Roundtable: Snø Racing Program Update and Masters Racing Discussion

Loppet Learning Series Free presentation series at the Theodore Wirth Trailhead Loppet Learning Series: Fall 2026 Roundtable: Snø Racing Program Update and Masters Racing Discussion Monday, November 2nd, 2026 | 6: 00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Presenters: Jake Stiele, Kim Rudd and Jan Guenther Coaches roundtable discussion with Jake Stiele, Kim Rudd and Jan Gunther. Presenter Bios: Jake Stiele is the Head Coach for Sno Racing (Team Birkie), the Minneapolis-based professional nordic ski team. Jake is from Prior Lake and is an LNR Alumnus. He raced at St Scholastica College and has coached with LNR Juniors and Adults, as well as being a certified Strength Coach. As Head Coach of Team Birkie, he works with both the World Cup athletes, and Regional athletes. Kim Rudd founded Endurance Adventures. Her passion for Nordic skiing started while racing in high school and being exposed to the famous Minnesota Finlandia ski race. She continued to ski race in college at Bemidji State University, where she met her soulmate and adventure partner, Craig Rudd. Kim has enjoyed racing for Team Rossignol for thirty years in various ski marathons around the Midwest and internationally. She also enjoys mountain biking, canoe/SUP adventures, and coaching youth and adults at the Loppet Foundation. Kim is certified as a Level 200 BICP and Level 200 USSA Nordic coach. She is excited to share her passion for travel, cycling, and Nordic skiing with other like-minded adventure seekers! Her hobbies include gardening, cooking, reading, traveling, and bike packing! She is a mother of two adult daughters and will soon be a grandma in October of 2026. Jan Guenther RSVP HERE Past Loppet Learning Series Talks Going Ultra – Considerations for Ultra-Distance Athletes from 50k-100 Miles Monday, May 11th | 6: 00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Thinking about your first ultra – or ready to level up from 50K to 100 miles? This one-hour workshop breaks down what actually changes when you step beyond the marathon distance: fueling strategies, training volume and periodization, gear selection, mental frameworks, and how to build a race-day plan that holds up when things get tough. Whether you’re eyeing a local 50K or dreaming of a hundred-miler, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of what it takes and a roadmap to get there. Presenter: Aaron Boike is the Owner and Head Coach at Performance Running Gym, a gym for runners and endurance athletes located in St. Louis Park, MN, and the Official Run Coaching Partner of The Loppet. He holds a B.S. in Kinesiology, is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise, and holds a running and ultrarunning coach certification through UESCA. Contact him directly at [email protected], follow him on Instagram @trainerontherun, or learn more about Performance Running Gym at www.performancerungym.com. Theodore Wirth – A Visionary and Driving Force Behind the Minneapolis Parks System. Tuesday, April 28th | 6: 00 – 7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Join us for a deep dive into the life of Theodore Wirth, an immigrant horticulturalist from Switzerland who served 30 years as Minneapolis Park Superintendent. Wirth is credited as the creator of the many Minneapolis parks we now enjoy, including the Lake Harriet Rose Garden, the Grand Rounds, and all those small city parks with playgrounds Presenter: Mark Raderstorf is longtime Loppet community member, having served on the Loppet Board, various committees and presently is a coach for the Loppet Adventures program. He is passionately proud of being a 40 year resident of Minneapolis. In addition to being an avid skier and biker, Mark can be seen giving walking and biking tours of Minneapolis through his tour company, https://www.youbetchatours.com/. All of the proceeds from his tours are donated to the Loppet Foundation. Exercise as Medicine: How Little is Too Little and How Much is Too Much? Monday, October 27 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Learn about Exercise as Medicine with Dr Kathryn Larson of the Mayo Sports Cardiology Clinic. BIO: Kathryn Farni Larson, M.D., is a board-certified non-invasive cardiologist with expertise in echocardiography, sports cardiology, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Larson completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and obtained her medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic. She completed her subspecialty training in cardiovascular medicine and advanced echocardiography at Mayo Clinic where she served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Larson’s clinical practice focuses on the evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular conditions in athletes and highly active people. Training Technique: A Visual Guide to Improving Your Skiing Monday, November 3 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Trailhead Through detailed video analysis