The 40th Annual Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) is set to bring more than 2,500 traditional and adventure winter sports athletes to the Adirondack Region, January 30th through February 2nd.

Athletes of all ages from across the state and beyond will compete in more than 30 events.

New for 2020, the ESWG will feature a push para bobsled event and a collegiate ski jumping event. The winter bike event will also be returning for 2020. In addition, the ESWG is partnering with the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) to host an Esports Overwatch competition, featuring the top four teams out of 60 regional colleges invited to participate.

Additionally, there will be a new Athlete Village location at the Civic Center in Tupper Lake. The original Athlete Village in Lake Placid will return for 2020. The Athlete Villages, which are open to the public, provide a fun environment for the medal ceremonies — equipped with fire pits, hot chocolate, and s’mores.

To further support the 2020 athletes, the ESWG created an “Adopt an Athlete” program this year. Members of the public have the opportunity to donate $75 to cover the cost of registration for an athlete.

Two torch relay routes — one from Buffalo, and one from Manhattan — both ending with the lighting of the cauldron in Lake Placid, begin on January 26th as an introduction to the 40th Annual ESWG. The torch relay routes occur over the course of five days and include more than 700 miles of travel, making stops in some of the local communities of participating ESWG athletes.

The 2020 updates were announced at a press conference held by the ESWG at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex.  For additional information about the ESWG, visit their website.