SARANAC LAKE, NY – A brand new mountain race – featuring skiing, biking, kayaking/canoeing, and running – will be held on Saturday morning, March 4th to highlight the abundant outdoor recreation opportunities in the region, organizers announced.

Called the “Saranac Lake 3P,” individual or teams of relay-racers starting at 9 a.m. will:

• • Skin up (or snowshoe up) to the top of Mt. Pisgah;

  • Alpine ski (or snowboard) down Mt. Pisgah;

  • Bike to Dewey Mountain;

  • Cross-country ski on the groomed trails at Dewey;

  • Bike to the Saranac River, where their canoe or kayak is waiting for them;

  • Paddle downstream to the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club; and finally,

  • Run back to Mt. Pisgah to the finish line and post-race celebration.

Saranac Lake 3P Map. Photo provided by Joe Williams.

 “We are excited about the opportunity to showcase just a few of the exciting outdoor recreational opportunities that Saranac Lake has to offer while launching a new tradition for the area,” said Scott McKim, a village resident who organized the race.

 The 6-leg, multi-sport race seeks to draw on the uptick in recreation-based tourism in the North Country and  enhance the attractiveness of the region to outsiders. Similar well-known races are held each year in outdoors hotspots like Bend, Oregon and Salida, Colorado.

The event serves as a community celebration of the village’s unique and diverse recreational venues and leverages the spring shoulder season as participants follow the spring snowmelt from the area’s mountains to the river all under their own power on skis, bikes, and in boats, organizers said.

“We’re grateful for the growing list of volunteers who see this as a great way to show racers what Saranac Lake has to offer,” McKim said.  A group of local residents has been preparing to secure sponsorships and to organize volunteers for the event.

Similar race events have been held in the area in the past, including a pole/pedal/paddle event run out of the Cascade Ski Center outside of Lake Placid and another in North Creek that utilized Gore Mountain and the Hudson River.

The date for the event – March 4 – was specifically selected considering the odds of both snow cover and a thawed Saranac River.

Registration fees cover the costs of tickets at both Mt. Pisgah and Dewey Mountain. A mandatory pre-race safety meeting will be held the night before the race.

The race, which is intended to be an annual event, aims to raise money for local outdoor charities serving young people. This year’s event will benefit Saranac Lake Innovative Cycling Kids, a group of local youth biking enthusiasts making a huge positive impact on the community.

For more race information, to register, volunteer, or donate go to https://saranaclake3p.org/

Photo at top: Saranac Lake 3P logo. Saranac Lake 3P website photo.