Northug (40) refuses to give up: now chasing national championship gold

by Ingeborg Scheve • 27.03.2026
Northug
Petter Northug is aiming for the World Championships in Falun, and now the 40-year-old is set to compete at the Norwegian Championships. He will race two of the three events at Lygna, while Klæbo is not competing.

Petter Northug is aiming for the World Championships in Falun, and now the 40-year-old is set to compete at the Norwegian Championships. He will race two of the three events at Lygna, while Klæbo is not competing.

Petter Northug is entered in two of the three races at the Norwegian Championships (part two) in Lygna this weekend. The 40-year-old will compete in both the team sprint and the 10km classic.

The cross-country skiing star refuses to give up his dream of competing at the 2027 World Championships in Falun. Earlier in March, Northug revealed that he now has a new plan to make it happen.

Chasing national championship gold

The first event at the Norwegian Championships (part two) is the team sprint on Friday. Petter Northug will represent Strindheim IL alongside his younger brother, Even. When the brothers competed in the national team sprint in 2023 and 2024, they took silver, only beaten by Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Didrik Tønseth from Byåsen IL.

Last year, Klæbo and Tønseth won again, while Strindheim finished fourth. However, Even raced without Petter that time. Now that the brothers are reunited, neither Klæbo nor Tønseth has entered this year.

In addition to the team sprint, Petter Northug will also compete in Saturday’s 10km classic. Even Northug will race that event as well, and is also entered in the 50km on Sunday, where Petter Northug is not competing.

Championships moved to Lygna

The Norwegian Championships (part two) were originally scheduled to take place in Harstad from March 26 to 29. However, the organizers were forced to cancel just before the weekend due to weather conditions. The event has now been moved to Lygna.

Check out all the participants HERE

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