2013 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy
(Photo by Sarah Brunson/U.S. Ski Team)
The 2014 U.S. National Championships and SuperTour Finals for cross-country skiing are set to start in just over a week in Anchorage.
Originally, the races were slated to take place on the trails in Kincaid Park. But since snow has been hard to come by in Anchorage this winter, Race Director James Southam says Thursday officials decided to move the races to alternate locations.
“All the distance races are gonna be at the hillside ski trails; racing around the Spencer Loop and the Besh Loop,” Southam said. “And then the sprint race is gonna be held at the APU ski trails over by the Alaska Pacific University campus.”
Southam expects up to 150 skiers from around North America to participate. He says it’s a unique opportunity for Alaskans to see some of the best skiers in the nation competing in person.
“It’s gonna be the first time, and really the only time all season, that our World Cup athletes like Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, and Sadie Bjornsen will be competing in the U.S., much less Alaska,” Southam said.
Races start on Saturday, March 22 and run through Friday, March 28.
