Jan. 7, 2012, Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, MN
The 2012 Peace Coffee Pre-Loppet made lemonade out of lemons – or, more aptly, coffee out of coffee beans. While we are living through a bit of a brown January, Theodore With Park has emerged as a small oasis of winter with a 2.5 kilometer snowmakng loop.
This year’s Pre-Loppet had several new features: three junior races, new fancy race bibs, multiple laps and lots of coffee and Olympia Granola Bars. Near perfect temperatures greeted the skiers – in the upper-20s to lower-30s.
With the course confined to the Hap Lutter snowmaking loop, the races were great for spectators and the participants enjoyed almost constant encouragement along the way. The day started out with the J2 – J4 race for ten to fifteen year olds – two laps on a 1.75 kilometer loop. Twelve-year-old Luc Golin edged Josh Albrecht and the Anwatin Ski Team’s Raequan Wilson to take the overall title. On the girls side, ten-year-old Leah Rudd took the overall and J4 title, while Madeleine Williams took the J3 title.
In the 1.75 kilometer J5 (8-9 year-olds) race, the Albrechts and the Golins reversed – with Josh’s younger brother Caden just edging out Luc’s younger brother, Thomas, in a virtual photo finish. On the girls side, eight-year-old Kaia Meyer edged her sisters, who swept the the top-three places in the J5 competition.
The seven and under race was 1.25 kilometers of cuteness.
And then the old people took to the trails – for five laps of fun! Hillary Patzer battled her way through the hordes of men to take the crown in an impressive time of 33:35. On the men’s side, Nate Porath and Andrew Tillman broke away from a six-person pack over the last kilometer, with Tillman edging Porath to the line by a long leg.
“The course held up well,” commented the Sisu Foundation’s Ben Popp at the finish line. “But doing that course five times is tough!”
Nothing that a little Peace Coffee coffee can’t cure . . .
Next up: Mayor’s Challenge, part of the Tour de Twin Cities, followed by the IPC Paralympics World Cup and the City of Lakes Loppet Cross Country Ski Festival!
