January 20 was blessed with beautiful weather and a deep 3-foot snowpack on the Crest... 30 @ 9am, with a high of 38 @ 2pm, 10 mph wind, no chance of precipitation, 50% cloud cover. This was the best weather and snowpack anyone could remember! With the early snows, we registered the 175 maximum on Christmas Day, another first! 153 checked-in and ran... a fun time, without incident! Ages ranged from 13 to 85. New this year: the race started an hour later, at 11:00am, to allow runners more time to get up the mountain(plus it's warmer to boot). The course was lengthened 400 meters to make it a true 5K. We thankfully hired a professional timing & results company rather than doing it ourselves. First of all, I'd like to thank the FOSM Snowshoe Committee: Silke Bletzer, Jamey Browning, Joe Beman, and Jeff Young. (Shannon Braun had to drop out due to work constraints.) They worked steadily since September to make everything come together on race day. Silke with runsignup registration, FOSM website updates, beanies, Cottonwood student coordination, poster design(with retired graphic designer Ken Wilson), timing contract, etc. Jamey handled coaster and sticker design, created a new course map, course distance and directional signs, led the course marshal crew, and served as liaison with Cibola SAR. Joe sought out race day food donors in ABQ, award donors, and handled relations with TV coverage and the Journal. Jeff Y canvassed the East Mountains for race day food and drink donors, as well as award donors. Secondly, to the 22 FOSM race day volunteers, 12 of whom were course marshals with such a high level of dedication that they walked the course on Monday to treat any obstacles, then again on Friday in case anything surfaced the day before the event. A special thanks to Jeff Huser, who trailered tables, chairs, stanchions, cones, PA system, generator, etc. Jeff H took a blank three foot deep football field area and created a whole start/finish venue. Thirdly, to the 7 Cottonwood Classical HS students and 2 faculty who took on parking the runners, check-in, announcing, pulling bib tabs, staffing food and drink tables, etc. And last but not least, to our partner Cibola SAR, composed of more than 30 volunteers, both on the course and at first aid stations. SAR made arrangements for a BernCo EMS unit and three BernCo sheriffs to be there. It 'takes a village' to pull this off... all 60 of us!

Mike Madden

Race Director