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As world federation for popular cross-country skiing we are the point of contact for many athletes, organizers, companies and participants. Sometimes we receive criticism, sometimes constructive feedback. Sometimes complains and some times praise. And sometimes… yes sometimes we receive the warmest words that tell us, why we are doing all of this.

In a joint promotion with Tartu Maraton and Visit Estonia we were able to invite two German skiers on a race weekend in Estonia. The words these two skiers had after their experience we have to share. Here comes Linda’s email to the organizers of Tartu Maraton:

“Dear Kristina and Silver,
I hope this email finds you both well.
Silja and I had an absolutely incredible time on our trip! We were completely surprised by Estonia — it exceeded all our expectations — and we fell head over heels in love with Tallinn.
Everything went smoothly from start to finish, and our journey was filled with so many “firsts.”

• Our first time in Estonia — and definitely not the last!
• Silja’s first-ever flight.
• Our first official skating race.
• Our first time winter swimming in the sea.

… 

And that’s just the beginning! There were so many unforgettable moments that I can’t even list them all.
We arrived home last night, tired but incredibly happy, with our hearts full of wonderful impressions of this beautiful country and its friendly people. I honestly don’t know how to express my gratitude for this experience — I feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity.
I will tell everyone I know that Estonia is absolutely worth visiting! And I sincerely hope for more snow in the coming years because I would love to ski the original Tartu Marathon track. So many fellow skiers told me how stunning the race is when it follows the traditional route.

Thank you again for everything. This was an adventure I will cherish forever.

Warm regards,

Linda 

P.S. The photo shows Silja on the left and me on the right — exhausted after the race, but incredibly happy and proud of our beautiful medal.

In case you want to follow Linda’s and Silja’s advice, in 2026 the Tartu Maraton is going to take place on February 14th and 15th. Registrations are already open.