Long-distance skiing veteran from Petter Northug’s Pro Team claims a dominant victory in Musialonga, arguably Norway’s most insane ski race, after completing 70 laps on Musejordet in Bygdøy.

The 31-year-old went straight from his season debut at the 70 kilometer Marcialonga in Italy last Sunday to a win at Musialonga on Bygdøy on Saturday morning.

The two long-distance races have two things in common: they are both 70 kilometers long and nearly completely flat. However, unlike the Italian classic, which consists of a single 70 -kilometer loop, Musialonga is made up of 70 one-kilometer laps.

“It was a unique and raw experience! There’s something special about skiing a 70-kilometer race on a 1-kilometer loop out on Bygdøy,” Joar Thele told Langrenn.com.

Racing Musialonga for the first time, the long-distance pro described the race as both physically and mentally demanding.

“The most challenging part is that the course has quite a few turns. After a while, your legs and the muscles around your calves get so stiff that it becomes a struggle just to stay on your feet,” he said.

In addition to staying upright, Thele also found it difficult to keep track of his laps.

“I tried counting using my watch. Since each lap is roughly one kilometer, you can estimate how many laps you’ve done by looking at your watch. But you still lose track after a while, so I’m really grateful that the race organizer, Morten Dybdahl, kept count and called out how many laps I had left,” he said.

Thele Sets a New Course Record

Thele won the race in 2:40:26, finishing two minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Øyvind Moen Fjeld in second place. Paddle pro Amund Vold secured the final podium spot.

With this win, Thele also set a new course record, breaking the previous record of 2:43:38 set by Petter Stakston from Team Aker Dæhlie in 2024.

Top 3 Men, 70km

1. Joar Thele, Team Burger King Northug, 2:40:26.0
2. Øyvind Moen Fjeld, Kjelsås IL, 2:42:58.0
3. Amund Vold, IL Koll/Oslo Kajakk-klubb, 2:46:19.0

Full Results

Second Long-Distance Race of the Season

Musialonga was Thele’s second long-distance race this season.

His season opener was Marcialonga, the first long-distance event for the 31-year-old, who races for Petter Northug’s professional team, Team Burger King Northug.

Northug’s pro team wasn’t officially registered in Ski Classics until after the Norwegian Championships at Gåsbu, which was Northug’s last chance to qualify for the Norwegian team for the World Championships in Trondheim. The 39-year-old didn’t make the cut, and he is now going all-in on long-distance racing and Ski Classics for the rest of the season.

Hat-Trick in the Women’s Race

On the women’s side, Karoline Næss took the victory. The 30-year-old from Ski Classics team Team Rustad IL secured her third consecutive win, becoming the first athlete to achieve a hat-trick at Musialonga.

Næss won by a margin of seven and a half minutes over Michelle Hasle from Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso. Tina Rusten from Bækkelagets SK claimed the final podium spot.

Top 3 Women, 70km

1. Karoline Næss, Team Rustad IL, 3:07:58
2. Michelle Hasle, Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso, 3:15:28
3. Tina Rusten, Bækkelagets SK, 3:40:36

Full Results

Norway’s Best-Paying Ski Marathon?

In addition to glory, honor, and bragging rights, Thele and Næss each took home 15,000 NOK (~$1,305 USD) for their victories.

A total of 60,000 NOK (~$5,220 USD) in cash prizes was distributed among the fastest athletes in Musialonga 2025. The prize structure was the same for both men and women, with 15,000 NOK (~$1,305 USD) for first place, 10,000 NOK (~$870 USD) for second, and 5,000 NOK (~$435 USD) for third.

“Is this Norway’s best-paying ski marathon? It’s certainly a lot more than what’s offered in the Norwegian Cup and Scandinavian Cup,” race director Morten Dybdahl told Langrenn.com.

PS: Petter Northug’s Janteloppet, scheduled for April, promises a prize pool of one million NOK (~$87,000 USD).

Read more: Team Burger King Northug – Pro Team presentation Season XVI