The 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon was selected as one of the top three Ski Classics races after the last season. This 62-kilometer-long classic-style skiing competition, formerly known as the Pustertaler Ski Marathon, is now scheduled for this Saturday and serves as the fifth Pro Tour race of the season. The racecourse takes skiers through the breathtaking Drei Zinnen Dolomites, offering stunning views along a challenging route.

The previous race also took place in Italy, where La Venosta Criterium and ITT (individual start) events were held. Among the Finns, Kati Roivas, Team Eksjöhus, reached the podium in the latter race, even though she didn’t feel she was in her best form yet.

“The Christmas break went well, and I managed to do both quantity and intensity training. I stayed healthy as well, and we were at Passo Lavazè with the team preparing. The race is likely to be quite fast since the track is relatively easy at the beginning. Of course, it depends a lot on the weather, but I predict a relatively fast race. The competition intensifies because Magni Smedås has returned to the tracks, and Anniken Gjerde Alnæs is also on the starting line, so there are many skiers aiming for the top three or five positions. It feels like the race season is starting again after a rather long break,” Kati said to Maastohiihto.com.

Kati admitted that her goals for the upcoming weekend are not as high as they are for La Diagonela and Marcialonga. She finished sixth in last year’s race, so it would be good to aim for a similar result. Looking at the entire season, the Finnish star would like to reach the podium in longer races as well.

“However, the level has expanded in recent years, and the podium is crowded. It’s not easy to replicate that La Venosta performance, but I know it’s possible, and it’s my goal. I want to consistently ski into the top five or six.”

Kati represents the Swedish Team Eksjöhus, which performed extremely well during La Venosta weekend. Heli Heiskanen is also part of a foreign Pro Team, and she is now a member of the Italian team Team Internom Alpenplus Trentino. This seasoned veteran feels that she is in good shape now.

“Toblach is one of my favorite places, so I’m looking forward to the races. I plan to ski on both days, the Ski Classics race on Saturday, and the skating event on Sunday. This season, I will participate in some skating races and non-Ski Classics skiing events,” Heli said happily and revealed that her Christmas was marked by moving into a new home in Ruka.

Heli has stayed healthy, except for a minor soleus muscle tear, which didn’t significantly affect her training. Before Christmas, she competed in Livigno, where she finished fourth at La Sgambeda. She has also switched her ski brand and is now racing with Finnish Peltonen skis.

In addition to Kati and Heli, Finland will be represented by three official teams in Ski Classics: Team Edux, Team Kaski-Ekovilla, and Team Mäenpää. Olli Tyrväinen, the leader of Team Edux, is optimistic before the 3 Zinnen race on Saturday and believes that the team’s training has gone well during the Christmas break.

“We have Isac Holmström, myself, and Sofia Lindberg participating in the race. Toblach has been a good place for our team; last year, Isac was 42nd, I was 44th, and Sofia was 15th. During Christmas, all our skiers have stayed healthy and had a good training period. The course should suit our team, and our skiers like longer distances compared to the early-season races,” Olli commented a couple of days before the race.

According to him, the essence of the sport is revealed when the duration of the races exceeds the two-hour mark, which shows who has remembered to do the long-distance training during the preparation season.

“Isac has been at his best in these surroundings, finishing 28th, and that position is certainly possible to improve if everything goes well. Sofia has a chance for a top-10 finish here. Personally, I aim to improve on last winter’s performance,” Olli continued speculating about his team’s chances at the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon.

After Toblach, Team Edux will head to Livigno to prepare for La Diagonela. Joonas Sarkkinen will join the team there, making his Ski Classics debut next week.

“It will be interesting to see how Joonas, who has excelled in normal distances, fares in the Ski Classics series,” Olli concluded the interview.

Another successful Finnish team is Team Kaski-Ekovilla, with skiers Juuso Mäkelä and Oona Kettunen knocking on the doors of Ski Classics’ top positions. Team leader Kari Varis, a former top skier and multiple Finlandia-hiihto winner, believes that they have overcome the early-season illnesses and are now ready to deliver results.

“During the Christmas break, the team has trained hard, and our health situation is good now. The distances are getting longer, and the races are getting tougher compared to the December races. Now it’s about endurance, and I believe that the team will achieve better results in these longer races compared to last season,” Kari confidently states.

Kari also reveals that Katri Lylynperä, who has competed in normal-distance races and for the Finnish national team, will join the team at the latest by Marcialonga, providing a strong addition to the women’s side for the rest of the season.

Team Mäenpää has been one of the leading Finnish long-distance skiing teams, and Viktor Mäenpää is expected to deliver strong results this winter. Viktor is currently in Livigno, Italy, preparing for the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, and he hopes for success in the January races.

“My fitness is certainly good. Christmas went well, and I had a chance to visit Finland. I’ve been training well. Marcialonga is the main target for January, but I want to achieve good results this weekend and in La Diagonela,” Viktor said about his goals for the upcoming races.

During the Christmas break, Viktor competed in two races in Sweden, one with Klas Nilsson, the 5th in Vasaloppet in 2020 and the winner of Nordenskiöldsloppet in 2021, and another with Juuso Mäkelä. This has helped him maintain his competitive edge during the weeks between races.

Finnish long-distance skiing is on the rise, and it’s reasonable to expect strong results from Finnish skiers this weekend and throughout the rest of the season. Kati Roivas has already proven that a Finn can stand on the podium, and other skiers are hungry for success as well. This winter, Finnish long-distance skiing, and its athletes will undoubtedly take significant strides toward the top of the world.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV

The Season XV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 15 events on 11 event weekends in 6 different countries. The season started in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 9, 2023, and will end in Norway with the 100km Ski Classics Grand Finale Janteloppet on April 13, 2024.

Next up is the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon in Italy on January 13, 2024. The event marks the fifth Ski Classics Pro Tour stage of Season XV.

Read More: 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon this Saturday in Italy

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV (2023/2024)

• Event 1: December 9, 2023 – Bad Gastein PTT, Austria, 13km
• Event 2: December 10, 2023 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: December 16, 2023 – La Venosta Criterium, Italy, 37km 
• Event 4: December 17, 2023 – La Venosta ITT, Italy, 10km
• Event 5: January 13, 2024 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, Italy, 62km
• Event 6: January 20, 2024 – Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland, 56km
• Event 7: January 28, 2024 – Marcialonga, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 11, 2024 – Jizerská50, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 17, 2024 – Grönklitt Classic, Sweden, 60km
• Event 10: February 18, 2024 – Grönklitt ITT, Sweden, 13km
• Event 11: March 3, 2024 – Vasaloppet, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 16, 2024 – Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 6, 2024 – Reistadløpet, Norway, 50km
• Event 14: April 7, 2024 – Summit 2 Senja, Norway, 60km
• Event 15: April 13, 2024 – Ski Classics Grand Finale – Janteloppet, Norway, 100km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com