Horse Hill Snowshoe race

The streak of weeks without a snowshoe race finally came to an end this weekend.  Although conditions were not ideal, there was snow and there was a race.

I headed to Merrimack NH for the Horse Hill 3.7 mile snowshoe race and it was pouring rain when I arrived.  Temperatures were great for running (around 40) but it was soaking wet out there.  Kevin Tilton joined me for a 3 mile warm-up on the road and then I hit the trail for another mile in snowshoes.  The snow was very slushy and stepping on the single-track left very little on the ground.  This was going to be rough!

19 hardcore racers lined up and off we went on a Wolfie designed 3.7 mile trek.  None of the course seemed to be flat or straight.  There were lots of up/downs and an incredible amount of turns.  Check out Kevin Tilton's garmin info: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/154564691#.T1Kc2wV7C4I.facebook

Kevin took it out hard, but thanks to the many switchbacks I saw him for most of the race.  I shocked him at one point yelling "Go Kevin".  For a moment he though that he'd gone off course!

I was in third place by 200m into the race, then slowly reeled in Michael Daigeaun (2:34 at Boston last year)who was up from Philadelphia and decided to check out New England style snowshoe racing.  He was strong on the few flat and straight parts but I'd pull away on any climb or on some twisty stuff.  He stayed close through 2 miles then I gapped him a bit and held on to second place (2:44 behind Kevin) 25 seconds up on third.

   1   30:53  8:19 Kevin Tilton           CMS Polar Bears            30 M   396 North Conway NH   
    2   33:37  9:03 Dave Dunham            CMS Polar Bears       47 M   389 Bradford MA       
    3   34:02  9:09 Michael Daigeaun                                         32 M   393 Philadelphia PA   
    4   35:35  9:34 Chris Dunn             acidotic RACING          43 M   392 Strafford NH      
    5   41:58 11:17 David Hippert                                             29 M   413 Manchester NH     
    6   42:41 11:29 Richie Blake           acidotic RACING         43 M   394 Tyngsboro MA      
    7   42:47 11:31 Chris Peter                                                 31 M   399 Stratham NH       
    8   44:29 11:58 Timothy Lindsay        acidotic RACING     40 M   391 Strafford NH      
    9   45:21 12:12 Doug Demars                                            47 M   421 Hooksett NH       
   10   45:45 12:18 Trevor Ward                                            62 M   397 Merrimack NH      
   11   48:24 13:01 Mariano Santangelo     acidotic RACING 42 M   390 Derry NH          
   12   51:45 13:55 Jay Short                                                 46 M   398 Byfield MA        
   13   53:55 14:30 Tracey Richardson                                   51 F   410 Wolfeboro Falls NH
   14   53:56 14:30 Dan Richardson                                       53 M   400 Wolfeboro Falls NH
   15   55:24 14:54 Maggie Demars                                       21 F   419 Manchester NH     
   16   55:29 14:55 Michelle Demars                                     46 F   420 Hooksett NH       
   17 1:07:48 18:14 Kathryn Gordon                                     24 F   440 Freeport ME       
   18 1:11:10 19:08 Alexander Peppe                                   21 M   441 Westbrook ME      
   19 1:19:28 21:22 Maryann Picard                                     48 F   395 Nashua NH