Snow Much Fun: 2025 DION Snowshoe Squall
- Michelle Leduc
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 7
Every challenge the Russell Run Club takes on starts with an email from someone looking for a volunteer to organize an event. This one started with a message from my coach, Derrick Spafford, asking if I would take over the Snowshoe Squall in Hammond Hill—part of the Spafford Health and Adventure and Dion Snowshoe Race Series.
“I am hesitant to share this with you, as I know how busy you are…”
He knew I had a packed schedule—building a coaching business, growing a running club, and fitting in my training. And there might also be a job there. But he didn’t realize how amazing the Russell Run Club team is. They were the ones who said YES to this opportunity. And on race day, they made sure everything ran smoothly.
After organizing four Russell Runs, you’d think this would be easy. We expected only 50 runners and didn’t have to worry about traffic control. But this race brought new challenges. Organizing a snowshoe race isn’t simple. Recruiting local runners, monitoring unpredictable weather, and ensuring a well-marked course made for an exciting and difficult task. Luckily, the snowshoe running community came through, making this event successful.
The Unpredictable Snow
Snowshoe racing depends entirely on having enough snow. If there’s no snow, it becomes a trail race. Last year’s race was cancelled at the last minute because the course was covered in ice—too dangerous to run. The snow came late this winter, which meant constantly checking the long-term forecast and hoping for snowfall. The same uncertainty affected registrations—less than two weeks before race day, we had only 11 people signed up.
Then the snow arrived—lots of it! Suddenly, we went from hoping for snow to hoping it would settle enough to make the trails runnable.
I had promised both a 5 km and 10 km race, but I wasn’t sure how I’d map out the mileage. That was a problem for future Michelle. Three weeks before the event, we finally had a course. But then, another major snowfall changed the landscape, forcing us to rethink the route again. We adjusted, knowing that no two years would ever have the same course, and that’s part of the fun.
Recruiting Runners
“You’re holding a snowshoe race? Running in snowshoes?”
People were curious but unfamiliar with the sport. When I looked at past race rosters, I noticed that the same core group of runners kept showing up—from Toronto, Kingston, Bancroft, and Cornwall. We needed to get more local runners involved.
Winter is a tough time to convince runners to get outside. Many spend the season in their basements with Netflix and treadmill miles. We worked hard to build excitement—hosting a snowshoe demo day, creating Instagram reels like a wannabe social media influencer, and sharing information about the sport. We even displayed a pair of snowshoes at the Living Locally Fair. People were interested, but sign-ups were still slow.
Finally, when the snow came, so did the registrations. Our participant numbers jumped fivefold. The snowshoe running community supported us, ensuring we had the energy, enthusiasm, and resources to pull this off. And when race day arrived, we knew all the work had been worth it.
The Race
“The event featured a 5 km loop, starting with 1 km of wooded trail before descending into the open landscape of the Hammond Golf Course for 3 km and then climbing to Hammond Hill for the final kilometre. The 10 km runners completed a second loop.
The weather was perfect—no extreme cold, no early melt. The morning sun greeted our volunteers before hiding behind the clouds, setting the scene for a true winter race.
Hammond Hill provided the perfect venue with a beer garden and fire pits. Seb from Hammond Golf kept the trails in top shape, and Lyndsey ensured we had everything needed—including serving a post-race Broken Stick Beer (Helles Lager).
Our club provided hot chilli and soups while Liberté Caravan set up their SNO Caravan warming station with hot chocolate.
Bushtukah, Broken Stick Brewery, Xact Nutrition, and Spafford Health and Adventure donated prizes. One lucky participant even walked away with a brand-new pair of Dion Snowshoes!
The Results
5 km
Some of the best race stories come from runners who show up unprepared. Imagine entering a snowshoe race with no snowshoes and no experience. But if the race is in your own backyard, why not give it a shot? Sometimes, you might even win!
Men’s
🥇 Patrick Robinson (Hammond) – 30:03.2
🥈 Zachary Viertel (Paul Smiths, NY) – 32:05.2
🥉 Aidan Minihan (Paul Smiths, NY) – 32:10.3
Women’s
🥇 Ellen Haas (Paul Smiths, NY) – 31:46.3
🥈 Michelle Brokop (Ottawa) – 34:13.7
🥉 Amanda Wong (Nepean) – 34:14.0
10 km
The Russell Run Club has seen a lot of races, but watching the men’s 10 km race unfold was something special. The lead pack blasted off the start line. When the first runner turned for his second loop, we checked our watches—had he missed the south loop? The course was well-marked, but his 19:52 5 km split had us doing some quick math. Coach Jim Tucker from Paul Smiths College confirmed—this young runner was just fast.
Men’s
🥇 Eliot Soderholm (Paul Smiths, NY) – 40:57.6
🥈 Bernie Hogan (Bancroft) – 47:49.1
🥉 Maxime Hardy (Ottawa) – 51:55.4
Women’s
🥇 Claudine Soucie (Gatineau) – 47:59.0
🥈 Rachel Thiessen (Orleans) – 1:01:02.8
🥉 Chinchin Wang (Ottawa) – 1:11:22.3
Complete results can be found here:
Thanks to Charbonneau Woodcraft for designing and making the wooden medallions.
Thank You to Our Supporters
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our supporters. Their contributions helped us create a fantastic race experience for all participants.
Hammond Hill & Hammond Golf – For providing an incredible venue and ensuring the trails were well-maintained.
Bushtukah – Thank you for your generous prize donations and ongoing support of our running community.
Broken Stick Brewery – To keep our participants refreshed with craft brews.
Xact Nutrition – For fueling our runners with top-quality nutrition products.
Liberté Caravan – For providing the cozy SNO Caravan warming station and hot chocolate.
Please support these businesses, as they are true champions of our running community.
Finally, thank you to Dion Snowshoes & Spafford Health and Adventure for their unwavering dedication to promoting snowshoe racing and their incredible prize donations.
Russell Run Club
The event wouldn’t have happened without this group saying YES. They love putting on events, but they have to be fun and challenging—the snowshoe race fit the bill. Along with keeping everything running smoothly, they brought the energy and enthusiasm that made the race special.
A lot of hats were worn, but you may have known them in these roles:
Course marking & marshalling: Tara-Lynn Paul, Melanie Gagne, Yves Carriere
Timing: Tammy & Skip Williams
Refreshments & race kit pick-up: Cathleen Bourret
Chili & vegan soup: Jen Thompson, Tammy & Tara-Lynn
Director of Cheer: Melisande Carriere
Director of Cheer brining in the runners.
Looking Ahead
We’re already excited for 2026. Thank you to everyone who raced, volunteered, supported, and made this event possible. With what we learned, the pictures we got, and the stories we have to tell, we feel like we are pros at holding this event. See you next year!
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