Trail Kids Beginner Nordic Ski Clinics
About this race
The purpose of the three-week ski clinics is to introduce participants to nordic skiing. The clinics are designed for beginners and will focus on teaching the fundamental skills of either classic ski or skate ski technique. The clinic practices will include technique drills, relays, and games on skis – with a focus on developing skills, having fun, and falling in love with a lifetime sport! Following the clinics, participants who want to continue developing their skills can do so by signing up for a Trail Kids Session. For more information on the Trail Kids Ski Programs or for general program questions, email trailkids@loppet.org.
Note: Participants will need to purchase a ski pass to participate in Trail Kids ski programming. Passes are NOT included with Trail Kids program fees. Passes can be purchased as an add-on with registration or separately at loppet.org.
*There are a limited number of rentals available at WIRTH ONLY as an add-on purchase for this program*
Beginner Classic Ski Clinic 1: Wednesdays- When: 5:30–7pm on the following Wednesdays: December 2nd, 9th, 16th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Classic technique. Classic skis (skin skis or kickwax skis) and poles (shoulder height). Combi boots can be used.
- When: 5:30–7pm on the following Thursdays: December 3rd, 10th, 17th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Skate technique. Skate skis and poles (nose height) needed. Combi boots can be used.
- When: 1:30–3pm on the following Sundays: December 6th, 13th, 20th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Skate technique. Skate skis and poles (nose height) needed. Combi boots can be used.
- When: 3:30–5pm on the following Thursdays: December 3rd, 10th, 17th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Classic technique. Classic skis (skin skis or kickwax skis) and poles (shoulder height). Combi boots can be used.
- When: 4–5:30pm on the following Tuesdays: January 5th, 12th, 19th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Classic technique. Classic skis (skin skis or kickwax skis) and poles (shoulder height). Combi boots can be used.
- When: 5:30–7pm on the following Wednesdays: January 6th, 13th, 20th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Skate technique. Skate skis and poles (nose height) needed. Combi boots can be used.
- When: 5:30–7pm on the following Tuesdays: February 9th, 16th, 23rd
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Skate technique. Skate skis and poles (nose height) needed. Combi boots can be used.
- When: 4–5:30pm on the following Wednesdays: February 10th, 17th, 24th
- Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
- Type of instruction/equipment needed: Classic technique. Classic skis (skin skis or kickwax skis) and poles (shoulder height). Combi boots can be used.
Financial Assistance: The Loppet provides financial assistance for those in need. To apply, please fill out this Financial Assistance form. Our staff will be in touch with you with next steps once your application has been submitted. Limitations apply, please see the application form for rules and restrictions.
Sibling Discount: For those families who have three or more kids in the same Trail Kids offering we can provide a fifteen percent discount code. Please email trailkids@loppet.org for more information.
Registration Close: For staffing and administrative purposes Trail Kids closes registration approximately a week in advance of the program start.
Friend Requests: For safety and equity reasons, Trail Kids does not offer friend requests as part of registration. The mass quantity of friend requests made it impossible to accommodate them all and greatly impacted safety and group dynamics. We would love to allow everyone to practice with their friends, but if we cannot accommodate all friend requests, we cannot offer them to everyone. We encourage riders to embrace the opportunity to form new friendships through our programs!
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Running
Beginner Classic Ski Clinic 1: Wednesdays
When: 5:30-7 pm on the following Wednesdays: December 2nd, 9th, 16th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Skate Ski Clinic 1: Thursdays
When: 5:30-7 pm on the following Thursdays: December 3rd, 10th, 17th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Skate Ski Clinic 1: Sundays
When: 1:30-3 pm on the following Sundays: December 6th, 13th, 20th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Classic Ski Clinic 1: Sundays
When: 3:30-5 pm on the following Sundays: December 6th, 13th, 20th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Classic Ski Clinic 2: Tuesdays
When: 4–5:30 pm on the following Tuesdays: January 5th, 12th, 19th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Skate Ski Clinic 2: Wednesdays
When: 5:30–7 pm on the following Wednesdays: January 6th, 13th, 20th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Skate Ski Clinic 3: Tuesdays
When: 5:30–7 pm on the following Tuesdays: February 9th, 16th, 23rd Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Beginner Classic Ski Clinic 3: Wednesdays
When: 4–5:30 pm on the following Wednesdays: February 10th, 17th, 24th Where: The Trailhead (meet at team flags east of the Trailhead)
Typical race-day weather
Based on 10 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Minneapolis, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:32 AM and sets at 4:32 PM local time (CST) in Minneapolis on December 2, 2026 — 9h 00m of daylight.
Course
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Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 65 Minneapolis events
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