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Colin Abbott was the top men's skier Saturday at the Marsh Lake Classic Ski Loppet while Julie McVicar earned the honours in the women's category.

Abbott finished the 20-kilometre classic cross country ski race in a time of 59 minutes and 41 seconds, as the only competitor in the Open Men's category.

The next fastest 20-km time was recorded in the Senior Male category, with John Parry posting a time of one hour and 20 seconds, just 39 seconds off Abbott's pace.

McVicar recorded a time of 1:18:02 in the Senior Female 20-km event, three minutes and three seconds faster than the next fastest women's time in the 20-km recorded by Brittany Pearson-Smith in the Open Female Category.

Of the 21 men registered in the four different Masters category, former Olympian Alain Masson registered the fastest time, completing the 20-km in 1:05:01, with Dave Brook posting the second fastest time of 1:07:01, followed by Chris Schmidt in a time of 1:10:56.

Debbie Higgens recorded the fastest time of the four category's of Master women, completing the 20-km in 1:20:06. Leslie Doran was the second fastest, just 12 seconds behind and Aisha Montgomery was third, just a minute and 20 seconds off the pace.

There were 253 registered for the loppet, ranging in age from four years old to 81, in several different categories with a variety of race lengths, from the one-kilometre classic event for the youngsters to the 20-km for the not so young.

Niamh Hupe was recognized as the youngest participant, having just turned four while Ken De La Barre was honoured as the eldest participant, at a spry 81 competing in the 10-km classic event with a finishing time of 1:41:14.

Bill Slater was the recipient of the Captain Fun Award, for his less than regular and somewhat comical ski attire and his decision not to use his poles for the entire 10-km because they didn't go with his outfit.