If you Google Guy Brown Biathlon, you should get a 2-3 min video taken this last Tues down at Elk River. Cheresa and Saylor did an awesome job!! And our thanks to Guy and Jack the camera guy—was not the warmest day of the week!!
ps. Please let me know if you plan to attend the Duluth Snowflake race MN Cup #8 on SATURDAY the 5th of March!!
Saturday, January 29th All U15 – 5.4km Women, all other ages – 8.25km Men, all other ages – 10.05km Two shooting stages (prone + standing) with penalty loops.
Pursuit Race
Sunday, January 30th All U15 – 9.0km All other women, U17M, YM, MM – 9.0km JM, SM – 11.85km Four shooting stages, 10s interval start, seeded from previous day’s results. Sunday-only racers will be started last.
Please consider this a reminder that you need to register for the Midwest Biathlon Races at Elk River by Friday noon—online. https://forms.gle/Jevxmfko2BLGt6Qh6
The race info is linked here. I was at the Novice Clinic on Sunday and the trails were looking great! Thanks so much to Dave Anderson with the Elk River Park Board and his crew of volunteers!! Keep in mind the winter biathlon trails are not the same as the paved ones we use in the summer—so the flow through the range and the character of the trails is entirely different and a lot more challenging!!
The weather forecast also looks real good! Low Fri night at –4F and rising Saturday to 23F, low Saturday night 10F rising to 22F on Sunday.
We have had a lot of athletes with conflicts with the high school races, many of which have been delayed due to cold weather and pushed together. If so, and if you want to only race one of the Midwest series—feel free to do so. Just be sure to let Brian Wray and Zean Baker know along with getting your name into the system.
I have also had some questions about racing classes. Our new system will automatically figure out your age and put you in the appropriate age class per your birthday. If you wish to race up from say <15 to <17 …or down from say MM to Senior Men, please let both Brian and Zean know that so they can override the system.
We have 5 from WI signed up already—and I hope to see most of our biathletes from MN as well!! Remember, this is also a MN Cup event!!
Over the past couple of years Twin City Biathlon, a branch of MN Biathlon, has been making numerous improvements to the range facility at Woodland Trails Park. Thanks so much to Chad and Lynda Bouley, Tara and Marcus Landrum, Dave Anderson with Elk River Parks and all the others who have pitched in. Here are some of the changes:
Redesigned target boxes for easier switch from paper to metal—now use a fold down front plate- the new plates were donated
a new fabric skirt in front of the boxes to catch lead coming off the face of the metal-thanks to Lynda
new target box covers—again, thanks to Lynda
new paddles built by Marcus to replace some that were too heavy
a new Target #4- thanks to Chad for receiving that and getting it installed
New paper targets designed by Tara who also chased the printing—we are using up the old strips first
new standard shooting mats—thanks to Lou Chouinard for meeting the supplier in Southern MN!
a new wind flag system and flags
new bibs designed by Tara
a new timing program on a spreadsheet designed by Zean Baker—will try out on Saturday!!
a temporary porta potty brought in by Dave Anderson and his crew
And for the weekend event, some generators, heat, lights and computers in the range building!!
It is amazing what volunteers can do when they put their efforts together. A lot more were involved in making this all happen!! Sampsons, Hudrliks, Brodersons and more!!
