Thousands are getting ready for this classic Bellingham event. Here’s what you need to know
Bellingham’s famous Ski to Sea race is back with a couple of changes and thousands of participants ready to race from Mount Baker to Fairhaven.
The seven-leg race will return May 29 with 350 teams and 2,625 participants, Anna Rankin, the Ski to Sea Race director wrote in an email.
This year’s race will start with cross-country skiing at Mount Baker at 7:30 a.m., followed by legs of downhill skiing or snowboarding, running, road biking, canoeing, cyclocross biking and kayaking. The finish line will be at Marine Park with local food vendors and an award ceremony.
Some well-known racers will be participating this year, including Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood who will be racing in his 30th Ski to Sea, according to Rankin. Former Olympian Greg Barton and national kayak champion Jonas Ecker will also be competing, Rankin wrote.
For the third year in a row, the Junior Ski to Sea race and parade has been canceled, although there are plans for it to return in 2023, according to the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce.
For those wishing to participate in Ski to Sea, registration is open online until May 25.
Spectators are welcome along the route of each leg except at Riverside Park for the road bike-to-canoe hand-off, which is closed due to flood damage. And there are cyclocross course changes from past years.
Volunteers are also needed to help with the race and can choose to help set up or assist along the race legs. Volunteers can sign up and choose their preferred roles at skitosea.com/volunteer.
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
