33rd Annual Tour of Anchorage

Due to COVID-19, there will be no awards party the day after the race. We will have a simple awards ceremony for the 50k ski and 50k bike podiums shortly after those racers finish. All other awards (25K, 40K ski and bike, and all age-group awards) will be available for pick up the week after the tour at the NSAA office. A sign-up sheet is provided here to facilitate a speedy process. Please contact the NSAA office (admin@anchoragenordicski.com) if you would rather have your award mailed to you. 

A note on sportsmanship: Poor sportsmanship, including verbal or physical abuse of volunteers or fellow racers, will not be tolerated to any degree. Transgressors will forfeit any awards and be subject to disqualification that year and potentially be barred from future participation.

SKI AWARDS:

Award for each age-group winner (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)

• 50k freestyle:
  • 1st (male and female) — $1,000 + round-trip ticket with Alaska Airlines
  • 2nd (male and female) — $400
  • 3rd (male and female) — $200
    Note: Cash awards may be adjusted or not given if the race needs to be shortened.
• 50k classic: Awards for Top 3 male and female overall (not cash) and award for Top 3 in each age group (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)
• 40k freestyle and classic: Awards for Top 3 male and female overall (not cash) and award for Top 3 in each age group (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)
• 25k freestyle and classic: Awards for Top 3 male and female overall (not cash) and award for Top 3 in each age group (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)

SKI Age groups:
25K and 40K: 11&under, 12-14, 15-17, 18-23, 24-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79.
50K: 18-23, 24-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79

FAT BIKE AWARDS:

Award for Top 3 in each age group (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)

• 50k:
  • 1st (male and female) — $250
  • 2nd (male and female) — $150
  • 3rd (male and female) — $100
• 40k: Awards for Top 3 male and female overall (not cash) and award for Top 3 in each age group  (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)
• 25k: Awards for Top 3 male and female overall (not cash) and award for Top 3 in each age group (Top 3 overall not eligible for age group awards)

BIKE Age Groups:
25K and 40K: 17&under, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79.
50K: 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79

TOUR DOUBLE:

50K ski/25K bike: $150 award for male and female with fastest combined times.
Medals for all who complete the Tour Double.

A note on sportsmanship: Poor sportsmanship, including verbal or physical abuse of volunteers or fellow racers, will not be tolerated to any degree. Transgressors will forfeit any awards and be subject to disqualification that year and potentially be barred from future participation.

The full mitigation plan will be posted here when available. A few details:
Face coverings — Racers will be required to wear face coverings covering the mouth and nose before starting and immediately after finishing (but not while racing except when in proximity to others at aid stations). Racers should plan ahead and carry a dry face mask to put on at the finish (those without an approved mask with be provided one). Volunteers and race officials will be required to wear face coverings at all times.
Social distancing — At least 6 feet of distance is required at the start and finish. At least 10 feet of distance is required while racing (except when passing).
Symptoms waiver — Racers and volunteers must confirm by waiver that they have no COVID-19 symptoms and have not been in close contact to anyone who has recently been sick.
Travel mandate — Racers and volunteers, whether Alaskans or coming from the Lower 48, must follow current State of Alaska and Municipality of Anchorage COVID-19 travel mandates.
Aid stations — Self-serve bottled water and pre-packaged snacks will be placed on tables with a limited number of volunteers present to keep supplies stocked.
Sanitization — Extra care will be taken for sanitization at the start and finish (including additional porta-potties) and at aid stations.

COVID Coordinator for Tour of Anchorage: Sara Lucey, 907-748-7259
Please contact with any questions, concerns or if you have symptoms/positive test on either Bib Pick Up or Race Day.

Click Here to view the Full Mitigation Plan

Note: The “Finish Details” map below has been revised to show the routing directly from Broadway to the finish in front of the timing building (instead of looping through the stadium and over the tunnel as previously planned).

As long as snow depths and conditions allow, classic tracks will be set for the entire 50-kilometer course (except in a few short sections).

Race Officials reserve the right to alter the course due to safety concerns or weather conditions.

 25K Start – Alaska Pacific University (APU)

• Fat Bike APU Detail Start Area – PDF
• Ski APU Detail Start Area – PDF

40K & 50K Start – Service High School 

• Fat Bike Course: Service High Start Area – PDF
• Ski Course: Service High Start Area – PDF

Ski Course Sections – Detailed Service High to Campbell Airstrip (40k/50K) – PDF Campbell Airstrip to APU (40k/50k) – PDF APU to Westchester (25k/40k/50K)– PDF Westchester (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Pt. Woronzof (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Pt Woronzof to Kincaid Finish (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Kincaid Finish Details (25k/40k/50k)  – PDF	Fat Bike Course Sections – Detailed Service High to Campbell Airstrip (40k/50k) – PDF Campbell Airstrip to APU (40k/50k) – PDF APU to Westchester (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Westchester (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Pt. Woronzof (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Pt Woronzof to Kincaid Finish (25k/40k/50k) – PDF Kincaid Finish Details (25k/40k/50k) – PDF
Download Tour of Anchorage Overview Ski Map – PDF	Download Tour of Anchorage Overview Fat Bike Map – PDF

Missed the emails? Download them here:

Race Details sent Feb. 9, 2021 – pdf

Race Details sent Feb. 24, 2021 – pdf

Race Details sent Mar. 2, 2021 – pdf

Due to COVID-19, the free shuttle bus service from Kincaid to Service or APU with Premier Alaska Tours will unfortunately NOT be available in 2021.

Racers will need to arrange their own transportation from Kincaid via support personnel. Racers can opt to drop off a car at Kincaid Park starting at 8am on Race Day. Warning: Parking is Limited. We encourage carpooling with your bubble or having your Support Personnel pick you up.

Thanks to Strabel Timing, we have a valuable tool this year that will allow support personnel to predict when their racer is expected at the finish. At their “live timing” webpage, you can use the search feature to find your racer, and their time will automatically pop up at four split stations and at the finish. The final split — at Postmark Drive about 12 kilometers from the finish — will be especially valuable, and a precise finish time will even be predicted based on the racers’ pace to that point.

The other split locations are the start of the Gasline; at the beginning of the multi-use route at Homestead Trail; and where the 25K merges with the 50/40K trail just beyond the 25K start.

Live Timing link: https://my.raceresult.com/164180/?lang=en

The finish will also be streamed on Facebook Live, so support personnel can also look for their racers crossing the line here: https://www.facebook.com/strabelracingservices/live/

Please note that due to COVID-19, no spectators (or support personnel) are allowed in the start or finish areas.

Tips for Support Personnel:

• Check your skier’s split times from various locations and projected time of arrival at the finish line provided by Strabel Timing.
• If your skier is carrying their phone, encourage them to download the ‘Find My’ app and use it to track their progress.
• There is limited parking at Kincaid Park, please arrive within 5 minutes of your skier’s estimated arrival time.
• The Lower Lot (first right as you enter the Park) will have a Drive-Thru skier pick up lane.
• If you arrive before your skier has finished, please wait in the Cell Phone Lot at Kincaid Elementary.

We’ve made major changes to our aid station plan due to COVID-19. This year we need racers to be much more self-sufficient; what we provide is supplementary and will NOT sustain you for the duration of your event.

We are providing three “grab-and-go” aid stations for the 50K and 40K and two for the 25K. Consume food or drink on the trail beyond the aid station — not at it!

The AID STATIONS are:

1) University Lake (just beyond ANTHC) — located at 23K/50 and 11.5K/40; does not service 25K
2) Westchester Lagoon — located at 32K/50, 21K/40 and 8.5K/25
3) Point Woronzof — located at 39K/50, 27.5K/40 and 15K/25

* All three stations will have 8-ounce bottles of water (caps will be loosened), Black Forest gummies, and a choice of fig bars, Nutri Grain fruit bars and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars.

The Woronzof station will also provide a limited amount of 12-ounce bottles of Gatorade.

– Racers should not spend more than a few seconds at aid stations. Pull up a Buff or face mask if in close proximity to others.
– Items will be placed on five self-serve tables restocked by volunteers. Look for an unoccupied table to minimize proximity to others.
– Garbage cans will be placed at the aid stations and about 100 yards beyond each one; please make every effort to not litter.

DEVELOP YOUR OWN SYSTEM — It is imperative that you develop a hydration and sustenance plan and practice in advance to work out the kinks. Some suggestions:
— Wear a Camelbak (and make sure it doesn’t freeze), drink belt and/or a small pack with pockets for bottles and snacks.
— Wear a shirt, jacket or pants with accessible pockets.
— Experiment with grabbing a bottle and opening it while wearing gloves and ski poles, and tearing open snack wrappers with your teeth.
— Buy some energy gels and energy chews and consume them while training to determine if they are a good food option on race day.

PERSONAL SUPPORT — Racers are allowed to have a support person hand off food and drink anywhere along the course (except at aid stations, which need to remain uncluttered). Consult our course maps on the website to help determine good locations for hand-offs. Like all volunteers, supporters must wear a face covering.

OUR PLAN IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE — Please review the aid station section of the website before race day as our plan is subject to change and details may be modified.

Due to COVID-19 precautions and the adjustment of start times in the 2021 Tour of Anchorage, the only Tour Double options will be the 50K ski/25K bike and the 25K ski/25K bike.

*Those who signed up for the 50/50K or 40/40 doubles before the change in start times necessitated their elimination must transfer to the 50ski/25bike or 25/25 double, or drop one of their races. Do so by emailing registration manager Bob Stehn at bob.stehn@gmail.com

Finish these combinations of 1 ski race AND 1 bike race back-to-back and receive a special award — plus a reduced entry fee for the second race!

Doublers pay full price for the first race and just $50 for the second. Select the Tour Double option at online registration. If you decide to double after having signed up for just one event, simply email the NSAA at admin@anchoragenordicski.com to add the second event.

Before signing up, Doublers must be certain they are physically capable of finishing both events and have enough time (and their own transportation) to get from Kincaid back to Service HS or APU for their bike start.

NOTE: Those who miss their bike start for the Double may NOT start late.

REFUND POLICY FOR 2021: We have received a high level of interest in the 2021 TOA and want as many skiers as possible to safely participate. Because we have set capacities, we request that entrants who choose not to participate due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic request a refund no later than February 26, 2021 so that a waitlisted skier can register in your place. Of course, there are situations where a notification by Feb. 26 is not possible. Entrants who are unable to participate due to symptoms of coronavirus, a positive test or quarantine can request a refund or deferral to 2022 by submitting a request in writing to admin@anchoragenordicski.com.

This refund policy will only be in place for 2021; the usual policy of no refunds for any reason — something consistent with other ski races — will resume in 2022. Please keep in mind that the Tour of Anchorage is one of the largest fundraisers for the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage.

When: Friday, March 5, 2021, 3-7 p.m. & Saturday, March 6th from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Where: APU Moseley Center Parking Lot (4400 University Dr.). Due to COVID-19, bib pickup will be outdoors. Park in the large lot across the street.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, race changes will NOT be possible at bib pickup.

TOA racers are required to pick up their bib (or have someone get it for them) on March 5 or 6.

For out-of-town racers and those with extenuating circumstances, SKI bibs can be picked up on race day March 7 beginning at 8 a.m. outside the APU Moseley Center for the 25K and beginning at 10 a.m. outside the Little Gym behind Service High School for the 50K/40K.

For out-of-town racers and those with extenuating circumstances, BIKE bibs can be picked up on race day beginning at 1:30 p.m. outside the Little Gym behind Service High School for the 50K/40K and beginning at 3 p.m. outside the APU Moseley Center for the 25K.

What to Expect:

1. You must complete the Tour COVID Questionnaire Prior to Bib Pick Up – CLICK HERE.
2. Masks and social distancing are required.
3. Find your race category’s station and stand in link to pick up your bib and t-shirt then leave directly through the marked exits.