The 2025 Craftsbury Marathon felt like a true “classic” event, with frigid early morning temperatures leading into to bright sunshine and firm classic tracks for all.
Chilly drive through Wolcott
Coach Sara and I set our alarms for an early wakeup in order to secure an indoor space in the lower wax room at the Outdoor Center (the thermometer on my car said -13 on the drive through Wolcott) and we succeeded with our choice of benches. The MNC flag denoted our “home” for Masters to check in and receive kick and glide support on their skis.
I think it’s worth noting here that Sara and I both started our MNC coaching careers at the same time: the summer of 2015. So, 2025 marks the start of our 10th year working together. I like to think this makes us pretty dialed when it comes to our preferences for kick and glide (in terms of ski feel) and our timelines and process for preparing race skis. We used the MNC test skis to work through a number of options for both kicking wax and cover waxes, eventually settling on a result that would probably surprise nobody: Start Oslo.
We really love these waxes, and race on them quite frequently. Many suggest that Oslo waxes are “too slow” to be effective race waxes, but at MNC we are frequently covering Oslo, mixing it with other waxes or klister, and applying them via an iron. In short, we manipulate the Oslo wax in a variety of ways to get it to our liking. Also, let’s be real: even if it’s a little slow, don’t you prefer to have kick in a classic race?
Despite the fact that it comes in a regular-looking kickwax tin, our favorite way to apply Start Oslo is via an iron. A few have asked about this method, so I took a few extra minutes at Craftsbury to film a clip of the process. This is fast, simple, and waaaay less hassle than trying to cork this goopy mess.
For this race, our final wax decision was Start Oslo Blue under the toe, with Start Oslo Green on the rest of the kickzone. This was all ironed in (over a hardwax binder) and then cooled. We then covered it with a cold green wax…actually a homemade combination of Guru Super Halgier and Rode B310. We call this mixed wax “Fairbanks” if that gives any indication of when you’d pull it out of the box. The cover was very lightly applied over the top of the cooled Oslo, and corked very subtly…not enough to mix it into the Oslo, but rather to create a shell layer above it.
After the gun went off, Sara and I brought a wax bench up to the upper field and put some corks and Toko Red out as “emergency wax” for anybody interested. Last year was a klister day, and Coach Rosemary brought out the speedy wax roller and offered an extra layer or two for anyone skiing by who needed it…so we decided to keep that tradition alive.
As the racers made their way through the event, Sara and I met up with Junior skier Mia Gorman and waxed up our skis for the opposite of a ski marathon: a classic old school tour!
We avoided the race course and took the Village Trail toward the town of Craftsbury. There was ample snow and bright sun, and skiing through rolling farm fields got me in a very excited mood. It felt like a vintage day in Norway when you might go out with your family into the woods and have a picnic on the trail. The scenery also reminded me of that famous and still-inspiring old video of Bill Koch ripping around the woods and fields of southern VT!
What a lovely day for a ski tour through the outskirts of Craftsbury
In keeping with the vintage vibes, it was only natural that we ski over to the general store (Genny) in town. We purchased a locally-made fresh baguette and a block of cheddar cheese, and I was really getting into the spirit now. Would we sit on the bench at the store to eat our bread and cheese? Absolutely not: we were going to carry that thing right back to a ski trail along a red barn and rolling hills and eat that stuff on the snow just like you would in the halcyon days!
When we skied back to the Outdoor Center, the race was winding down. Later finishers were making their way to the line, and many MNC athletes were mingling around sharing tales from their efforts. We caught up to hear how everything went, and one thing was for sure: it was an amazing day to be outside regardless of how your race went! It felt extra special to be both a part of the race event and a memorable, idyllic cruise around the casual trails. Our sport can be truly rewarding in many different ways.
Congrats to all of the MNC racers, and good luck to those racing in the skate marathon event, too!
It’s time for the Craftsbury Marathon! You can expect conditions to be amazing, and probably better than what Craftsbury might promote online…they tend to undersell it, you could say.
Saturday’s classic race looks cold to start, but warming up to reasonable (mid-teens) temps by noon. Add in sun, and you have a recipe for the perfect classic day!
Sunday might involve a bit of snow and more moderate temperatures, but yet again another great ski racing day.
Adam will be present on Saturday: look for MNC either in the basement community wax room, OR look for the MNC tent in the upper or lower field. Adam won’t be present on Sunday, but happy to apply a best-guess wax layer on Saturday!
Classic skis (Saturday)
Clean glide zones (with dedicated glide cleaner) and kick zones. Sand kick zones with 100 grit sandpaper.
Glide:
-Apply one layer of a very cold wax to harden the bases (Start Green, Toko Blue+X-Cold, Swix 5, etc)
-Apply one layer of a mild cold wax such as Swix 6, Rode R20 Blue, or Toko Blue
We will apply a liquid topcoat on Saturday morning. Most likely, we will use Star Next Cold liquid which is reliable, easy to apply, fast to dry, and has good durability! We will also test or look to some structure options on Saturday morning.
If you want to avoid dealing with a liquid topcoat on Saturday morning, a safe bet is Toko Blue liquid, but you must apply this the night before and let it dry at room temperature as long as possible. Scrub with a nylon brush on race morning.
Kick:
Apply a hardwax binder such as Toko Base Green, ironing it in.
We will test kick on race morning. It looks to be a situation where hardwax, or a mix such as Olso, would work well!
Skate skis (Sunday)
Clean glide zones (with dedicated glide cleaner).
-Apply one layer of a very cold wax to harden the bases.
-Apply one layer of a cold-mid range wax as final paraffin layer (Toko Blue, Swix 6, Rode R30 Purple)
A great simple topcoat solution, if applying in advance, would be Toko Blue spray, if you can apply it the night before and let dry completely overnight.
For structure, a very light chevron or cross pattern (such as the Toko Blue 2.0 tool) could be useful!
Tomasi Meadow is skiing GREAT right now! We’ve had a long stretch of cold weather and the snow is sticking around. We never know how long that’ll last in New England, so there’s never been a better time to get out and ski.
If you haven’t been to Tomasi Meadow yet, give it a look! This is a beautiful stretch of conserved land in Underhill, right in the shadow of Mt Mansfield, that our club manages and grooms with the help of Peter Davis.
Skiing is FREE at Tomasi Meadow, and we hope many members of the broader ski community (not just MNC) can enjoy cross country skiing in this wonderful place. Our BKL and Afternoon Masters programs have been making great use of the trails, and on Monday some of our coaches joined a group from the Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) who took a field trip out to ski on a sunny day.
You can always check Peter’s latest grooming report on the snow conditions page, which is also linked right at the bottom of the MNC homepage.
Here’s some photos from Monday, where we experienced bright blue skies and fresh tracks:
Peter, the MNC grooming rig, and Mt Mansfield!
Signage and notes regarding trail use. Thanks for abiding!
MNC Masters skier Tobias enjoys a little skating
If you’ve enjoyed Tomasi Meadow this winter, let others know about it! Share some photos online, tell a friend or family member to check out the trails, or let folks know about the skiing on places like Front Porch Forum. If you’d like to donate to the trails (specifically snow machine fuel and wear-and-tear costs to keep things running) use our Donation Page and mark “Tomasi” in the comments. Thanks!
The psychology of a big challenge can be heavily affected by the seasons. In summertime, far removed from the pressure (self-imposed or otherwise) of race results and ranking lists, arduous workouts and epic challenges are coveted. Coaches are often spending the warmer months preaching the value of balanced workouts and controlled paces, and worrying about the dangers of pushing too hard before the “important” races happen.
When your biggest metric is personal improvement, when there’s no spot on a trip or championship on the line, and when the experience is shared with friends and teammates, the toughest obstacles can be conquered with relative ease:
Rollerski 100 kilometers? No problem. What about rollerskiing from 6am to 6pm? The entirety of daylight?
Uphill run test straight to the top of Bolton? The team won’t settle for that…they are asking how many extra intervals they can do after in order to get more intensity.
Mount Washington? That’s just one mountain. Presidential Range? Lame…”That’s what they did at Mountain Camp back in like 2018. It’s Pemi Loop or nothing.”
Liam and Gabe attacking one of many hills
The racecourses in Lake Placid are the toughest in the country. At least, they are the toughest racecourses I have ever seen or skied, and I have certainly seen my fair share of courses and venues across America in the last 20 years. The hills are steep, but they are also extremely wide. They skew your perception of speed and distance. If you’ve ever driven through South Dakota, you know the 80mph speed limit still feels like a crawl when there’s nothing on either side of you as far as the eye can see. In Lake Placid, skiing up a relentless 20% grade with a South Dakotan field of vision is not easy. When you turn the corner and find more hill and not a respite like other ski courses, the challenge doesn’t double: it multiplies.
Sounds like a big challenge, similar to an epic summer endeavor like the Bolton uphill test or the 100km rollerski, right?
The problem is, there’s more strings attached and more to overanalyze. This race has points generated from it. Ranking lists will be altered by the results of these races. College coaches are here and they might be watching. So-and-so hasn’t beaten me this year, but what if they do today?
All of a sudden, a single competition that is actually less daunting than the insane workouts our team can concoct for themselves. The FIS certification for the 3.5km course shows 140 meters of climbing. For a 2-lap course that’s 280 meters/918 feet. Less vertical than the Bolton uphill run test, and this one has some downhills involved! About 23-27 minutes to complete…that’s over 6 hours shorter than the 100km rollerski!
The key is confidence. We can achieve all of these great feats in the other months, so what’s to stop us bringing our best and fastest selves to the race course when it’s snow on the ground instead of pavement or dirt? The more we race this winter, the more we’ll keep exploring that psychology. This past weekend we had some amazing performances and great personal breakthroughs.
First up was the women’s race with Charlotte having her best distance race on the Eastern Cup and making the most of her awesome running season fitness (competing all the way through Nationals in Oregon). Then it was onto highlights like Farmer taking a break from his nearly dominant HS racing season to hit up the New York trails, the 7.5k was additionally challenging with tricky snow and wax to add to the mix. In the U16 boys race our Middlebury-area contingent of Jorgen and Gabe skied great, and James had his best race yet as the 5th American (we were joined by many strong Canadian racers from multiple northern teams this weekend). But of the whole field there was nobody that was going to match Sylas’ classic technique on the climbs:
But a highlight of the season so far, and possibly a highlight of MNC as a club, was the U16 girls race. In a 5km classic race I have never been so convinced that we had swept the podium before I even looked at the results. I was cheering and taking video at the highest point of the course, after a brutal series of the most strung-together climbs possible for five kilometers of racing.
Skiers were plunked onto their poles, shuffling to survive, herringboning to make it home, slipping in shambles, and…you get it.
But then one by one they came around the corner and up the rise. First Mia, striding quickly and powerfully upright. Then Astrid, poling up the gradual climb and seamlessly transitioning into a dynamic gliding stride. Then Acadia kicking like she was at the start of a sprint race and then double poling after deciding that hill was nothing to her.
This was obvious. Those three were going to be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I couldn’t quite parse out from what I saw just which order they’d end up in, but their skiing was on a completely different level than everyone else.
Turns out they all crossed the line and BOOM. Acadia 1st, Astrid 2nd, Mia 3rd. It also turns out I was right about not being able to tell the exact order from that one section of trail: all three were only separated by 9 seconds!
I didn’t see the results right away, but others had. As I skied back down the winding trail to the stadium the various parents and friends along the trail were all pumping their fists in the air and shouting stuff like “did you see that?!” and I knew.
…But there is a twist to the happy ending. Remember that little mention of the Canadians earlier in this post? Well, there were some very speedy foreign competitors in this race who, because they don’t have traditional NENSA licenses, were starting behind all of the seeded competitors. So just as I was getting ready to approach the stadium and congratulate our sweep-crew, I saw two skiers in race suits I’d never seen before absolutely gunning-it toward the finish.
“Uh oh” I said, probably out loud.
And just like that, a true sweep was foiled. For NENSA points purposes, the Canadians don’t count, but they were in the race and fair is fair! So it was bittersweet, but in a great motivational way. The first thing I told that trio when I saw them was how awesome they were. But the next thing I said was how it was a great spot to be in: knowing that you can pull off a sweep of your main competition when it all goes right, but also knowing that there’s always others out there ready to push you to strive even harder. And of course, after the main podium with Acadia in 3rd (her first podium!) we did jump up for an “American Podium Sweep” photo:
That’s what we call an M-N-C-1-2-3!
Day two brought an opposite style of action, with skate sprints of furious uphill hop-skating and tactical high-speed descents. In the open qualifier it was a birthday bash for Niko who was the talk of the coaches radio chatter. Kristen on the hill buzzed in with a “Niko looks absolutely insane on this uphill” after which Sara and I saw in person as he beautifully tuck-skated the final gradual descent and ballet-danced his skis around the final corner into the finish. Niko has this thing where he tried to do every downhill on one foot at practice, turns included. You can’t say it wasn’t effective here, as his mix of balance and power propelled him to an astounding 6th place overall in a qualifier full of stacked Canadian pro skiers and collegiate athletes.
He was joined in the open heats by Anders (9) and Jonah (12). Niko skied the hill amazingly once again in his heat in the lead, but unfortunately was in the perfect position for the opposition to catch his draft on a long descent. Still, he battled to 3rd in his heat which is incredible for a U18 in this field and multiple steps ahead of the last sprint in Craftsbury where he was clinging onto the pack into the finish.
Both in the same quarterfinal, Anders and Jonah battled 4 Canadians. Jonah and Anders both advanced marking Jonah’s first time advancing past the quarters in an open heat. In the semis, Jonah’s 3rd place finish netted him 7th overall in the whole Eastern Cup, and first U18. With Niko finishing 13th, that earned them both a trip to the podium!
Although he just barely missed the open heats in 33rd, Lorenzo used the same tactic in each of his heats to make it all the way to the final and finish as 3rd American. Although he could charge up the hill like nobody’s business, he stayed calm and put himself in the advantageous position of always being 5-7 feet behind first place in order to rocket right around them on the descent. In the final things got a little more strung-out, but Lorenzo went from never having even made the Junior heats before, to skiing through to the final and coming close to winning it all!
The final races of the day were the U16 heats, with a shoutout here for Isaiah who had his strongest result yet in the qualifier of 10th. James and Jorgen also were slated to race it out, but things came to an unfortunate early end for Isaiah and James: another skier moved left and Isaiah was tripped-up, and right behind him was James. The two collided in an unavoidable situation and had to try to make up ground that was never fully theirs. It was a great motivator if nothing else!
In the women’s U16 heats it was Astrid (1), Acadia (4) and Mia (7) all finishing strong in their first heat to be sharing the final together. 3 of them in the final heat…was a sweep possible again? We talked about tactics…they could let another team’s skier lead and try to get the draft, or they could hit the gas from the gun and try to drop everyone else. The second option was riskier, but more intriguing and that was agreed on.
The only thing was, the gas tanks weren’t quite full after so much racing over the weekend, and Acadia was stuck with a far outside lane that made navigating the heat harder than usual. So, the sweep was relegated to day 1 but the excitement remains!
At a coaching clinic few years ago someone mentioned that their favorite saying was “challenge is a choice” and that has stuck with me. Sometimes challenges can be easier to dig into, especially when they are far removed from racing season and the goals we all spend months thinking about. In the heart of the season those goals loom larger, and even small challenges can seem too daunting to attempt. But in both cases, those challenges are a choice. If we can remember all the big challenges we’ve willingly embraced, what’s to fear about a few other ones that come our way?
It’s a cold week, but the snow is great!! Kids should wear their warmest layers, MNC neck warmer, mittens (test if they fit in ski pole straps ahead of time). We have extra hand warmers if you need some – check in at the trail head as kids are getting equipment on.
The photos are in from the Skiathlon – you can check them out here.
Tuesday 1/21: Penguins, JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes & Racers Location: Tomasi Details: Skate for JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes and Racers
Classic for Penguins and they are doing ski with your stuffed animal day. Penguins bring a little stuffie from home and tuck it inside your pocket, jacket or little back pack while you ski together. (We will also have a bag of extras for anyone that forgets.)
Devos are at Sleepy with Coach Kristen – check the juniors training doc for technique and time.
Parking: The Tomasi lot on Mountain Rd. Please park tight, so there is space for everyone. Please don’t park on Pinnacle Ridge (it’s a private driveway). Underhill Central School is an overflow parking location.
Reminder: There is no inside space. Wear a headlamp! Thanks to the Underhill Rec Committee there is a porta potty in Tomasi parking lot.
Thursday 1/23: Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers & Devos Location: Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston from 3:45-5:15 Details: Classic for JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers and Devos (bring rock skis if you have them, groups will be doing some classic ski touring and adventuring)
Sign up to Ski at Catamount: MNC is covering the cost for our group, but we need to know if your child is coming. Please fill out the two forms linked below by 2pm on Thursday. Parents can ski too, see the details at the top of the MNC Team Signup Sheet.
The MNC Afternoon Masters group is also going to be at Catamount. If you are part of that group you can sign yourself up on the same list and waiver (below).
2. Sign the Catamount Outdoor Family Center (not required if you filled it out last week) Yearly Waiver
Parking, etc: Catamount has a big parking lot with a porta potty at one end. They don’t have an indoor space for changing.
*The primary entrance to Catamount is from North Williston Rd. Take note that there is a small section of Governor Chittenden Rd from Rt 2/Williston Rd, that is closed in the winter.
Saturday 1/25: Devos Location: Craftsbury Outdoor Center Registration and More Info Details: Classic Craftsbury Marathon BKL Distance with Coach Kristen
Sunday 1/26: Racers Location: Craftsbury Outdoor Center Registration and More Info Details: Skate Craftsbury Marathon BKL Distance with parent chaperones
