The 15th running of the Turquoise Lake 20 Mile Snowshoe Race was one of the slowest in history. Coming on the heels of the season’s first major snowstorm, the racers had to deal with nearly a foot of fresh powder. In only the first 1.25 miles, as runners tromped through powder to the lake, the leaders were already seven minutes behind the race’s typical pace.
A large pack of about 15 runners stayed together for the first 3.2 miles, to and across the lake, then up the climb to the Turquoise Lake Road. The pack split apart from there. Josiah Middaugh, who’s won about everything over the past two years, pulled away to win in 3:44:39. A typical winning time is around three hours. Race founder and director Tom Sobal chased Josiah around the lake, finishing in second place, just five minutes back.
With the top female snowshoe racers missing, the women’s race was up for grabs. After the climb to Uncle Bud’s hut, Tania Pacev (a two-time member of the U.S. 100km World Championships Team) pulled away from a tight group to win in 5:12:38. Pacev finished 12 minutes ahead of Colleen Ihnken, former Montezuma’s Revenge bike race winner.