A tractor floods the easternmost portion of the speedskating oval on Sylvan Lake’s south end on Monday. The five-km loop is being readied for the 2011 Foothills Speed Skating Marathon, which kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 24, with a 50-km race and tour for men and women of all ages and continues Saturday, Feb. 26, with a 100-km race and tour for men and women of all ages, as well as a 25-km race for youth 16 years and under. A tour open to the public also goes that day where participants can skate a minimum of five km and a maximum of 100 km, starting between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. More information is available online at http://slimarathon.webs.com.