The Walden Cross Country Fitness Club was forced to cancel their hosting of the Ontario Cup (OCup) Series this weekend, due to dangerously low temperatures.
The OCup is a sanctioned race of Cross Country Ski Ontario, an organization which provides framework for 74 clubs and their 13,770 individual members to participate in national programs. The Walden Cross Country Fitness Club was selected to host the third race of the series, as one of five OCup venues.
The Walden Cross Country Fitness Club had previously hosted the OCup in 2013 and 2018 and was eager to host the competition's 250 registered athletes of elite, varsity and local skill levels.
Due to concerns for the health and safety of participants, a cross-country ski race cannot be held when temperatures drop below - 20 C, said race secretary Brenda Parks. Parks said that in anticipation for Saturday's event, the club has been charting temperatures on the trail every hour for a week and every half-hour Saturday morning.
Despite delaying the event two hours from its original start time of 12 p.m, both Saturday and Sunday's OCup races were cancelled due to temperatures below - 20 C. Parks said the last day to re-schedule the races would have been Friday, and therefore Walden's OCup event will likely be cancelled altogether.
Regardless of the event being cancelled, many participants chose to brave the cold and make the most of the open trails.
The Walden Cross Country Fitness Club is a full-service club, offering various race programs, lessons and family events throughout the year. For more information on the trails or to book your lesson, visit Waldenxc.ca.