With fresh snow and cold weather expected and a few more hills to climb than in previous years, don't expect any record times at Sunday's Caledonia Loppet.
It's going to be bit of a grunt.
But for the 108 skiers signed up for the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club event at Otway Nordic Centre, that's not a problem. Most of them are in it just for the fun a competition provides.
The race features four distances -- 3.5 kilometres, 7.5km, 15km and 30km -- and it's geared toward skiers of all ages.
"It is a fun event, something that they can just go out and challenge themselves and have a good time with it," said race director Brent Maguire.
"It's a loppet, so it's a fun day out on the snow and for a lot of people it's an accomplishment to finish it. But there's definitely some quick people at the club and they are always going to be fast. "
How fast is fast? Jacqui Benson, the former World Cup racer, set the bar last year when she posted the quickest overall time in the 30-kilometre race, finishing in 1:24.08, a sizzling average of 21.4 kilometres per hour. She crossed the finish 43 seconds ahead of Nikki Kassel of Prince George. Chris Paulson of Burns Lake, the top male skier, clocked 1:24:35.
Maguire expects the winning times this year will be closer to 1:30.
"It's a bit of different course this year, with more hills, but the distance might be a bit shorter," he said. "Last year it was super quick with the warm weather, and with the cold it will be slower this year."
John Hagen didn't race the Caledonia Loppet last year but he's on this year's start list with Simon Perreault. Both are expected to challenge for the 30km title. Two weeks ago at the Cariboo Gold Rush Marathon at 100 Mile House, Perreault and Hagen were the top two overall finishers in the 50km classic technique event, and Kassel was just one second behind Hagen.
Between five and 10 centimetres of snow was predicted for today, with another 5cm for Sunday. Scattered flurries and a race time temperature of -13 C is expected.
"The new snow will actually help make it easier to handle the downhills, which is good," said Maguire.
The 15km and 30km course takes skiers west of the stadium on the Antlers and Fingers trails. Those are usually one-way trails during normal operation at Otway, but for the race will be travelled in the opposite direction, leading back to the lodge. Skiers will be able to quench their thirst at water station in front of the lodge, then the course climbs up and down the Night Rider section to the Canada Cup hill to the Northern Lights and Doggone-It loops before ending in the stadium. The 30km racers will ski that loop twice.
The Caledonia Loppet started out decades ago as a classic technique race, when the club was based at Tabor Mountain ski trails, but it was put into limbo for 14 years until it was revived in 2007. Two years ago the event was changed to freestyle (skate-skiing) to encourage more skiers to race. The 2009 race drew 63 entrants in 2009, 122 last year, and 108 this year.
"Since we switched it to a skate race we've had a lot more skiers," said Maguire. "There aren't a lot of chances to compete and this definitely brings in a lot more people."
The race starts Sunday at 10 a.m.
