Cross-country skiing is fantastic. With 14 races and over 55,000 registered participants, the 2025 Vasaloppet Winter Week was another showcase of commitment to exercise and health.

On average, participants trained 4.2 hours per week during the final three months leading up to their race and rated their perceived health at 7.5 on a ten-point scale. Here, Vasaloppet presents more results from the comprehensive survey that mapped out participants’ preparations for the various Winter Week challenges.

The 2025 Vasaloppet Winter Week included 14 different ski races ranging from 9 to 90 km. On behalf of Vasaloppet, the company Upplevelseinstitutet annually measures participants’ experiences of the events during Winter Week. Nearly 5,000 participants responded to questions about their training leading up to their race. (Note: Youth Vasa participants under 15, international participants, and elite skiers were not included in the survey.)

Here are the questions and results:

How many times have you exercised/trained on average per week during the past three-month period?
The average participant trained about 3.4 times per week. Most frequent were participants in the Vasaloppet, Öppet Spår Monday 90, Nattvasan 45, and Nattvasan 90, all averaging 3.8 sessions per week. 11% trained “almost every day.” 1% trained “almost never”!

How much training have you done during the past three-month period?
The average participant trained about 4.2 hours per week leading up to Winter Week. Participants in Nattvasan 90 and Öppet Spår Monday 90 logged the most time with 4.8 hours. 14% reported training more than 7 hours per week.

Average weekly training hours by race:

• Vasaloppet 30 – 3.7 hours
• Tjejvasan – 3.5 hours
• Öppet Spår Sunday – 4.7 hours
• Öppet Spår Monday 90 – 4.8 hours
• Öppet Spår Monday 45 – 4.2 hours
• Öppet Spår Monday 30 – 3.6 hours
• Vasaloppet 45 – 4.1 hours
• Stafettvasan – 3.7 hours
• Nattvasan 30 – 4.1 hours
• Nattvasan 45 – 4.6 hours
• Nattvasan 90 – 4.8 hours
• Vasaloppet 10 – 3.0 hours
• Vasaloppet – 4.7 hours

What types of training did you do to prepare? (multiple choice)
The average participant practiced 2.9 different training types. The most common were:

• Cross-country skiing – 90%
• Strength training/gym – 69%
• Running – 49%
• Group training (e.g., spinning) – 23%
• Cycling – 20%
• Swimming – 10%
• Racket sports (padel, badminton, tennis, etc.) – 6%
• Ball sports (e.g., floorball, football) – 4%
• Other – 17%
• None – 1%

How often do you participate in recreational races (e.g., cycling, running, skiing, orienteering) in a normal year?
The average participant reported taking part in about 2.6 races per year. The most active were participants in Nattvasan 90 with 3.5 events, followed by Nattvasan 45 with 3.4 events.

Physical capacity and perceived health
Participants were asked to rate their perceived physical capacity on a scale from 1 to 10. The most common rating was 7. 30% rated themselves between 8 and 10 (high rating), and the average score was 6.7. Participants in Nattvasan 90 rated themselves highest with an average of 7.4.

When assessing their perceived health, a similar pattern emerged. The most common rating was 8, with a slight tendency toward higher scores in general. The average was 7.5 – which can be interpreted as a very positive indicator of how participants view their health. The highest ratings came from participants in Vasaloppet 45 and Öppet Spår Monday 30, both at 7.9.

Motivations for participating
Participants had various reasons for taking part. The three most common were: “challenge” (66%), “health” (65%), and “social” (57%). Other frequently cited motivations included: “tradition” (38%), “lifestyle” (35%), “quality” (27%), and “activity” (22%). When looking at motivations by age, “challenge” decreases with age, while “health” and “social” increase.

Vasaloppet Winter Week 2025 receives high satisfaction ratings
This year’s event received consistently excellent ratings from participants. Weather conditions were sometimes challenging, but Vasaloppet worked hard to create the best possible conditions for racers. That effort paid off and was deeply appreciated by participants. This year’s event received top marks across the board.

The most important parameter, “overall impression of the event,” scored an impressive 4.7 out of 5. “Event management & organization” received the highest rating at 4.8, a clear sign that participants valued the effort put into the event. The desire to return next winter is very strong – 87% said it is either very likely or somewhat likely that they’ll be back to participate again next winter.

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