Come Race the Tour of Anchorage!

We are excited to be working with the Tour of Anchorage this year and we want to share our excitement with all of you! 

The Tour of Anchorage is one of the few point-to-point cross-country ski marathons in North America and may be the only one that crosses through an urban environment! Three ski distances of 25, 40, and 50 kilometers are available in both Freestyle and Classic techniques. We also welcome Fatbike racers and will host a 50K, 40K, and 25K race on the same course. In each race, participants range from competitive elite athletes to recreational athletes just challenging themselves to get to the finish line.

The 40k and 50k start on the Anchorage Hillside and traverse the city along ski and multi-use trails. Tunnels, bridges, and greenbelts make it possible to ski from one side of town to the other without crossing a single road. The 25k races start in midtown (Alaska Pacific University) and tie into the 50k and 40k courses. All races finish at the ski stadium of Kincaid Park on the western edge of the city overlooking Cook Inlet.

EnjoyWinter Factory Team athlete Annika Landis race the TOA last year and had an absolute blast. Here is an excerpt from her race blog: 

"After the Birkie, I headed straight to Alaska to race the Tour of Anchorage. I had a full week to spend exploring Anchorage, and I took advantage of that time to get out on the many different trail systems. I headed up to Hatcher Pass and the Independence Mine ski trails, which were incredible and nothing like anything I’ve ever skied before. The trails were so close to huge mountains and the views were spectacular on a bluebird day. I also, of course, skied at Kincaid, Hillside and the Girdwood trails which all offered a uniquely beautiful experience. The one thing they all had in common was the proliferation of moose on the trails, making blind corners even more exciting adventures! 

Annika competed in the Tour of Anchorage in 2024, where she placed 3rd overall.  

My pre-race day started by heading to downtown Anchorage to watch the ceremonial start of the Iditirod sled dog race. It was brutally cold, and I for one was pretty happy to only race 50km in the Alaska cold, instead of 1,000 miles! After a week of exploring, it was time for the main event - the Tour of Anchorage. The course starts out with 10k of climbing, and Rosie Frankowski skied those 10k with no regard for the remaining 40k. The rest of the course is deceivingly hard because it is mostly flat V2 with little rest and few climbs. With about 15km to go, we had to stop for a few minutes while a particularly stressed moose made its way off the trail. Only a few km later, we had to stop again for another pair of moose, but luckily they moved quickly.

I made an attempt on the last climb to distance myself from Hailey Swirbul, but I didn’t have quite enough time or energy to create a decisive gap. Hailey ended up out sprinting me in the final stretch, and I ended up finishing third overall. I didn’t realize until after looking at the results much later, that we had been gaining quickly on Rosie, and that if not for the delay with the moose, we might have caught her. But, I wasn’t too upset about that, since stopping for moose felt like a rite of passage for Alaska skiing."

The TOA is a unique event that is well worth the trip up to Alaska. Don't miss this opportunity for a one of a kind race experience through the heart of Anchorage. 

For more information on how to register, click THIS LINK. 

We hope to see you up there!