The first event of the Sudbury Fitness Challenge is in the books as a field of 75 nordic skiers, young and old, tackled the Sofie Manarin Nickel Loppett 2023.

There was, to be sure, the traditional familiar faces, first place finishers such as Lauren Pineau (U18F - 16 km - 1:06:38.3), Kerry Abols (Masters Men - 24 km - 1:28:02.2), Sara McIlraith (Masters Women - 24 km - 1:37:39.3) and Kaeden Ward (U18M - 16 km - 56:50.4).

And there was the post-secondary contingent, taking advantage of a little extra race time between OUA events and such: Augustin Marks de Chabris (Senior Men - 24 km - 1:23:39.0) and Maddie Norman (Senior Women - 24 km - 1:35:33.1) and the others.

Additionally, there was that new crop of talent that we are finally getting a chance to put names to faces as Covid-19 slowly (and hopefully) disappears from view: Paul Masters (U10M - 2.5 km - 19:14.2), Meehan Lonsdale (U10F - 2.5 km - 21:02.9), Kurtis Wideman (U12M - 2.5 km - 23:30.80), Alice Hallows (U12F - 2.5 km - 18:30.9) and the like.

and, of course, there are others who are known in local nordic ski circles, including: Olivier Tremblay (U16M - 5 km - 20:54.5), Joe Lonsdale (Masters Men - 5 km - 26:31.0), Christiane Tremblay (Masters Women - 5 km - 28:47.8) and Hannah Cutler (Senior Women - 16 km - 1:06:51.7).

Rounding out the list of winners were Louis Moustgaard (Open - 2.5 km - 26:24.3), Julia Masters (U12F - 5 km - 32:03.1), Ronan Edwards (U12M - 5 km - 40:37.0), Julian Luoma (U14M - 5 km - 20:15.7), Jillian Daguerre from Timmins (U16F - 5 km - 22:41.8), Isaac Vestby from Alliston (U20 Men - 5 km - 27:43.5), Valérie Boileau (Senior Women - 5 km - 40:43.8), Olivia Norman from Ottawa (U20F - 16 km - 1:08:30.2), Susan Kaczmarek from Collingwood (Masters Women - 16 km - 1:19:52.7), Todd Withers (Masters Men - 16 km - 1:11:48.3) and Kaisa Asfeldt (U20F - 24 km - 1:56:30.6).

Next up on the Sudbury Fitness Challenge calendar sits the 2023 SudburyRocks!!! Marathon, now moved back a little to the date of Sunday, May 28th (2023).