‘Old-school’ Canadian Ski Marathon on track for 50th anniversary
Winter gem has overcome share of obstacles, but stays true to its roots
The Canadian Ski Marathon, which has been known to start its two-day, 160-kilometre wilderness cross-country ski tour through Western Quebec by popping a brown paper bag filled with air, is about to celebrate a golden milestone.
And how it has arrived on the doorstep of its 50th anniversary of promoting Nordic skiing is a tale filled with a raft of emotions, challenges and fond memories.
There have been years of no snow, other years of too much snow and one year when freezing rain cancelled one day of skiing. There have been years of a mountain of corporate sponsors (27 in 2005), but now there are none for the marathon and its $400,000 budget, funded by skier registration fees.
There were the early years when the skiers travelled only one direction (west from Lachute to Montebello to Gatineau over two days), years when the skiers reversed their course ( beginning in 1994) and headed east every other year, and years when nasty weather forced them onto a northern loop in Kenauk Reserve.
And the amazing part is North America’s longest and oldest ski tour, which turns a half-century old Feb. 19-21, hardly ever hit the snow in the first place.
Without the creativity, endless enthusiasm and persistence of marathon founder Don MacLeod of Ottawa, who died last year in New Zealand, and the thousands of volunteers and skiers who followed his lead, this grandiose endurance event wouldn’t have become one of the gems of the Canadian winter.
In the fall of 1966, MacLeod, who represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in 1964, had a Centennial celebration idea to increase interest in crosscountry skiing. He called it the Centennial Marathon Ski Tour, which would cover 192 kilometres over three days from Montreal to Ottawa. He received favourable support from the ski community for his idea, which came from an event he attended in Norway. But there was some reserved skepticism.
When he took his dream concept to the Centennial Commission, which was encouraging Canadians to create and participate in activities to celebrate the country’s first 100 years, a fired-up MacLeod was left greatly disappointed.
“They figured something of this magnitude wasn’t worthwhile and could not possibly succeed because nothing was of that degree of magnitude ever before in Canada,” MacLeod told author Bill Pollock, who wrote the 299page history of the event, in a June 2011 interview.
Politely, MacLeod asked the Centennial Commission if he could tackle the project himself and he received its blessing.
“We aren’t telling you not to do it, but we don’t think we could back it at this point because we don’t think that it will ever materialize,” he continued, expanding on the commission’s rejection.
Fifty years later and with MacLeod’s spirited enthusiasm still alive and well, the Canadian Ski Marathon has survived many struggles and appears to be in good shape. It’s a no-frills event, but the anticipated 2,200 skiers for the 50th edition will receive everything they need for a meaningful and memorable time, including a commemorative toque. They will ski from the Buckingham Golf Club to Montebello on Feb. 20, and from Montebello to Lachute on Feb. 21.
For the first time in its history, the board of directors has a woman as president. Julie Boyer, who will attempt to earn her Coureur des Bois gold medal by skiing the entire 160 kilometres over two days, while carrying all of her supplies in a minimum five-kilogram backpack and sleep outside overnight, replaced Paul Throop of Chelsea last spring as president.
Despite the popularity of the skating style of cross-country skiing, the marathon has stuck to its roots and remains a classicstyle tour, where the skiers travel along a set, grooved track rather than over a wide, flat course.
“We’re purely classic,” said Throop, who has been involved with the marathon for about 35 years since first entering the tour in 1969. “There’s no skating. We’re old school. We’re not a race. We’ve never been a race.”
And the marathon remains committed to rewarding its skiers for completing a few sections each day up to all 10 sections. If a skier goes the distance each day within a time limit, he or she will earn a Coureur des Bois bronze, silver or gold medal. Once gold is achieved, skiers receive gold bars and four of those gives the skier a permanent bib number.
Skiers also can take part in the individual and team touring categories, attempt the half marathon on the Sunday, or try the faster division by skiing the last section each day.
Will there be another 50 years and a Centennial celebration for the Canadian Ski Marathon? Throop is confident because the tour is building future crosscountry skiers through its Ski at School program as well as opening a northern trail in 2015 in case of poor snow conditions between Buckingham and Montebello in the future.
“The concept (of the marathon) was one of personal achievement in cross-country skiing for all Canadians, and that has not changed and should not change, or it will fail,” MacLeod told Pollock.