On January 25, hundreds of winter sports enthusiasts descended on Spring Mountain in Schwenksville for the 19th annual Snowshoe Race, the nation’s largest snowshoe 5K, writes John Worthington for the Daily Local News.
Approximately 325 racers braved the chilly morning temperatures to conquer the steep slopes. Before they set off from the starting line, Ryan Beltz, executive director of the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy and host of the event, addressed the crowd, highlighting the race’s historic significance.
“This could be the largest snowshoe race in the nation,” said Beltz.
The inaugural race, organized by race director Ed Myers in the early 2000s, drew 50 participants. To expand the event, Myers secured permission from Spring Mountain owner Rick Buckman to host it at the ski area. The race’s reach grew further when the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy joined the effort shortly afterward.
“When we started, we had 50 racers,” said Myers. “This is a far cry from 50.”
While snowshoeing remains predominantly a European sport, Myers aims to increase its popularity in the United States.
“It could develop into something really big here,” he said.
Read more about the Spring Mountain Ski Area 5k in the Daily Local News.
