The Cross Country Committee of the International Ski Federation, in co-operation with the Worldloppet organisation, instituted the FIS MARATHON CUP in season 1999/2000. The objectives of the Cup are to improve the status of long distance competitions by attracting elite racers and to increase media and spectator interest in long distance racing.

1. Qualification
Entry to the FIS Marathon Cup is open to all male and female athletes.

2. Race selection
Venues for races in the FIS Marathon Cup may vary from season to season. The programme will be decided by the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing, in consultation with the Worldloppet Executive Committee. Races must be at least 42 km in length and not more than 2 of the races in the programme should be under 50 km in length. Races will, wherever possible, be spread geographically to include at least one race from Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Rest of the World and should be divided as evenly as possible between races in classical and free techniques.

Priority for participation in the FIS Marathon Cup will be given to races, which are members of Worldloppet. Races wishing to be selected should submit their bids to the General Secretary of Worldloppet. Where it is thought desirable to include races from outside Worldloppet (e.g. where fewer than 6 Worldloppet nominations are received; to balance the programme between Classic and Free Techniques; or for other exceptional reasons), the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing may invite other races of a proven standard to apply to be considered to take part in the competition. The final programme will be approved jointly by the Chairman of the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing and the Worldloppet Executive Committee.

3. Programme
In 2004/2005 the Cup will consist of the following 8 races and the overall winner will be decided by the results of all 8 races in the competition. Men and Ladies will race over identical courses.

No competitor finishing in a time which is 10% greater from the winner's time will be allocated points in the FIS Marathon Cup.

At the Prize giving Ceremony following each race, a bib in a distinctive format will be presented to the current overall leaders in the FIS Marathon Cup competition and will be worn by them in subsequent races for as long as they continue to be at the leaders in the overall competition. Where two athletes have equal points, the athlete having gained the highest points in the most recent competition will be deemed to be the leader.

Where points are equal at the end of the season, the winner will be the athlete having won the larger number of races. In case of a tie, second places will be taken into account, and so on to third and fourth and subsequent places until the overall winner is determined. In the event that all places are equal, the winner will be determined by position in the final race.

5. Prizes
The organising committee of each race participating in the FIS Marathon Cup guarantees a prize fund of EUR 21 000 to be divided between 6 best placed competitors in each of men's and ladies' races.

In addition, FIS will provide overall trophies and Worldloppet will provide prizes to a minimum value of EUR 8 000, 4 000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 250 for the first six men and first six ladies, scoring the greatest number of total points in the FIS Marathon Cup over the course of the 8 participating races.

The overall trophies will be awarded immediately after the finish of the final race of the competition. The money prizes will be transferred to the winners after the results of doping tests have been received and the official result lists have been validated. Any competitor eligible for a prize, who does not attend the award ceremony to receive his/her prize in person, may be subject to a financial penalty to be decided by the Worldloppet Executive Committee.

6. Expenses
There will be no automatic entitlement to travel or accommodation expenses, but race organisers may pay travel and accommodation expenses to as many invited athletes as they may decide.

7. Technical delegates
The Technical Delegates for races in the FIS Marathon Cup will be nominated by the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing for ratification by the FIS Cross-Country Committee not later than June in each year.

8. Entries
Race entries will be made on FIS Marathon Cup registration forms and submitted direct to the organising committees and not to FIS by the entry dates as determined in the race rules.