Paul Smith's College VIC Entry Sign (28 December 2012). Photo courtesy of D. Kirche.  Used by permission.

Winter Sports in the Adirondacks:
Empire State Snowshoe Racing Association Championships
Sunday, 25 January 2015

Snowshoe Racing at the Paul Smith's College VIC.  Photo by B. McAllister.  Used by permission.Snowshoe racing at the Paul Smiths VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC and the Paul Smith's College Striders will host the Empire State Snowshoe Racing Association's 5K and 10K championships on Sunday, 25 January 2015. The course will consist of both groomed (60%) and ungroomed (40%) trails. 5K athletes will race on a 5K loop; the 10K athletes will traverse the loop twice. Registration is from 9:00 to 10:45 AM. The race begins at 11:00 AM. Athlete Registration

About the Empire State Snowshoe Racing Association (ESSRA)

ESSRA is responsible for conducting snowshoe races in New York State which may serve as preliminary events leading to the Empire State Games as well as the ESSRA Championships.  The ESSRA Championships were introduced in 2010 as the organization was preparing for what seemed to be the impending demise of the New York State coordinated Empire State Games.  The 5K and 10K ESSRA Championships are scheduled to move around various snowshoe racing venues in the state.

ESSRA event organizers conduct the annual Empire State Games snowshoe races, which typically are held at Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths, NY.  ESSRA officials may be asked to act as consultants and/or event staff for other "non-ESSRA" snowshoe events.  At its most basic level, ESSRA is a collection of snowshoe enthusiasts who are committed to working together to promote all activities associated with snowshoeing being a healthy, fun, family-oriented activity.








Explore the VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC offers a wide variety of programs throughout the year to educate and inform Adirondack Park residents and visitors about the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains. You can help support these programs by joining the Friends of the VIC. More information on Friends of the VIC memberships

Explore the Trails

The VIC trails are free and open to the public, from dawn to dusk, spring through fall. In winter, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day or season passes may be purchased.