On April 18, the 43km Kobberløpet in Sulitjelma will take place, this year featuring a truly unique start list.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen, who won gold and bronze in the Olympic 50km in Val di Fiemme, are among the participants. They will face former Olympic heroes in what is being described as a historic gathering of champions, where recreational skiers are also invited to test themselves against the stars.

“Imagine a ski race up here in the north where Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Emil Iversen, Petter Northug, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Niklas Dyrhaug, and Eldar Rønning are all entered. And imagine that you don’t just watch the stars from a distance, but stand together with them in the starting field or cheer them on along the course. That’s exactly what we look forward to when we invite people to this year’s edition of Kobberløpet,” says race director Mona Mosti.

The last time Klæbo raced Kobberløpet was in 2024. On that occasion, he was beaten, something he did not appreciate. Now both he and Iversen return seeking revenge in what may be the most star-packed start field ever.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome the world’s best cross-country skiers once again. Having Johannes and Emil on the start line so soon after the Olympics is very special for us, and something we believe many people want to experience up close,” she says.

“Great to have Martin back”

The race director is especially excited to see Martin Johnsrud Sundby return to the start line. The 2019 World Champion from Seefeld used the spectacular race as preparation for that championship. Since then, he has stayed in touch with the race organizers and the volunteers at IL Malm Kobberløpet.

“To witness Martin win his very first individual World Championship gold in Seefeld in 2019 is a moment I will never forget. The course manager, Thor Åge Jensen, and I traveled to the championships. Tyrol welcomed us with blue skies and almost Easter-like weather. Martin had suffered a lot of bad luck in championships before, but that day everything came together. It was raw, emotional, and full of the energy that only true sporting joy can bring. Sharing that moment with good Kobberløpet friends made the experience even more special,” says Mosti.

“It’s great to have Martin back at Kobberløpet.”

Anniversary edition

Kobberløpet will be held for the 57th time this year, but the 2026 race also marks a small anniversary.

It has been ten years since Benn Eidissen invited the first world champions to participate in Kobberløpet. At the time, he brought along Eldar Rønning and Niklas Dyrhaug, whom he sponsored during their active careers. This year, both are returning.

For Rønning, it will be his first appearance in ten years. This time, he will bring his son Martin, who is soon to be 14, and looks forward to sharing the experience with him. His brother Bernhard Rønning will also participate. He has worked as a coach for the Chinese national team and in long-distance skiing, but locally, he has a very different claim to fame.

“In Sulis, Bernhard Rønning will forever be remembered because he beat his older brother in what turned out to be Eldar’s final race in the competition suit from United Bakeries. That also happened in Sulis ten years ago. Will the big brother get revenge this year?”

Dyrhaug, on the other hand, has participated in Kobberløpet almost every year since his debut in 2016 and has also won the race’s unique award, Slavemerket.

Important for skiing

Both Dyrhaug and Rønning highlight Benn Eidissen’s importance for the race and the ski community.

“Benn has meant enormously much both to me personally and for the revitalization of Kobberløpet. We have developed a very close friendship that I truly appreciate. When I met Benn in 2015 on Svalbard, and he became my sponsor, he had one requirement: that I race Kobberløpet. I’m very glad about that today. Benn’s passion for Sulis and Jakobsbakken has been extremely important for Kobberløpet as we know it today,” says Dyrhaug.

“Benn has become a good friend and, in my opinion, one of the most important contributors to what Kobberløpet has achieved over the last ten years. For skiing in Northern Norway, I think this has meant a lot. He is a very generous person who, through his engagement and use of his own resources, has created something truly unique in Sulis,” adds Eldar Rønning.

In honor of the mining pioneer

Kobberløpet 2026 takes place on Saturday, April 18. The race in the former mining town of Sulitjelma in the municipality of Fauske offers distances of 43km, 23km, or 11km in majestic surroundings.

Kobberløpet was first organized in 1968, originally as a tribute to Mons Petter, the man who discovered the first ore deposit in Sulitjelma — the beginning of a mining adventure that lasted more than 100 years.

In 1968, 163 participants lined up at the start. In recent years, the race has grown significantly, and during the 50th anniversary in 2018, a new participation record was set with 1200 skiers on the start line.

More information about Kobberløpet and registration can be found HERE