News

It has been 495 years since Gustav Vasa’s adventures in Dalarna, and the 92nd Vasaloppet since the beginning in 1922 will start in Sälen on Sunday March 6, 2016, at 08:00. Sweden’s big Worldloppet marathon is ready to hit the tracks.

This is the 92nd Vasaloppet, and the 20th with a ladies’ competition class. It was fully booked in 83 seconds when registration opened. This means 15,800 registered participants are going to ski from Sälen to Mora, means 2016 is the third year in a row when over 66,500 participants have registered in total for the various races in Vasaloppet’s Winter Week. 46 different nations will be represented from the age of 19 to 81 (only in the main race). 14 percent of the participants are women who will be out on the course this sunday. 

The 2015 victors were Petter Eliassen (with a time of 4.01.48) and Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland (4.41.02). Six past Vasaloppet winners are participating in 2016: Oskar Svärd, winner 2003, 2005, 2007, Anders Aukland, 2004, Jörgen Aukland, 2008, 2013, Jörgen Brink, 2010, 2011, 2012 (who by the way is the oldest winner in history), John Kristian Dahl 2014 and Petter Eliassen, 2015. Favourites with the betting companies so far seem to be Petter Eliassen, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Johan Olsson, John Kristian Dahl, Johan Kjölstad, Anders Aukland and Daniel Richardsson. Also the Swiss Worldcup-star Dario Cologna singed up and will fight for the victory. 

But there will be more celebrities out on the course on Sunday, among them the Eurovision Song Contest winner, Mans Zelmerlöw, former German biathlete and Olympic gold medalist Michael Greis, hockey champions, Formular 1 drivers, and downhill skiers. A real superman can be found in the elite group this year: Stanislav Rezac, Czech Republic, participates in Vasaloppet for the 18th time. (He’s been in the top ten twelve times, the top three six times, but no win. He has been in the top 6 these past six years, and came 3rd in 2015!)

The motivation for all of them to go for the win is high since the first prize this year is raised for both the male and female winner to 92,000 SEK (apx. 9850 €), a trophy and of course a kiss! For both men and women there are also 10,000 SEK for the spurt prize in Evertsberg (The Hill Prize) and 5,000 SEK at the six other checkpoints; Smagan, Mangsbodarna, Risberg, Oxberg, Hökberg and Eldris. Volvo also awards a new car to those who break the gents’ (3.38.41) and the ladies’ (4.08.24) record time.

So get ready for the king of the cross country skiing races either in front of the TV or at or on the tracks!