June 28, 2017 (Thunder Bay, ON) – On July 1st, 2017, Thunder Bay will be hosting its first ever Cross Country Canada-sanctioned rollerski race. The race will feature 50 of Canada’s top Nordic skiers racing around the closed streets of downtown Port Arthur.

The event is organized by Lakehead Superior Nordic Association, Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club, Lappe Nordic, and the National Team Development Centre, Thunder Bay.

Among the racers will be top local skiers, Junior National Team members and other elite skiers who have come to Thunder Bay from across Canada for a training camp hosted by NTDC Thunder Bay.  The field will include athletes who potentially will represent Canada in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The race starts and finishes at the corner of Court and Van Norman, commencing at 2:00 pm and finishing with awards at 6:00 pm. See attached map for the race route.

The following streets will be temporarily closed between 2 and 6pm on Saturday July 1st

Court Street North (between Camelot and Van Norman)
Van Norman (between Court St. North and St. Paul St.)
St. Paul Street (between Van Norman and Camelot)
Camelot (between Algoma and St. Paul Street)

Race format will include an interval start time trial. Then athletes will be seeded into waves of closely matched competitors, with each wave completing a multiple lap race.  Waves will progress from the slower competitors to the fastest, with the top ranked skiers racing at close to 4 pm.

A big “Thank You” goes out to the City of Thunder Bay, to the individuals and businesses in the area affected by the road closures, and to the many businesses who have supported the organizing committee in bringing Thunder Bay this exciting afternoon of rollerski racing!

For more information contact Chris Serratore – chris.serratore at gmail.com.