A competitor in the Ski to the Sun Marathon paused to scan a QR code for the self-timing event, near the Tawlks-Foster Bridge.
By Rick Lewis
Methow Trails and the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Education Foundation (MVNSEF) collaborated to sponsor the 2021 Ski to the Sun Marathon and Relay race between Jan. 29 and Feb. 7, a 40-kilometer annual trek from Mazama to Sun Mountain.
Usually, the race is a head-to-head, mass start competition, but COVID-19 forced organizers to devise a virtual race where competitors skied the course while tracking their times using smart phones. MVNSEF Executive Director Pete Leonard reported that the timing system worked fairly well.
“Using smartphones and QR codes for scanning was not flawless, but was pretty darn reliable,” Leonard said. “Most people were wise enough to have a back-up timing device or work with other apps on their smartphone to compile evidence of their finish if they had technology issues.”
In what was probably not any surprise, Methow Valley native and two-time Olympian Erik Bjornsen took the overall title and first place in Men’s Freestyle class, while his wife, Marine Bjornsen, placed first in Women’s Freestyle.
Twelve-year-old Aidan Sands won the Under 18 division, completing his race on Saturday in time to switch gears and compete Sunday morning in the Sun of a Gun biathlon event at the Liberty Bell campus.
Virginia Kent and Kent Murdoch won the women’s and men’s classic ski divisions, respectively. First place in the team events went to Methow Trails Babes (Female Family Marathon Relay); Blutchick Jr. (Male Family Marathon Relay); Team Neve (Female/Male Family Household Relay); and Group Howlers (No Gender Family/Household Relay).
“The goal of the event,” said Leonard, “was to keep the spirit of the event alive in a fashion that was safe for the community, volunteers and participants.”
Leonard credits the collaboration between his organization and Methow Trails with the success of the event. The race committee included Leonard and Kent Murdoch from MVNSEF, joined by Methow Trails representatives Adrienne Schaeffer, Alison Naney and Tracy Ross.
Ski to the Sun results:
• Overall winner, Men: Erik Bjornsen, 1:43:42.8
• Overall winner, Women: Marine Bjornsen, 2:01:08.0
Women
Marathon Classic Technique
• Virginia Price, 3:13:38.0
• Marathon, Family/Household: Methow Trails Babes, 3:20:00.0
• Marathon, Freestyle: Marine Bjornsen, 2:01:08.0
Men
• Marathon Classic Technique: Kent Murdoch, 2:20:27.5
• Marathon, Family/Household: Blutchick Jr., 2:31:04.8
• Marathon, Freestyle: Erik Bjornsen, 1:43:42.8
• Marathon, Freestyle Under 18: Aidan Sands, 4:27:50.4
• Female/Male Marathon, Family/Household Relay: Team Neve, 2:48:28.9
• No Gender, Family/Household Relay: Group Howlers, 4:12:21.6
