In 2026, participants will face a new challenge: the distance is adjusted from 50 to 35 kilometers in classic style, and everyone lines up on the same start line to ski the same course as the world elite. A shorter distance does not mean an easier race. Reistadløpet remains an event that tests endurance, technique, and determination, not least in the infamous climb up Orta, where the field truly gets a taste of what Arctic cross-country skiing is all about.

Reistadløpet was first held in 1958 in memory of Colonel Ole Reistad, a man who left a lasting mark on Norwegian sports and military history. Reistad was both a skier and a track and field athlete and is perhaps best known for leading the Norwegian ski patrol to Olympic gold in St. Moritz in 1928. He later served as a squadron commander in Bardufoss, as head of Little Norway in Canada during World War II, and as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command North Norway after the war. His strong commitment to outdoor life and to the interaction between civilian and military communities lives on through Reistadløpet, a race that is about far more than skiing alone.

Since 2017, the race has been part of Ski Classics under the fitting slogan “Pure Arctic Madness.” The event has been the stage for great performances and powerful stories. In 2024, Johan Hoel wrote himself into the history books as the first winner to double-pole the entire Reistadløpet without grip wax. Participation records also testify to remarkable loyalty: Alf Hartvik and Jan Asbjørn Eriksen have completed the race an incredible 55 times each, while Agnes Nerland Fagerheim leads the women’s side with 48 finishes across the mountains.

Reistadløpet is more than a ski race. It is a nature experience, history, and raw sport combined. Whether you are an elite athlete chasing prestige and Ski Classics points, or a recreational skier looking to test your limits in magnificent Arctic scenery, Reistadløpet offers an experience you will not soon forget.

Welcome to Reistadløpet – where mountains, history, and the joy of cross-country skiing meet.

More information is available at Reistadløpet