Great Bear Chase Countdown
Fri, Mar 3, 2017 - By Angela Luskin
The 37th annual UP Health System Great Bear Chase is almost here! Conditions are looking great, with a packed base of 24” on the course and great temperatures leading up to Saturday, March 11th.
Online registration will be open until midnight on Thursday, March 9. Last-minute registration will also be available at the Calumet High School from 6-9 p.m. the day before the race. Registration will not be accepted on race day. Save money by registering before prices increase on March 6th.
To register now, visit http://www.greatbearchase.com/registration/.
2017 Great Bear Chase Race Details
Before you hang up your skis for the season, consider joining over 600 skiers by participating in one of the last ski events of the year. The Great Bear Chase has earned a reputation as a laid-back, skier- orientated weekend that allows skiers of all experience levels to finish their season with a high-quality event. Some highlights of this year’s race include:
- The 2017 Great Bear Chase will feature seven races: 50 km Skiathlon, freestyle and classic 50 km, 25 km and 10 km races.
- Return of the 50 km Skiathlon - the 50km Skiathlon features a combined competition of 25 km of classic skiing followed by 25 km of freestyle skiing. The Great Bear Chase 50km Skiathlon is part of the CXC Marathon Cup.
- Handcrafted awards – a tremendous amount of time and effort has gone into the creation of numerous race awards. Over 100 wood carved skis will be given to 1st place finishers in all age groups. Unique copper awards will be given to overall male and female winners of each race in addition to top 10 male and top 5 female finishers in the 50K Freestyle. To see a detailed breakdown of the age groups visit our race guide at http://www.greatbearchase.com/race-guide/.
- T-shirt swag – all participants will receive a cool 2017 Great Bear Chase dri-wicking t-shirt. Both men’s and women’s sizes will be available.
- Races start times have changed from the previous years with the 50 km Skiathlon kicking off the event at 8:30 a.m. EST and the 25 km freestyle race rounding out the starts at 9:20 a.m. EST
- Pasta Dinner – join us for a pasta dinner (provided through UP Health System Portage Nutrition Services) during Registration and Bib Pickup on Friday from 6-8pm at the Calumet High School. The price is $10 and includes meat lasagna, vegetable lasagna, assorted artisan dinner rolls, spring mix salad, antipasto salad, fruit salad, lemon bars, water, assorted sparkling water and iced tea. Plan on enjoying a good meal with fellow skiers and fuel up for a great race!
- Bib pick-up is at the Calumet High School, 6-9 pm on Friday, March 10, and 6-8:30 am on Saturday, March 11. You can find details, maps, and other information in the race guide at http://www.greatbearchase.com/race-guide/
We hope to see you at the 37th annual Great Bear Chase on Saturday, March 11th, 2017!