Submarine sandwiches and skiing might not seem like a natural combination, but for the past five years they've provided a popular draw for the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club.

On Wednesday, the season's fourth and final competition of the Subway 5K Race Series was held.

Subway has declined to sponsor the race for a sixth year, marking the official end of this tradition for the club.

Club manager Mike Gladish said there is a reason why this race series lasted for so long.

"I think a lot of people like the idea of a having a quick, short, fun race and a sub sandwich after," he said.

"You are here anyway, it is mostly families, so why not ski together and have a sub after?

It is just another social event really.

They race for 20 minutes and then they sit around talking about it, eating subs, socializing for an hour after.

So I think it is part of the club atmosphere."

Wednesday's race featured a team relay event.

Each team was comprised of two skiers, who were selected by Chief of Competition Grant Abbott along with a few other organizers.

In order to make the teams as even as possible, results from the previous Subway race were looked at when determining the selection process.

Final placing was determined by adding together the total time from each member of particular team at the event.

The Canada Winter Games course was used and teams had the option of skiing in either a 10-km event, which was two laps of a 5-km loop or a 5-km distance race, which included just one lap.

In order to increase participation, the Subway Race Series has always been flexible with offering a couple options for skiers at the event.

With an average of 50 skiers plus volunteers at each event, there have been well over 1,000 participants over the last five years.

On Wednesday, a total of 24 skiers participated in the 10-km event, while six participants raced the 5-km distance loop.

Both races used a free sprint style technique for participants.

There was a $5 entry fee for skiers, which included a free foot-long Subway sandwich.

The winners in each event also were given a subway gift card valued at $5 and additionally there were draw prizes given out for participating in the race.

Skiers who have come out to all four Subway race events this year will also be given a $5 gift card.

In the past, Subway races have normally begun in December and usually one was held in each of the following months up until March.

This year, because of the lack of snow and cold weather, the final race in the series was postponed to April.

Gladish said the race series usually concludes with the relay event.

"The last few years we have had a relay event," he said.

"It seems to be a good way to finish off. People like relays and it involves everybody.

It is just more of an atmosphere there.

Instead of just taking off and just skiing for yourself, you are skiing with somebody else, a team of two or three or four."

He said there wasn't any reason that Subway chose not to sponsor the race series for 2008-09, it just came down to a company policy.

"They just have a policy, they don't do it forever," Gladish said.

"It is time for a change anyway. I think you need to shake things up once in a while.

I think our numbers were down a bit this year, mostly because of the cold start to the season, but I think that it is time for something different."

Gladish said the reason it lasted so long was the free sub incentive and the fact that Subway was a very supportive sponsor.

"Subway was a really good sponsor," he said.

"They were happy with our development and what we were trying to do and we were happy with the amount of money they were providing.

It was about $3,000 a year and they were very supportive."

He said there is a meeting scheduled for May and a decision will be made about whether or not it is a priority to continue a mid week race then.

Gladish, who entered Wednesday's 10-km race event, said he chose to compete partially because it is the last race in the series.

He, along with teammate Dahria Beatty, placed eighth at the competition. Gladish was happy with his performance, which included a best lap time of 0:09:50.3.

"I kept up with the people I wanted to keep up with," he said.

"The kids were way ahead, I have no illusions of keeping up with them, so small goals."

For the 10-km event, the team of Emily Nishikawa and Knute Johnsgaard posted the best combined time at 0:39:19.7.

Nishikawa showcased her talent in the sport, finishing her first lap with a time of 0:11:17.7.

As impressive as her first lap time was, Nishikawa saved her best performance for last.

She knocked almost a minute and a half off in her second lap to finish with an impressive time of 0:09:48.2.

Johnsgaard wasted little time at the event, finishing his first lap at 0:09:21.8.

He bettered that performance by almost a minute in his second lap, when he recorded a time of 0:07:51.9.

Coming in second was the team of Dominic Bradford an Michael Abbott.

Bradford's best time came in the second lap at 0:09:57.8, while Abbott also posted a best time in his second lap, finishing at 0:08:37.8.

The team's total time was 0:40:01.3, which was less than one minute behind the first place finish.

Rounding out the top three was Bill Greer and and Lee Hawkings, who finished with a combined time of 0:40:08.6.

Greer recorded a best time in his second lap at 0:10:18.5, while Hawkings also improved upon his first lap time to finish at 0:08:41.8.

Caelan McLean and Marcus Deuling came in first for the 5-km event, with a combined time of 0:28:41.7.

McLean finished his lap at 0:14:28.6, while Deuling posted a time of 0:14:13.0.

Finishing in second place was Hannah Dueling and Judson Dueling.

Hannah posted a time of 0:19:59.2 and Judson recorded an incredible time of 0:10:15.6.

Trevor Bray finished the race at 0:13:41.4, while his teammate Maggie Brook recorded a time of 0:16:59.0, which placed them third at the event.

Nishikawa said she was happy with the race.

"It was really fun," she said.

"The subway races are always a blast to do.

They are pretty low key, which is really fun."

This was the first Subway race Nishikawa entered this season and she said she enjoyed the relay event.

"It is fun to get everyone involved," she said.

"(To) get with a partner and try to do your best."

Nishikawa said it is too bad the race series is ending.

"This is the last one I hear, but they are a great event and hopefully there can be something similar in the next few years or next year.