Keys to the Castle

Overview

The Keys to the Castle is an Individual Sprint roller ski race consisting of two rounds of competition on the challenging 1.5 km roller ski track at Mt Van Hoevenberg. It is a great warm up to the Climb to the Castle race held on the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway. Younger competitors can elect to race the 1 km Short Course. 

The race starts with a Qualification Round where competitors race one at a time, against the clock, to earn a position in the Finals Round. The top 30 finishers from the Qualification advance to the Royal Court Finals Round where they will compete in three rounds of head-to-head competitions in heats to be named Jo & Henry, the Queen & King of Mt Van Hoevenberg.

Schedule

• Sep 12, 2026

  Keys to The Castle | September 12, 2026

  7:30am – 8:55am & 9:20am – 9:40am | Course Open

  9:00am | Long Course Qualification – Women Followed by Men 

  9:45am | Long Course Large Finals Women (3 rounds – Heats every 2 minutes) 

  10:15am | Long Course Large Finals Men (3 rounds – Heats every 2 minutes) 

  11:00am | Long Course Small Finals Mixed Gender follow by Short Course Mixed Gender  

  11:30 am | Lunch & Awards

Course Maps

Parking and Access

There is ample parking in Lots A, B & C. Look for the signs on Bobsled Run Lane. 

Do Not Park in the Team Area! 

Access the course via the Team Area or via the stairs off of the Mountain Pass Lodge. 

Competition Details

Qualification Round 

Individual Start – 15 second interval 

Start Order: 

Group 1 Long Course USSS or FIS Competitors – Start order based on Ranking Points (lowest to highest). 

Group 2 Long Course Non-members or Unranked – Random draw 

No qualification round for the Short Course – competitors will be randomly assigned to Final Heats. 

Finals Round 

The Large Finals will consist of three rounds of heats with 6 competitors in each heat. 

Round 1 – Heats assigned by the result of the qualification round (Top 30) 

Round 2 – First & Second place moves up to the higher ranked heat, last two places move down, the remaining stay in the same group. 

Round 3 – Order of finish determines the ranking. 

If there are more than 30 competitors of either gender in the Qualification Round, anyone that does not qualify for the Large Finals can compete in a mixed gender Small Finals. 

Warm Up 

The course is open from 7:30 to 8:55 and 9:20 to 9:40 and closed during the competitions. 

Please only ski in the Team Area, Bobsled Run Lane, or on the biathlon penalty loop when the course is closed for the competitions. 

Post Race Celebration

All competitors will receive lunch in the Mountain Pass Lodge starting at 11:30. Raffle prizes and crowning of Jo & Henry at 12:00. 

Climb to the Castle

Climb to the Castle will be held September 13, 2026 at Whiteface Mt. The course starts at the Whiteface Toll Booth, climbing for 5 miles with an average 8% grade up the Whiteface Memorial Highway to the castle on the summit of Whiteface Mountain, New York’s 5th highest peak with an elevation of 4,867 ft. The race is freestyle technique, and athletes will be greeted at the finish with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Adirondacks, New England and Canada.

Sign up here.