Nygaard celebrates Fossavatnsgangan 2026 victory and 27 skiers their Master Title
The Fossavatnsgangan once again delivered a memorable season finale in Iceland, combining strong elite performances with a vibrant international Worldloppet community.
In the men’s 50 km race, Andreas Nygaard of Norway claimed a dominant victory in 2:22:34.8, finishing nearly two minutes ahead of Stanislav Řezáč (2:24:10.9). Italy’s Riccardo Mich secured third place in 2:25:19.4.
The women’s race saw an impressive performance from Sophia Velicer, representing Taiwan, who crossed the finish line first in 2:51:32.6. Velicer capped off a remarkable week in Ísafjörður by also winning the 25 km free style race held earlier. Annika Landis (USA) finished second in 2:55:29.8, just ahead of Norway’s Lea Stabæk Wenaas in third (2:55:35.2).
Beyond the race results, Fossavatnsgangan highlighted its strong position within the Worldloppet circuit. A total of 27 new Worldloppet Masters diplomas were awarded—a record breaking figure that reflects the race’s growing popularity among dedicated long-distance skiers. Never in history so many Masters have been awarded after a singe Worldloppet member race. Also another record has been broken: So far Hannes Larsson from Sweden had the most Master titles. Today, Robert Palliser from Canada got his 36th Title, which makes him the new record holder!
Around 60 international participants gathered at the Worldloppet Welcome Party on Friday evening, underlining the event’s warm atmosphere and global appeal.
With excellent conditions and a full race program, Fossavatnsgangan once again proved to be a fitting and festive conclusion to the cross-country skiing season in the northern hemisphere.
