The Ski Classics Challengers event, Nordenskiöldsloppet, took place last weekend in Jokkmokk, Sweden. Nordenskiöldsloppet currently stands as the longest xc ski race in the world, at 220km.

Among the elite competitors was Teemu Virtanen, an ultra-endurance skier and commentator. Virtanen finished in an impressive 8th place, becoming the oldest skier in history to secure a top-10 finish in Nordenskiöldsloppet. In 2024, he also made history by breaking the 24-hour skiing world record, surpassing the previous mark set by Hans Mäenpää by 13 minutes before the time limit. Mäenpää’s record stood at 472 kilometers and 7 meters.

A Veteran of Ultra Skiing

“I’ve done the race five times before, so this was my sixth time,” Virtanen shared. “So of course, I knew what I was getting into. I’ve done 24-hour races and things like that—I have experience with ultra skiing and endurance performances. But every race is different.”

The conditions leading up to the event were particularly challenging. “It had been really warm for a long time, and when I arrived on Friday, it was pouring rain. That made it tough for the organizers,” Virtanen explained. “Luckily, the rain stopped while I was testing my skis, but it never got properly cold. The tracks were icy at the 5 AM start, but later in the race, they softened up a lot. I should have had bigger pole baskets—one of the challenges I faced on the way back.”

This year, the race distance was extended from 220km to 230km. “One way is over 100 kilometers, and then we ski back. It’s completely different from shorter races like the Vasaloppet. You end up spending the entire day on your skis, and anything can happen.”

Managing Nutrition and Hydration Alone

Unlike many top competitors who have dedicated support teams, Virtanen skied the race without a personal service crew. “I was supposed to have a service person, but I traveled alone. I drove all the way up there myself and then had to drive 10 hours back home on Sunday.”

To manage hydration, Virtanen used two drinking belts, which race organisers helped transport to the turnaround point. “That was a huge help,” he admitted. “But otherwise, I had to carry everything myself—gels taped to my suit, and I relied on the service stations for extra fluids. Toward the end, I got really thirsty. I ran out of my own drink about 70 kilometers before the finish, so I had to rely on whatever was available at the aid stations. I ended up drinking a lot of sports drinks and Coca-Cola.”

A Different Approach to Training

Virtanen’s preparation for this year’s Nordenskiöldsloppet was different from his usual ultra-endurance buildup. “Last season, my main focus was the 24-hour world record, so my training was tailored toward that. For this race, I decided to change things up—I didn’t do as many ultra-long sessions. My longest ski this season was about four and a half hours, aside from one 100km roller ski session in June. Instead, I focused on more intensive training sessions. In a 12-day period leading up to the race, I did nine interval or high-intensity sessions.”

Despite his strong endurance base, Virtanen acknowledged the need for ultra-long training in future preparations. “I think next year I’ll go back to incorporating long sessions of six to eight hours in my summer training. I had grown a bit tired of them after all my 24-hour training, but for a race like this, they’re essential.”

Making History

Following his impressive 8th-place finish, Virtanen received a message from Wolfgang Mehl, the founder of Nordenskiöldsloppet. “He told me that I had made history—no skier my age had ever finished in the top 10 before. That was really special to hear.”

Also Read: Lövgren and Lindberg winners at Nordenskiöldsloppet 2025

Complete results of the event can be found here and here, and a list of Ski Classics Challengers events with confirmed dates for season 2025/2026 can be found at Ski Classics. The list is updated continuously with new events.