Masters Cup
Glide to glory in this unique series of Strava XC ski events
Calling all weekend warriors, loppet lovers, and seasoned racers. This could be your next personal challenge on snow. It’s a series of nordic ski events for adults, timed purely on Strava.
The Bow Valley Masters Cup is a low-key, no pressure, ski-fun event that caters to who you are: dedicated to perhaps a job, a family, a spouse… maybe retired from Alberta Cup racing… maybe never done loppets or races before… but NEED some Zone 4 on the weekend to make you feel whole.
The series is sanctioned by Nordiq Aberta and Canmore Nordic Centre, operated with minimum overhead and maximum FUN!
Event dates: December 14, January 11, and February 22
How it works
The Bow Valley Masters Cup is a series of three cross-country ski events, held at the Canmore Nordic Centre
Events are either free (your choice of skate or classic) or pure classic technique
The first two events are mass starts — the third event is a unique reverse pursuit format to determine the overall cup title
Courses are planned and mapped as Strava segments — here’s a Sample Map
All timing is done via Strava
Prizes are awarded for each event, and for an overall cup winner at the end of the series, based on the results of the final reverse pursuit event
You can register for one, two or all three events - $20 per event
Qualifying criteria: If you have a spirit of adventure, a Strava account, and a pair of cross-country skis, you’re eligible to participate!
What’s a reverse pursuit?
You may be familiar with a traditional “pursuit” race, where skiers have a staggered start based on their time in a previous race — the fastest skier goes first. The skiers starting behind have the chance to catch and overtake the ones ahead, and the first to the line wins.
The Masters Cup turns this formula on its head, introducing the unique “reverse pursuit” for the third and final race. In this format, the fastest skier (shortest time) from our first two events starts at the back and those with slower (longer) times from the first two events start at the front. Skiers at the front have the chance to keep ahead of the ones chasing from behind. The first to the line is declared the overall cup winner.
Why use this format?
We want to celebrate perseverance and commitment rather than just pure speed. Like a golf handicap, the reverse pursuit levels the playing field, enabling skiers of varying skill levels to have an exciting and fair competition. The most improved skiers will do well in the final event — and anyone who participates in all three events could be crowned the Masters Cup Champion.
How is your reverse pursuit start time determined?
Your results from the first two races will be put into the Masters Cup Algorithm to calculate your starting time for race 3. Skiers with slower times will have a head start.
For example, if your average time for the first two events is 60 minutes and your buddy’s time for the first two is 65 minutes — they will start five minutes ahead of you in the last race. Trust us, your buddy will be highly motivated to stay ahead of you. If you’re lucky, you just might catch them at the finish line!
Schedule
Cup 1: December 14, 2025
Technique: Classic
Format: Mass start
Distance: Approximately 15 km
Course description/map: TBD
Results: TBD
Cup 2: January 11, 2026
Technique: Free
Format: Mass start
Distance: Approximately 15 km
Course description/map: TBD
Results: TBD
Cup 3: February 22, 2026
Technique: Classic
Format: Reverse pursuit based on your times in the previous two races — first to the finish line wins the cup title
OR mass start if this is your first race
Distance: Approximately 15 km
Course description/map: TBD
Results: TBD
Dates are subject to snow coverage on the trails and will be confirmed when conditions are known.
All events start at or near the Chandra Crawford Hut at Canmore Nordic Centre. Course descriptions and maps will be finalized a few days before each event.
Participants are responsible for reviewing and knowing the route in advance as there will be minimal signage on course, in keeping with our bare-bones low-cost philosophy.
Q&As
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No, this event is well suited to those who have never raced or skied in loppets before. You’ll get to experience a low-key racing vibe, and may or may not be inspired to enter more formal events.
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Cup 3 is based on a reverse pursuit format, so you need to have completed at least one race prior to Feb 22. If you have done only one race prior, your start time will be adjusted by 10%.
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There will be a mass start for skiers who can only make to the last event. There will be podiums for fastest course times, but these skiers are not eligible for the cup.
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No. These events are open to all adults.
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You need a Strava account, but do not need a paid subscription. The Strava app for mobile devices can be downloaded on the Apple Store or Google Play store. Go to www.strava.com to learn more.
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Each course is mapped as a Strava segment. You must record your ski on Strava, or other device that loads data to Strava (e.g., a Garmin watch). The leaderboards in Strava record individual times on the segments. We transfer the results to our own spreadsheet for tracking. No timing chips, race bibs, or giant timing clocks.
It is recommended that you log the race as its own activity (i.e. complete your warm-up, then start a new Strava activity for the race).
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For mass start events, you can start with the group at the designated start time. Late starters will have 30 minutes grace.
For the final pursuit race, you must not start before your designated start time.
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No, you do not need to skate ski! Free technique means “your choice”. There will be lots of skaters on these days, but you can still compete for the cup based on your own personal performance.
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No, this is an adult-only event. All other Alberta Cup races and most loppets include kids’ categories for your budding skiers to try.
The backstory…
The Bow Valley Masters Cup had humble beginnings during the COVID-19 pandemic. When all races and ski events were cancelled in 2020, seasoned racer and coach Colin Norman had an idea to keep the racing spirit alive. He designed a segment on Strava and invited skiers to try it, enabling a fun activity during social distancing. The “COVID CUP” became an annual casual event, long after lockdown ended, primarily for skiers participating in Colin’s cross-country ski programs.
The concept proved popular — participants rated events high on fun and laughter, low on pressure and stress. This year we are excited to expand the concept to a sanctioned event, hosted and operated by the Bow Valley Nordic Ski Club, open to all adult nordic skiers.
Thank you to Nordiq Alberta and the Canmore Nordic Centre for supporting this concept and enabling us to welcome many more skate and classic XC skiers to this event.