Registration for Tjejvasan on February 21, 2026, is in full swing, with over 6,000 skiers already signed up for the World’s largest women-only ski race. There are still spots available. The reigning champion is Jenny Larsson of Lager 157 Ski Team, following an impressive performance at the 2025 edition of Tjejvasan. Here, Jenny talks about what Tjejvasan means to her and shares training tips for recreational skiers.

“Winning Tjejvasan was an incredible feeling. It was like everything came full circle that day; it was actually after skiing Tjejvasan eight years earlier that I decided to focus on long-distance Racing,” says Jenny Larsson on a press release from Vasaloppet.

Last winter, she stayed at the front of the lead group for most of the race. With six skiers contending for victory approaching the finish, Jenny explained:

“It got crowded at the Aukland bridge, and I wanted to secure a good position for the final sprint, so I started earlier than I’d planned. When the course bends slightly with about 50 meters to go, I switched tracks and thought, if anyone’s stronger, they would have caught me by now.”

Jenny Larsson crossed the finish line, cheering at 1:17:35, one second ahead of second-place Louise Lindström. Third went to Julie Kvale Støstad from Norway.

Also Read: Jenny Larsson wins Tjejvasan 2025

First long-distance victory

In January 2021, Jenny Larsson won her first and so far only Ski Classics Pro Tour race, La Diagonela in Switzerland. A week later, she fell and suffered a hand injury that kept her out of competition for 20 months.

During rehabilitation, the finish line was in her mind for nearly every training session:

“I’ve visualized that finishing stretch in Mora countless times. Whether it was Tjejvasan or Vasaloppet didn’t matter. I saw myself succeeding there, and that’s why this Tjejvasan victory means so, so much to me,” says 29-year-old Larsson.

Tjejvasan was the turning point

Tjejvasan was the race that brought Jenny Larsson into long-distance skiing.

“In 2017, I was struggling with motivation. My dad and I came up with the idea of going to Mora and skiing Tjejvasan. It really felt like an adventure. I was very nervous about the poling technique. It seemed impossible to double-pole for 30 km. My only goal was to manage the whole way. But it went really well. I finished tenth, beat many skiers I’d never beaten before, and after that, several long-distance teams reached out to me. That race is what set me on the path to long-distance skiing,” explains Jenny Larsson, who also aims to win Vasaloppet.

Last winter, Jenny finished fourth overall in Ski Classics. But Vasaloppet didn’t go well; she finished 14th, disappointed:

“There were several reasons. My form was declining; I’d peaked at the end of January. A few miles into the race, I realized it wasn’t my day, and mentally it slipped away from me. But whether I finish fourteenth, sixth, or third doesn’t matter when it comes to Vasaloppet. I want to win,” says Larsson, who enters this winter as a World Record holder in SkiErg.

Read More – Double World Record: Larsson and Roos dominate SkiErg Open in Sweden

World record in SkiErg

At the SkiErg Open by Craft Arena in September, she broke her own 5,000-meter World Record, two-tenths faster than her previous best.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to call yourself a world record holder. And the SkiErg is a fantastic training tool for everyone, I’d say. It’s easily accessible and comes with a fatigue guarantee,” says Larsson with a laugh.

This spring, she extended her contract with Lager 157 Ski Team until 2027. Ski Classics 2025/2026 starts December 13, 2025, in Austria.

Jenny’s training tips

Planning to ski Tjejvasan? Winner Jenny Larsson shares tips for recreational skiers:

1. Build your skiing experience. One or two roller-ski sessions per week are excellent training.
2. If possible, plan a day trip once a month with your friends to the nearest snow-covered trail. It’s a perfect way to combine training and fun with friends.
3. Don’t be afraid of interval training on the SkiErg! It’s incredibly useful for Tjejvasan. A good workout is 40-20 intervals (40 seconds hard, 20 seconds rest or very easy), done in five- or ten-minute blocks. Do two to four sets. You can make it as tough as you want, and you can try other versions like 45-15 or 30-30.

Facts: The 38th Tjejvasan

Saturday, February 21, 2026: Tjejvasan, 30 km, start in Oxberg, finish in Mora.

Tjejvasan is a true classic. The world’s largest women-only ski race started in 1988, and over 200,000 have crossed the finish line in Mora. Elite and recreational skiers compete together, with both senior and junior competitive classes as well as a recreational class, open to girls from 11 years old.

Tjejvasan also serves as a seeding race for Vasaloppet. The Ski Classics long-distance cup has designated Tjejvasan as a “Challengers” event, giving it even higher status. The race is broadcast live on Swedish Television, and the course features live music and activities. Tjejvasan is part of the Vasaloppet Triple 30 and En Svensk Klassiker Tjej.

Want to see what it’s really like to ski Tjejvasan? Watch 30 km slow-TV as SVT reporter Therese Bosta skis Tjejvasan 2025, filmed by award-winning TV cameraman Adam Karlsson.

Watch on SVT Play here (Sweden only)

Are you interested in long-distance skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

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