STOLTZ SIGHTING IN SAN DIEGO

Fresh off months in the South African outback, the “Caveman” is headed down to B&L Bikes tomorrow night (Friday, Feb. 1) for some light-hearted Q & A with Competitor Magazine’s Bob Babbitt. The agenda starts at 6:30pm and afterwards Conrad will stick around to sign autographs, take pictures, and talk story. B&L Bikes is at 3603 Camino Del Rio West, San Diego, CA 92110 (619.294.9300).

XTERRA AUSTRIA XDURO . . .

The 2008 XTERRA Global Tour of Trail Running is filled with world-class destinations worthy of traveling to and discovering, but few are as enticing as the XTERRA Austria Xduro (September 20 in Pragraten).

Set in the heart of the Austrian Alps in the Hohe Tauern National Park - home to Europe’s mightiest waterfalls (the Krimmler) and highest mountain (Grobglockner at 12,450ft) – one can only imagine how epic the trails must be.

Tourism sites for the area boast of its landscapes of wild mountain streams, mystical mountain lakes, impressive summits, roaring waterfalls, eternal glaciers, and gentle Alpine meadows. Race organizer Robert Latschen says the Park is “a Noah's ark for thousands of different species of animals and plants. It is also an oasis of peace and silence for nature loving people looking for recreation and adventures.”

And for those that are really strong at mountain running, the 10,000 Euro prize purse offers another compelling reason to take part in the inaugural off-road half-marathon. Latschen is also hosting a 10k and kids run to get the whole family involved.

SNOWSHOE NATIONALS

The qualifiers list for the PowerSox U.S. National Snowshoe Championship on Sunday, March 9th continues to grow as 12 of 21 qualifying races are in the books.

Among the notables qualified to compete are former XTERRA USA Champions Seth Wealing and Josiah Middaugh, along with stand-out amateurs like Kate Chapman, Rachel Cieslewicz, Nikki Kimball, and Adam Chase.
This weekend there is a regional qualifier in Cedar Falls, IA with the running of the Iowa State Snowshoe Championships.

On day three of the XTERRA Winter World Championship festival weekend the best snowshoers in the country will compete for national championships on the exquisitely groomed Nordic trails at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.

There will be several USSSA (United States Snowshoe Association) National Titles up-for-grabs including the boys & girls junior national 5k, senior women’s national 10k, and senior men’s national 10k.

In addition to the invite-only snowshoe races on Sunday there will also be a citizens 5k, kid’s kilo, and 10k relay team races available to all-comers.

To see the list of all who have qualified for nationals, visit snowshoeracing.com.

XTERRA MISSION GORGE

The 2008 XTERRA SoCal Series is hosting a 5k and 15k on Super Bowl Sunday in Santee (just east of La Jolla, CA). And, it’s another sellout for race organizer Brennan Lindner.

The fifth of seven races in the series, proceeds from the XTERRA Mission Gorge benefit Childrens Hospital Los Angeles which has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century.

The next race in the SoCal Series is the XTERRA Malibu Creek Xduro 22k on May 10, 2008. Go to trailrace.com and sign-up in a hurry before it sells out.