LISBON -- The Fort La Présentation Association will host their fourth St. Lawrence Valley Snowshoe Biathlon on March 5 and 6 at the St. Lawrence Valley Sportsman’s Club.

The event goes from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

The biathlon is a local version of a winter sport that is popular in New England.

The original snowshoe biathlon took place at Smuggler’s Notch, Vt. and there are now a number of similar events in Vermont and New Hampshire that take place annually.

Participants will traverse a race course through the woods on snowshoes and fire a muzzle loading rifle or smoothbore twice at five targets in the woods.

At the final station, participants can toss a tomahawk at a block of wood for extra points. Participants will be timed as they run or walk the course. Each time they hit a target, 5 minutes is deducted from their running time.

If there is insufficient snow, organizers can permit participants to carry their snowshoes on the course.

Divisions include traditional muzzle loading rifle, flintlock or percussion cap lock, traditional smoothbore and modern in-line muzzleloader.

Those running in the traditional class must wear wooden snowshoes. In-line shooters can wear modern snowshoes.

Each division is scored separately.

Organizers anticipate participants from across New York, plus Vermont and New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

There are classes for seniors, men, woman and youth (ages 12-16).

The registration fee is $18 in advance of the event, $20 at the door.

Once registered, runners can run the course a second or third time for an additional $5 fee.

Funds raised will be used as local match to build a public-access pedestrian and bicycle trail on the Fort Association’s property located on Van Rensselaer Point, Ogdensburg. The association has secured state and regional grant funding for the project that is anticipated to break ground in 2016.

Registration forms: www.fort1749.org.

More info: event coordinator Fred Hanss, 212-6213.