was the key to victory.
“You gotta keep it steady. There are a couple of really long climbs and if you go too hard there, you’ll suffer the entire race,” Smith said.
Keeping focused for 2 1/2 hours is also a chore, but Smith said he’s got a secret weapon – not thinking.
“I’m good at turning my brain off. I don’t think a lot,” Smith said.
Arendz, brother of para-nordic superstar Mark Arendz, finished second (2:23:05). It was also his first time competing in the Cookie Race.
“It was great considering it’s my first classic race in 10 years,” said Arendz, who currently trains with Rocky Mountain Racers as a biathlete. “It’s an awesome event. The volunteers made it worthwhile and it was a tough day with the fresh snow on the top part, but it was a great race and definitely something to come back to.”
Arendz was happy to ski without his rifle on the big climbs and was able to conserve energy for the final push.
“The hill was a nice warmup on the way up. My pacing on the first part helped me catch up on the end,” Arendz said. “For me, it was looking at my heart rate and also feeling how I was, just making sure my body wasn’t getting too quick, not using the core too much. I’m a strong double poler, and knew the finish was a double pole.”
Marshall Harris finished third in the 42 km race.
Michelle Deacon of Calgary won the women’s 42 km race with a time of 2:29:59. A Jackrabbit instructor with Foot Hills Nordic, she didn’t let her ski speed detract from the scenery.
“It’s a beautiful course and a lovely day. Like always in Tyrwhitt Meadow, it was heaven.”
This was her third attempt at the race and her first win.
“The secret is lots of rest and take it easy along the start,” Deacon said.
Chantell Widney was second with a time of 2:52:55. Boglarka Gyorfi was third.
In the 24 km distance, Adrian Clavero took top prize with a time of 1:29:22. Currently training with Rocky Mountain Racers, he made a break at the 10 km mark and didn’t look back.
“I had the lead from kilometre 10 to 20, so that was OK. My skis were not as fast as I thought, so that was tough, but I’d do it again,” Clavero said.
Noah Cooke finished second, followed by Nico Tobias.
“It’s a killer course. There’s a lot of flats and lot of steep stuff,” Tobias said. “When you start you want to go easy for a bit. There was a pack of about four of us and we got into a nice groove. About 10 km in, Adrian put the boot down and you’re on your own.”
Erikka Niemi was the top female (1:39:54) followed by Danielle Vrielink by a mere nine seconds. Kat Armitage was third.
In the 24 km tour category, Jenny Burgess was first overall (1:54:31) followed by Megan Hudson (1:58:38). Jeff Wilson was the top male skier (2:01:55).
Megan Bankes, Helene Omdal and Darya Sepandj finished in the top three spots in the 15 km youth category, while Rick Larush, Andy McCracken and Ryan Jackson were the top finishers in the 15 km tour competition.
For full results, visit www.zone4.ca
