The world’s longest ski race, Nordenskiöldsloppet, is back. On March 23, 2024, the seventh edition of the 220-kilometer-long race will be held.

“An attractive race that is important both for skiing and the municipality,” says new board chairman Göran Hedemalm.

In 1884, polar researcher Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld announced a ski race from Jokkmokk to Kvikkjokk and back. The winner was Pavva “Pau-Lasse” Nilsson Tuorda, in a total time of 21 hours and 22 minutes.

One hundred thirty-two years after the premiere, the first version of the modern Nordenskiöld race took place, and there were six races before the event was paused last year when the race’s organizer, Wolfgang Mehl, chose to step down from his role for personal reasons (moved home to Austria).

But now a new organization is in place, and Göran Hedemalm is the new chairman of the board:

“We have now built a new management organization, where we will use Wolfgang Mehl as a mentor for the winter edition. We discussed this during the spring and want to run the Nordenskiöldsloppet because it is an attractive race. It is important for skiing, the northern region, and the municipality. Then, of course, there is a historical background that we want to pass on,” says Hedemalm.

March 23, 2024, is the time for the seventh edition of “the modern version” of the Nordenskiöldsloppet. And the interest is excellent. In the first hours since it opened for registration, 99 people have registered to take on the challenge.

“We will initially be open for 600 skiers, then we will do an evaluation so that we see that the organization is “keeping up.” We want to take it in steps. But I think we will have up to 700 registered when it’s time to start,” says Hedemalm.

Here’s the race course (link to Nordenskiöldsloppet’s website).

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