0_Wizard
Have you ever tried cross-country skiing?  I compete in the sport, there are actually quite a few formats for it.
Related forms of competition are biathlon, where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment.
chosen_Cross-country_skiing_(sport)_0
Cross-country skiing (sport)
chosen_topic_0_Crosscountry_skiing_sport
Cross-country skiing (sport)
The sport of cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of formats for cross-country skiing races over courses of varying lengths according to rules sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations, such as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Ski Canada. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a means of transportation. Variants of cross-country skiing are adapted to a range of terrain which spans unimproved, sometimes mountainous terrain to groomed courses that are specifically designed for the sport. Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing, ski jumping and Telemark skiing.
Australia at the Winter Olympics
Australia first competed in the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and has participated in every games since, with the exception of the 1948 Games in St. Moritz. In the early years, Australia's athletes did poorly; only two athletes placed in the top half of their events before 1976, while the vast majority placed in the bottom quarter, including some who finished last. This lack of success was attributed to the Australian culture, climate and lack of snow, as well as the lack of support for the athletes—sports administrators regarded investment in winter sports as futile. After the appointment of Geoff Henke—who had been unable to compete in 1956 after the administrators neglected to endorse his ice hockey team's application—as team manager in 1976, the results slowly began to improve, and by the 1990s, some Australians were regarded as medal prospects.
Skiing in Australia
Skiing in Australia takes place in the high country of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the southern hemisphere winter. Skiing began in Australia at the goldrush town of Kiandra, New South Wales in the year 1861. The first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo, Victoria in 1936. Australian skiers competed in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Oslo 1952 and have competed in all subsequent Games, winning medals at every Games since 1998. Malcolm Milne became the first non-European to win a ski race world cup in 1969 and Olympic medalists include Zali Steggall, Alisa Camplin, Dale Begg-Smith, Lydia Lassila and David Morris in skiing and Torah Bright in snowboarding.
Roller skiing
Roller skiing is an off-snow equivalent to cross-country skiing. Roller skis have wheels on their ends and are used on a hard surface, to emulate . The skiing techniques used are very similar to techniques used in cross-country skiing on snow. First created as a summer training exercise, roller skiing has now grown into a competitive sport in its own right. Annual championships are held in various locations around the world. Most, if not all, national cross-country ski teams around the world roller ski during the off-season for specific physical training simulating winter skiing. In Norway, separate roller ski facilities have been constructed to allow exercise off public roads.
Joseph Peter Wilson
Joe Pete Wilson (born May 22, 1935) skied for the US in cross-country at the 1960 Winter Olympics, but later became a well-known administrator in the United States. Wilson also wrote several books on cross-country skiing, all co-authored by William J. Lederer. Wilson set up the cross-country ski area at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont - the lodge established by the Trapp family of "Sound of Music" fame. In 1973, Wilson organized a meeting of 25 ski areas and established the National Ski Touring Operators' Association. Wilson was named as its first President from 1973-1977. After several name changes it is now called the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA).
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 () took place 18 February – 1 March 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic. This was the fourth time these championships were hosted either in the Czech Republic or in Czechoslovakia, having done so at Janské Lázně (1925) and Vysoké Tatry (in both 1935 and 1970). The biggest sports event in the country's history, it hosted 589 athletes from 61 countries. Women's ski jumping and Men's Nordic combined 10 km mass start events debuted at these championships, both won by Americans Lindsey Van and Todd Lodwick, respectively. Norway won the most medals with twelve and most golds with five, all in the men's cross-country skiing events, including three from Petter Northug.
1_Apprentice
I have actually never been skiing before but it sounds fun! What types of formats are there?
0_Wizard
Well, for one thing there are races that happen on groomed tracks, and then there are freestyle events. 
Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing.
self_Cross-country_skiing_(sport)_3
Cross-country skiing (sport)
self_0_Crosscountry_skiing_sport
Cross-country skiing (sport)
The sport of cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of formats for cross-country skiing races over courses of varying lengths according to rules sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations, such as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Ski Canada. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a means of transportation. Variants of cross-country skiing are adapted to a range of terrain which spans unimproved, sometimes mountainous terrain to groomed courses that are specifically designed for the sport. Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing, ski jumping and Telemark skiing.
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe, (born 13 October 1982) is a retired Australian swimmer who specialised in freestyle, but also competed in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, he became the first person to win six gold medals in one World Championship. In total, Thorpe has won eleven World Championship golds, the third-highest number of any swimmer. Thorpe was the first person to have been named "Swimming World" Swimmer of the Year four times, and was the Australian Swimmer of the Year from 1999 to 2003.
Davis Tarwater
Davis Edward Tarwater (born March 24, 1984) is an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. He grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and began competitive swimming at age seven. During high school, he set three state swimming records and led Webb School of Knoxville to the state title. In 2002, he was named High School Swimmer of the Year. Tarwater attended the University of Michigan, where he shifted his focus from the freestyle to the butterfly. He was a three-time NCAA national champion and thirteen-time All-American. At Michigan, Tarwater set three Big Ten conference and six school records en route to six Big Ten titles.
César Cielo
César Augusto Cielo Filho (, born 10 January 1987) is a Brazilian competitive swimmer who specializes in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained three Olympic medals, winning six individual World Championship gold medals and breaking two world records. Cielo is the current world record holder in the 100-metre and 50-metre freestyle (long course). His gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in the 50-metre freestyle competition, is Brazil's only Olympic gold in swimming to date. In 2008, he broke the NCAA record in the freestyle (18.47 seconds) and in the freestyle (40.92 seconds).
Camille Muffat
Camille Muffat (; 28 October 1989 – 9 March 2015) was a French swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist. Swimming out of the "Olympic Nice Natation" club, she specialized in the individual medley and the free style events. Her career expanded from 2005 to 2014. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she won gold in the 400-meter freestyle, silver in the 200-meter freestyle and bronze in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In so doing, she became the fourth French swimmer to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games. She was also the third French athlete overall to win three Olympic medals at a single edition of the Olympic Games.
Kier Maitland
Kier Maitland (born November 16, 1988 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a male swimmer from Canada, who mostly competes in the distance freestyle events. Maitland is the son of Craig and Karen Maitland and has an older brother named Logan. Kier currently swims for the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club in Edmonton, Alberta during the summer under the coach Steve Price. Kier earned rookie of the year award at the 2005 World Aquatic Trials. The next year he qualified for his first senior national team and earned himself a spot on the 2006 Pan Pacific Games team for Canada. He claimed a bronze medal (1500m freestyle) and a 5th-place finish in the 400m freestyle at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1_Apprentice
Typically, how long are races? And how many people compete?
0_Wizard
There are many different group sizes and lengths of races. There are even cross-country ski marathon events that are sanctioned by an organization called the Worldloppet Ski Federation. 
It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation.
chosen_Cross-country_skiing_(sport)_0
Cross-country skiing (sport)
chosen_topic_0_Crosscountry_skiing_sport
Cross-country skiing (sport)
The sport of cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of formats for cross-country skiing races over courses of varying lengths according to rules sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations, such as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Ski Canada. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a means of transportation. Variants of cross-country skiing are adapted to a range of terrain which spans unimproved, sometimes mountainous terrain to groomed courses that are specifically designed for the sport. Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing, ski jumping and Telemark skiing.
American Birkebeiner
The American Birkebeiner (or Birkie) is the largest, and one of the longest (51 km Freestyle and 56 km Classical events) cross country ski races in North America. It debuted in 1973 and has been a part of Worldloppet as long as Worldloppet has been around. The two premier events are the classic and the freestyle race from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin. Each year approximately 10,000 skiers participate in the Birkie, 26 km Kortelopet, and 12 km Prince Haakon events. The 43rd Birkie was held on February 20, 2016. The Birkie is a member race of the Worldloppet Ski Federation. The race, which is held annually in February, was started in 1973 by Tony Wise.
Worldloppet Ski Federation
The Worldloppet Ski Federation is a federation of long distance cross-country skiing events whose aim is to promote cross-country skiing through various ski races. The federation was founded on 10 June 1978 in Uppsala, Sweden. The aim of Worldloppet is to promote the sport of cross-country skiing through the various ski races around the world. Only one and the best race from a country can be a member of Worldloppet. There are currently 20 races, spread amongst Europe, America, Asia and Australia:   Actual racing distances may vary from year to year according local snow conditions, but usually, there are different categories: full distance (at least 42 km, the length of a non-skiing marathon (26 miles)) and shorter ones for children and less experienced skiers.
Australia at the Winter Olympics
Australia first competed in the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and has participated in every games since, with the exception of the 1948 Games in St. Moritz. In the early years, Australia's athletes did poorly; only two athletes placed in the top half of their events before 1976, while the vast majority placed in the bottom quarter, including some who finished last. This lack of success was attributed to the Australian culture, climate and lack of snow, as well as the lack of support for the athletes—sports administrators regarded investment in winter sports as futile. After the appointment of Geoff Henke—who had been unable to compete in 1956 after the administrators neglected to endorse his ice hockey team's application—as team manager in 1976, the results slowly began to improve, and by the 1990s, some Australians were regarded as medal prospects.
Winter sport in Australia
Winter Sports in Australia encompasses a great variety of activities across the continent of Australia, including winter sports played in snow and ice such as ice hockey. Climate varies considerably from the tropical North to temperate South in Australia, and sporting practices vary accordingly. Ice and snow sports like Skiing in Australia are conducted in the high country of the Australian Alps and Tasmanian Wilderness. Australia has relatively low mountain ranges, but a long history of participation in recreational skiing (since the 1860s) and the Winter Olympic Games (since 1936). Australians have won olympic gold in ice skating, skiing and snow-boarding events.
Skiing in Australia
Skiing in Australia takes place in the high country of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the southern hemisphere winter. Skiing began in Australia at the goldrush town of Kiandra, New South Wales in the year 1861. The first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo, Victoria in 1936. Australian skiers competed in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Oslo 1952 and have competed in all subsequent Games, winning medals at every Games since 1998. Malcolm Milne became the first non-European to win a ski race world cup in 1969 and Olympic medalists include Zali Steggall, Alisa Camplin, Dale Begg-Smith, Lydia Lassila and David Morris in skiing and Torah Bright in snowboarding.
1_Apprentice
A ski marathon sounds intense. I've run a marathon before but skiing one sounds like a whole different beast. Have you ever done a ski marathon?