Northstar Running is excited to present the 7th Annual Twin Cities Smoosh Championship. We are thrilled to partner with Sociable Cider Werks as the official race host and refreshment center before, during, and after the smoosh races.
Smoosh racing consists of teams of four people, all wearing a pair of shoes attached to a set of two 2x4s. In head to head showdowns teams race approximately 50 yards down a straight course, turn around a pylon, and race back to the start. The goal is to work together as a team to complete the course as quickly as possible. Anything can happen in these races, with excitement right up until the finish! Talk about a great winter team building activity!
Register
The winning team will receive the 2024 Smoosh Race Award, and more importantly, bragging rights for the year! Round up your friends, co-workers, teammates, or family and join us for a fun morning of smoosh racing and socializing.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to Youth & Families Determined to Succeed (YFDS) and Track Minnesota Elite (TME). This organization provides health, nutrition, & fitness programs to improve community health. TME, a program within YFDS, is designed to provide kids aged 8-18 with a means to get or stay fit and develop their athletic talent into collegiate scholarships through track and field. Last year we raised $1525 for YFDS & TME through the Twin Cities Smoosh Racing Championship.
Event Details
When
February 3, 2024
Where
Sociable Cider Werks 1500 Fillmore St NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
If you are unable to find 4 people willing to participate, please contact runners@northstarrunning.com; we may be able to help you fill out your team.
No carpentry skills? No problem! If you'd like Northstar to build your boards for no additional charge, just provide your team members' shoe sizes when registering. We'll match them as closely as we can (though we can't guarantee a perfect fit.)
We will have a basic repair kit on race day for any adjustments or fixes you may need to make to your boards on race day.
Rules
Rules for teams and equipment include:
All racers must be at least 15 years old.
All racers (and a parent if under age 18) must sign a liability release form prior to participating.
2x4s must be 8 feet long.
Bottom of 2x4s must be natural wood – no paint, cleats, traction, wax, grooves, etc.
Racers can attach their feet to the 2x4s in any manner.
There must be at least 4 feet attached to each 2x4.
Teams must have 4 racers in order to compete.
The sides and tops of the boards can be decorated as long as the decorations don’t aid in racing. It’s highly encouraged to decorate your boards. Get creative and have fun!
We will have one pair of extra boards available for teams, but we strongly recommend that you build your own set. Need help with that? Contact us at runners@northstarrunning.com
The race winner is the first team to go around the cone and back. The entire smoosh board must cross the finish line, not just the first person.
The tournament format will be as follows. Each team will be randomly assigned to one of four groups of teams. Each group will compete in a round robin style pool, with each team racing all of the other teams in the group. This guarantees your team will get to race at least three times. The winner of each bracket will face off in a randomly seeded single elimination bracket.
Smoosh Board Construction
Equipment
Quantity
Description
2
8' 2x4s
8
Hex Head Screw for Wood, Zinc-Plated Steel, 3/8" Size, 1-1/2" Long
8
Steel Washer for 3/8" Screw Size
8
Rounded Head Screws Number 8 Size, 1" Long
8
Steel Washer for #8 Screw Size
4
Pairs of Shoes
Tools
Cordless Drill with Phillips Head Screwdriver
3/8" diameter drill bit to drill a hole in each pair of shoes
Wrench for Hex Head Screw (Socket Wrench preferred)
Tips and Tricks
Some tips and tricks we’ve learned:
It’s helpful to have a team captain in the first spot on the boards to set the cadence, and to call out turn, start, stop, etc.
Attaching shoes to the boards with screws or bolts is efficient. Add as large a washer as possible when attaching shoes to the board. This helps keep the bolt or screw head from tearing through the bottom of the shoe.
Practice before race day.
Have fun! (And don’t forget to drink some Sociable Cider Werks Cider!)
