On Saturday evening, Teemu Virtanen reached Finland’s northernmost point, Nuorgam, about 40 km from the northernmost village Utsjoki. For ten days, Virtanen has roller skied 1000 miles from Finland’s southernmost point, Hanko, to the northernmost. A fantastic achievement! “The last two days really were a challenge, but I did it. It feels great to be…

On Saturday evening, Teemu Virtanen reached Finland’s northernmost point, Nuorgam, about 40 km from the northernmost village Utsjoki. For ten days, Virtanen has roller skied 1000 miles from Finland’s southernmost point, Hanko, to the northernmost. A fantastic achievement!

“The last two days really were a challenge, but I did it. It feels great to be here finally,” says Virtanen right after reaching Nuorgam.
“The best has been all the people that cheered me and helped me out along the way,”
“There will not be more roller skiiing in a couple of days now,” Virtanen ending with a laugh.

When Virtanen started in Hanko on June 10, the weather was fine and the first two days rolled on without any problems. The third day offered tough conditions with heavy rain. Once in Kurikka, however, Virtanen was received by Juha Mieto.
 
Mieto, the Olympic and World Championship medalist and one of the most popular cross-country skiers in the world, then followed and supported Teemu all the way from Kurikka to the end of the road up in the north.
 
The longest stage of the adventure was the one between Kokkola and Oulu on day 5, 205 km. The day after, day 6, the weather was again a factor. Heavy rain forced Virtanen to take a break and divide the day into two rounds.
 
The fastest day on the roller skis was between Rovaniemi and Sodankylä on day 8 when Virtanen had the company of Visma Ski Classics Pro Team athletes Ari Luusua and Isac Holmström. They managed the 135 km in 6 hours and 17 minutes, an average speed of 2.47 min/km.
 
On day 10, June 19, Virtanen reached Nuorgam at 19:30 CET after completing 1604,42 km on his roller skis. A fantastic achievement! GPS Link here.
 
The Hanko-Utsjoki project was supported by the Nordic sport marketing company Wsportsmedia.
 
FACTS HANKO-UTSJOKI
Day 1: Hanko – Raisio
Distance: 160,7 km
Time: 8.20
Average speed: 3:08/km
Elevation: 81 m
Average heart rate: 144
Calories: 7865 kcal
Day 2: Raisio – Pori
Distance: 150.9 km
Time: 7:25
Average speed: 2:58/km
Elevation: 335 m
Average heart rate: 136
Calories: 4771 kcal
Day 3: Pori – Kurikka
Distance: 153 km
Time: 8:44
Average speed: 3:26/km
Elevation: 535 m
Average heart rate: 124
Calories: 4877 kcal
Day 4: Kurikka – Kokkola
Distance: 181 km
Length: 9:16
Average speed 3:04/km
Elevation: 355 m
Average heart rate: 132
Calories: 5696 kcal
Day 5: Kokkola – Uleåborg
Distance: 205 km
Time: 10:31
Average speed: 3:05/km
Elevation: 450 m
Average heart rate: 125
Calories: 5921 kcal
Day 6: Uleåborg – Kemi
Distance: 107.7km
Time: 5:54
Elevation: 280 m
Calories: 3505 kcal
Day 7: Kemi – Rovaniemi
Distance: 120 km
Time: 6:10
Average speed: 3:04/km
Elevation: 490 m
Average heart rate: 126
Calories: 3517 kcal
Day 8: Rovaniemi – Sodankylä
Distance: 135 km
Time: 6:17
Average speed: 2:47/km
Elevation: 695 m
Average heart rate: 136
Calories: 4033 kcal
Day 9: Sodankylä – Inari
Distance: 175,2 km
Time: 10:12
Average speed: 3:30/km
Elevation: 416 m
Average heart rate: 128
Calories: 5746 kcal
Day 10: Inari – Utsjoki – Nuorgam
Distance: 196,7
Time: 10:53
Average speed: 3:20/km 
Elevation:  279 m
Average heart rate: 134
Calories: 6534 kcal