First Worldloppet Winter Meeting held this season at Engadin Skimarathon 2025
27 Worldloppet delegates from 13 destinations have met for a first winter meeting during the marathon week in the Engadin, Switzerland. The Engadin Skimarathon with its side events has provided the perfect platform for a gathering and exchange between the organizers.
“It was a fantastic experience and a great opportunity for staff from the different Worldloppet races to come together and have a chance to learn from each other. So much we can all learn from each other to create better ski experiences for the skiers,” sums Ben Popp – Worldloppet President – up.
The idea was formed during the Annual General Meeting past summer in Sapporo Japan. It was the goal, to bring together the organizers of the greatest ski races around the world to learn and to exchange experience. The Engadin Skimarathon is one of the biggest events in the world of cross-country skiing, it is much more than just a race – a lot see, to learn and to talk about.
Right on the arrival day, the delegates were greeted with a highlight: participating in or following the spectacular 17 km Engadin Night Race under the starry sky.
In the following days, participants had the opportunity to learn more about the Engadin Skimarathon, the venues, and the organization behind it. They also had the chance to showcase their own events in the Marathon Village in front of a large audience. Finally, they had the opportunity to observe the preparations for the upcoming Freestyle World Championships. The gathering was crowned by the Engadin Skimarathon, which took place with beautiful weather and excellent track conditions.
Worldloppet CEO Epp Paal sees another advantage from this meeting: “All organisers had the unique chance, to experience a race in the participant’s shoes, as most of them also skied the Engadiner. Usually these people have no chance to participate, as they are working on the race weekends.“
The first winter meeting was a great success, and the delegates could return home with numerous impressions and valuable new contacts. It seems like the idea of an annual Worldloppet Winter Meeting will go on.
