St. Lawrence Valley Primitive Snowshoe Biathlon this weekend

Coordinator Fred Hanss said that the event requires participants to traverse a racecourse through the woods on snowshoes and fire a muzzle-loading rifle or smoothbore twice at each of five targets in the woods. At the final station, participants may toss a tomahawk at a block of wood for extra points. Participants are timed as they run or walk the course and each time they hit a target, five minutes is deducted from their running time. If there is insufficient snow to use snowshoes, the organizers may permit participants to carry their snowshoes on the course.

“This sport is popular because it provides an opportunity for people to get outdoors during the late winter and enjoy the company of friends. The biathlon is open to both men and women. The people who typically turn out enjoy snowshoeing as well as shooting black powder firearms,” Mr. Hanss said, adding that “there’s also a competitive element to it that many folks enjoy.”

The biathlon is a local version of a winter sport that is popular in New England. The original snowshoe biathlon took place at Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont, and there are now several events in Vermont and New York that take place annually.

“The St. Lawrence Valley Primitive Snowshoe Biathlon got its start in 2011. For several years, members of the Fort La Presentation Association and Forsyth’s Rifles traveled to Vermont to participate in the Smuggler’s Notch Snowshoe Biathlon. We had so much fun, that we thought people here would enjoy the sport and that it would be a great fundraiser for the Association’s redevelopment work on Van Rensselaer Point,” Mr. Hanss said. “We missed two years during the pandemic, but we’re back for the 10th annual event.”

Mr. Hanss said that the event draws people from across New England, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and New York. Many of these people have been running at events earlier on the schedule.

“Typically, we have 40 or more people who will participate over the course of the weekend. Many will run several times and walk it with a group of friends,” Mr. Hanss said. “Most of the people who participate in biathlons aren’t reenactors. Some are competitive athletes who have run at several before ours, others are outdoorsmen, who may not be interested in racing, but enjoy spending time in the woods snowshoeing and shooting black powder rifles and smoothbores.”

There are three divisions — traditional muzzle-loading rifle, flintlock or percussion cap lock and traditional smoothbore and modern in-line muzzleloader. Those running in the traditional class must wear wooden snowshoes while in-line shooters can wear modern snowshoes. Each division is scored separately. There are classes for seniors, men, women and youth ages 12 to 16.

Funds raised by the event will support improvements on the Fort Association’s property on Van Rensselaer Point, 22 Albany Ave., Ogdensburg.

The biathlon registration fee is $18 in advance of the event or $20 at the door. Once registered, runners can run the course a second or third time for an additional $5 fee. Registration forms can be found on the Fort Association’s website at www.fort1749.org. For more information, contact Mr. Hanss at 315-212-6213.