Lapponia Ski Week concluded with the demanding Karra Huikonen stage. On the same day, the Ylläs–Levi 70km race took place in Lapland.

Miro Karppanen sealed overall victory after winning all three stages. In the women’s race, Sini Alusniemi dominated the event from start to finish. On the same day, Ski Classics star Magnus Vesterheim claimed victory in the Ylläs–Levi 70 km race, highlighting a strong day of long-distance skiing in Lapland.

Lapponia Ski Week concluded on Friday with the demanding 80-kilometer Karra Huikonen, which decided the overall winners of the three-day stage race. On the same day, the Ylläs–Levi ski race in the classic technique was also held, creating an exceptional day of long-distance skiing in the Lapland fells.

Read also: Ski Classics Season XVII: Youth competition

Karppanen secured overall victory

The men’s final stage once again delivered a tight race, with the outcome decided by small margins. Miro Karppanen was the fastest in Karra Huikonen as well, sealing the overall victory after a strong week of racing.

Karra Huikonen 80 km, men (free technique):

1. Miro Karppanen 3:33:32.5
2. Turkka Nieminen +0.1
3. Remi Lindholm +1.5

Overall standings, men:

1. Miro Karppanen 8:03:34.5
2. Remi Lindholm +4.2
3. Tino Tiilikainen +2:25.0

Karppanen won all three stages, but the overall classification still remained extremely close, with Lindholm finishing just a few seconds behind.

Alusniemi dominant in the women’s race

In the women’s race, Sini Alusniemi continued her impressive form and also won the final stage. She controlled the race from start to finish and was clearly the strongest skier of the week.

Karra Huikonen 80 km, women (free technique):

1. Sini Alusniemi 3:59:24.6
2. Jenny Vuori +8:17.3
3. Ruut Vähämetsä +12:01.8

Overall standings, women:

1. Sini Alusniemi 9:12:10.9
2. Jenny Vuori +19:35.5
3. Eevi Karppinen +46:33.1

Alusniemi’s streak of three stage wins and clear margins to her competitors made her performance one of the most dominant of the event.

Lapponia Ski Week results here.

Strong international field in Ylläs–Levi

The Ylläs–Levi 70-kilometer classic race, held on the same day, featured a strong international field. The race was won by Norwegian long-distance skier Magnus Vesterheim, who has also impressed in the Ski Classics series, finishing fifth overall and reaching the podium twice with third-place finishes during the season.

Ylläs–Levi 70 km (classic), men (classic technique):

1. Magnus Vesterheim 2:59:32.6
2. Lassi Juhanoja +2:26.2
3. Tuomas Kaukola +8:20.5

In the men’s race, the winner created a clear gap, while the battle for the remaining positions remained competitive.

In the women’s race, victory went to Marlies Nipius.

Ylläs–Levi 70 km (classic), women (classic technique):

1. Marlies Nipius 3:57:38.6
2. Åse Borgeryd Borgeryd +2:31.8
3. Mervi Vanhakylä +3:10.0

Ylläs-Levi results here.

A fitting finale to a week of racing in Lapland

Lapponia Ski Week and Ylläs–Levi together created an exceptional day of long-distance skiing. After three days and nearly 190 kilometers of racing, the event once again delivered both dominant performances and tight battles for the top positions.

The week as a whole highlighted why long-distance skiing in the Lapland fells remains among the most respected endurance events in the Nordic skiing world.