THUNDER BAY – After more than an hour delay due to cold temperatures, a pair of American skiers turned up the heat and swept the top of the podium at the 45th Sleeping Giant Loppet.
Orono, Minn.’s Matt Liebsch took top spot in the men’s 50-kilometre skate race, the premier competition at the event, held at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park each year on the first Saturday in March.
Liebsch crossed the finish line in 2:19:05.0, 31 seconds ahead of his good friend and training partner, former Olympian Brian Gregg, of Winthrop, Wash.
Gregg’s wife, three-time winner Caitlin Gregg, who competed for the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, was the top finisher in the women’s competition, finishing fourth overall in a time of 2:32:56.4, more than 21 minutes ahead of Thunder Bay’s Brook Latimer, who captured second.
Liebsch, who just missed out on an Olympic bid in 2014 and won this event the last time it was held, in 2023, said it was slow going for much of the race, thanks in part to about 20 centimetres of snow that coated Northwestern Ontario on Thursday and Friday.
“I don’t mind grinding it out a little bit. It started quite cold and then it got sunny and warm at the end, which was really nice,” said Liebsch, who pulled away with Brian Gregg with about six or seven kilometres left in the race.
“We got to the last feed station. Brian and I both stopped and got some snacks and a drink. My skis were running really well in that section and I just pushed a little hard and got a little gap. I just kind of hit the gas and got more separation. I just forgot how long it was to the finish.”
It got a little tougher at the end, he admitted.
“That last 3K just kept going,” Liebsch said.
Connor McGovern of Thunder Bay was the top local finisher in the men’s face, coming in third in a time of 2:32:56.4.
Grand Marais’ Shane Steele was fourth and Thunder Bay’s Edgar Sarrazin was fifth.
Caitlin Gregg, the Loppet’s 2011 and 2018 champions, said it was a beautiful race course, applauding the conditions.
It’s a far cry from Minneapolis conditions, at the moment.
“The Twin Cities had a bit of a meltdown. It looks a little bit springlike down there, so we wanted to come back to winter,” she said.
Gregg said she jumped out in front early and never looked back.
“I think I had a lead from the start. I got to work with a lot of groups of men out there, which felt really good, actually. That was really fun,” she said.
“I’d be curious to hear what the second-place girl finished.”
Mia Sawatsky of Thunder Bay was third, with Minneapolis’ Amy Oberbroeckling taking fourth and Grand Marais, Minn.’s Emma Spoon rounding out the top five.
In the 50-kilometre class race, Thunder Bay’s Kendyn Mashinter was first, in a time of 2:36:21.2, more than eight-and-a-half minutes ahead of Thunder Bay’s Erik Schlyter.
Bemidji, Minn.’s Kerrie Berg was the top female.
Local Felix Doucet took the 35-kilometre open category, finishing in 1:31:45.6, while Mya Marshall grabbed the female title, completing the course in `:35:17.4.
Thunder Bay’s Reid Thompson took the men’s 20-kilometre skate title, with Delaney Summers grabbing the female crown. William Vanden Berg won the 20-kilometre classic men’s event and Lauren Pineau won the female race.
In the eight-kilometre event, Nathan Bender was the champion in the 14 and over category and Owen Moffatt winning in the 13 and under boys’ category. Olivia Vinet won the 14 and older girls title and Vera Symonds won the 13 and under crown.
