NENSA realizes we have significant challenges facing our 2020-21 winter event schedule. We are committed to hosting races and will do whatever it takes to put on events in whatever form they might take. Our first objective is to ensure the health of our community here in New England. Our second objective is to host our major races: the Popular Race Series, Eastern Cups, the Bill Koch Festival, U16 and Eastern High School Championships in their current state. Needless to say, state and regional guidelines will dictate how we operate as an organization and what those events may look like. Please read on to see the announcement of NENSA’s planned 2020-21 events as well as our thoughtful contingency plans to be the best prepared we can be. We will keep assessing, and making adjustments as needed, and as the year and season unfolds.
Eastern Cup Schedule:
Eastern Cup #1 – Rikert Nordic Center, Middlebury, VT
December 19: Freestyle sprint
December 20: Classic interval start, 5/5/10k
Eastern Cup #2 – Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, Carrabassett Valley, ME
January 23: Classic sprint
January 24: Freestyle interval 5/5/10k
Eastern Cup#3 – Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury, VT
(Dartmouth Carnival combined Saturday (FIS))
February 6: Freestyle Interval start, 7.5k U16/10k women/15k men
February 7: Classic Mass start, 5/7.5/10k
Eastern Cup #4 – Dublin School, Dublin, NH and Holderness School, Plymouth, NH
February 20: Classic sprint
February 21: Freestyle interval start 5/5/10k
Eastern Cup Contingencies:
Plan 1 – Schedule as planned
Plan 2 – Alternate formats to help with social distancing, ie. individual start distance races, spreading out the age group start times to minimize crowds.
Plan 3 – Alternate dates – moving EC’s to February and early March when we could remerge from potential early/mid-winter quarantine.
Plan 4 – Regional races within state in New England – states determine “Championship” Teams
Championship Event Schedule:
New England Bill Koch League Festival – Quarry Road Trails, Waterville, ME | March 6-7 2021
U16 Eastern Championships, Fort Kent Outdoor Center, Fort Kent, ME | March 12-14
Eastern High School Championships, Titcomb Mountain, Farmington, ME | March 19-21
Championship Event Contingencies:
Plan 1 – Schedule as planned
Plan 2 – Alternate formats to help with social distancing, ie. individual start distance races, spreading start times to minimize crowds.
