NORWAY — The inaugural Norway Exile Snow Shoe 5k and 10k races will be held at Roberts Farm Preserve at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The race will be run on the 5k CA Stephens Trail.

Lee Dassler of the Western Maine Land Trust said the event is named Norway Exile in honor of John Roberts’ prize Jersey bull named Norway Exile. Roberts operated a dairy farm at the site.

On Saturday, the preserve’s groomed Nordic trails will be open to recreational snowshoers before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m.; the groomed trails will be closed to noncompetitors during the race, Dassler said. Trail use will revert to normal on Sunday, when snowshoers will once again be asked to stay on the Shavey Noyes snowshoe trail, she said.

Snowshoe racing is a popular cross training sport for runners and triathletes who long to keep trim for summer competitions. Smaller snowshoes, or special racing snowshoes are worn for races scheduled on groomed surfaces like the trails at Roberts Farm Preserve. Most manufacturers make racing snowshoes. Carters XC Ski in Oxford has a few smaller pairs, as does Akers Ski in Andover.

A snowshoe racing series is being run in Pownal at Bradbury Mountain this winter. The Western Maine Land Trust hopes that some of the Pownal runners will compete in the Norway event.

Norway Exile 5k and 10k preregistration ($15) and information about Roberts Farm Preserve is online at www.wfltmaine.org. A $20 on-site registration will be held from 9-10:30 Saturday.

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