News & Stories

City of Lakes Loppet Recap – Sunday, February 4 Events

It was a frigid conclusion to the City of Lakes Loppet Festival on Sunday. Morning windchill temps plummeted to -25 and point-to-point races were delayed, but that didn’t deter more than 1,000 skiers, fat tire bikers, snowshoers, skijorers and dogsledders from taking to the snow!

Covered from head to toe and sporting a colorful array of face tape and eyewear, nearly 500 Columbia Sportswear Skate Marathon competitors wound their way through a freshly groomed, glittering point-to-point course under brilliantly sunny skies. Matt Liebsch won the men’s race in 1:49:48, followed by Adam Mahar and Joel Lafrance. Bonnie Weiskopf Albrecht won the women’s race in 1:59:48, followed by Jan Guenther and Mary Beth Tuttle.

Fourteen-year-old Victor Sparks won the men’s Puoli Loppet Skate, and Susanne Vande Vyvere won the women’s race.

The frigid temps made for some fast conditions for the fat tire racers. In the Penn Cycle Fat Tire Loppet, Chris Stevens took the top men’s podium spot, followed by Peter Olejniczak and Thomas Olek. Hanna Grinaker came home victorious in the women’s race, followed by Risa Hustad and Sarah Berseth.

Eric Hartmark of Duluth took first in the men’s Snowshoe Loppet, and Erin Block of St. Paul won the women’s race.

The cold didn’t seem to bother the canine or human participants in the Chuck & Don’s Point-to-Point Skijoring Loppet. Seventeen teams crossed the finish line of the two-dog national championship race. Sierra Anderson and her team won the 10k race in 20:28.

A huge thank you to all of the volunteers, participants and spectators that made this year’s City of Lakes Loppet Festival one to remember! With the Super Bowl in town and an international spotlight on Minneapolis, we all got to show the world how Minnesota does winter. We’re so glad you were part of the adventure with us!

Check out pictures and full results from the weekend.