PHOTO PROVIDED Volunteers who prepare chili, soup and sandwiches for participants in the Frozen Snot Trail Race are, from left, Lynda Cridge, Julie Brennan, Food Coordinator Jane Kone, Mary Margaret Winton, Kathy Gillen, Laurie Bower, Donna Keeler, Carol Passick and Polly Chatterton.

PHOTO PROVIDED
At left, Frozen Snot Volunteer Coordinator Joanne Heimer works with Food Coordinator Jane Kone to mix a large pot of potato soup for this Saturday’s Frozen Snot Trail Race, which starts and ends at the outdoor pavilion at Restless Oaks Restaurant in McElhattan. In back, from left, Lynda Cridge, Laurie Bower, Donna Keeler, Mary Margaret Winton and Kathy Gillen work on one of several pots of chili.

McELHATTAN — It’s all systems “GO!” for the 14th annual Frozen Snot Trail Race this Saturday on Bald Eagle Mountain in McElhattan.

The 350 brave souls registered to run either the 13.5-mile long course or the 8.3-mile short course will face some of the toughest winter conditions in race history, with snow, ice, strong winds and temperatures predicted in the single digits.

The crew that prepares the hearty chili, creamy potato soup and the warm ham and cheese croissant sandwiches consumed by the runners, got together earlier this week at Restless Oaks Restaurant, where the race starts and ends. all in an effort to ensure those who brave those intense conditions have a hearty meal to celebrate after they complete the race.

This weekend’s race is a sell-out, with a waiting list of those who’d like to participate.

The hot food is a necessity as racers take on what Race Director Luke Ebeling calls “a technical winter mountain race with steep climbs, boulder fields, rope-assisted descents and rapidly changing cold-weather conditions.”

To learn more about the race, visit www.theFrozenSnot.com.