MARQUETTE - Nik Krawczyk has one word for the Noquemanon Ski Marathon.
"It was phenomenal," Krawczyk, 21, said Saturday afternoon after finishing the full Marquette General Health Systems Noquemanon Marathon. "I had a great time."
Finishing in the 50 kilometer race in 3 hours, 41 minutes, Krawczyk, not only beat his own goal for finishing the race, but is continuing a tradition of skiing that began as a family pastime.
Although the Noquemanon draws hundreds of skiers, many of whom are top competitors, the race is also open to recreational skiers, like Krawczyk, who have fun competing in the race and skiing the trails.
Krawczyk, in his fourth year at Northern Michigan University, got his start skiing with his family in Peshtigo, Wis.
"We live in the woods, so we have some trails in the backyard," he said. "Our winter vacations we'd come up to Munising or Marquette to ski."
That family sport got put on the back burner, however, when Krawczyk came to NMU and began focusing on downhill skiing in his leisure time.
That changed last year.
After hearing about the Noquemanon, Krawczyk went to a local sports shop and invested in a pair of cross country skis.
"I thought it would be a good way to get in shape," he said.
After learning to freestyle ski for the first time, Krawczyk signed up for the mBank Half Noque in 2011.
"It was probably the best decision I've made in my college career," he said.
Although he had run track and cross country in high school, the Half Noque was his first cross country ski race, and he was hooked.
"I'd run a few half marathons as well. If I can run a half marathon I can ski one," he said of his rationale for signing up for the race.
This year, he felt ready to do the full marathon.
Training on local trails, like the loops at Blueberry Ridge, Krawczyk spent the weeks leading up to this weekend skiing every other day, usually after his NMU classes.
Although he said he was experiencing some pre-race nervousness Friday, the race Saturday went well.
"It's way faster than I thought it would be," Krawczyk said. "It's about a thousand times harder (than the half marathon), but it was absolutely breathtaking."
With cool temperatures and a light dusting of snow Friday night, race organizers said Saturday's events went very well.
"It's going really well," Jim Tervo, a technical director for the full marathon, said after the first several waves of racers left the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming. "Right now it couldn't go any better. It's really a great day for a ski race."
Following Saturday's races, race Director Jon Mommaerts agreed.
"I think it went extremely well," Mommaerts said. "The weather was very good. The skiers were happy."
Saturday's races, which included the full and half marathons, a 12 K ski and two snowshoe races, included 1,297 participants, a record year for that set of races.
Adding in the 122 young athletes who participated in Friday's Junior Noque races and the 82 participants set to race in today's snow bike and skijor races, the Noquemanon included 1,501 participants this year.
"It's a big record," Mommaerts said, attributing the high numbers to a lack of snow in other areas of the country and the continued growth of the race weekend. "We've been continuing to grow every year.
Mommaerts said he hopes to see the race grow to 2,000 participants.
Helping the race to go off without a hitch this year were more than 500 volunteers, without whom the race would not be possible.
"Volunteerism is alive and well," Mommaerts said. "The whole county should be very proud."
The weekend of racing continues at 10 a.m. today at the Forestville Trailhead in Marquette Township with the start of the Animoosh Skijor 12 K, followed at 10:40 a.m. by the Snowbike World Championship.
Johanna Boyle can be reached at 906-486-4401. Her email address is jboyle@miningjournal.net.
