The cross-country skiing community is sharply divided over FIS’s new ‘mass start in heats’ race, and few understand what the organization is trying to achieve.

On Sunday, the first-ever ‘mass start in heats’ competition was held – a four-kilometer freestyle roller ski race in Trondheim, Norway.

The format – a distance race in heats – has never before been used in cross-country skiing. It was approved at the FIS congress in June and will make its debut in the World Cup during the Tour de Ski this winter. Many are skeptical about the concept and were eager to test it before the start of the season.

After its world premiere at Toppidrettsveka, reactions are mixed – both athletes and coaches, as Langrenn.com spoke with, are divided in their views.

FACTS: What is ‘mass start in heats’?

• Skiers are split into heats of 20–25 athletes each. The heat assignments are based on World Cup rankings, but with a maximum of three per nation in each heat.
• The total competition ranking is based only on time from start to finish. So, if a skier finishes 10th in heat four, but has the 10th-fastest time overall, they place 10th in the race. Winning your heat only means you were the best in that group – it does not necessarily earn you World Cup points.
• For the men, heats will start every 15–16 minutes; for the women, every 17–18 minutes.
• The number of heats depends on the field size. In a typical World Cup, this means 4–6 heats, lasting up to 1.5 hours from first to last heat.
• According to FIS, the aim is to deliver 60–70 minutes of action and suspense until the very last heat. With top nations allowed up to 10 athletes spread across the heats, FIS believes the event will add a new dimension to cross-country skiing, featuring close duels, tactical racing, speed, and drama.

Also Read: FIS explores new race formats – Not everyone’s convinced

“It’s like a lottery”

Several French national team skiers said the roller ski version worked logistically but argued that the concept is fundamentally unfair. The problems, they say, will be even worse in winter.

“It’s like a lottery. You’re completely dependent on the heat you’re in and whether the pace is high. On snow, there will be big differences in conditions, which will make it unfair,” said French skier Jules Chappaz to Langrenn.com.

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“Fun concept”

Many Norwegian and Swedish skiers were skeptical when FIS presented the format last spring. But after trying it at Toppidrettsveka, most are now more positive.

Former U23 World Champion Jonas Vika (Team Swix) is among them:

“It’s a fun concept with lots of speed. For a distance skier, it’s also fun to race in heats. It’s tactical – you can gamble, sit in the back, and go for the win – but you don’t know what your overall time will be. It becomes like a middle-distance race with extremely high pace,” Vika told Langrenn.com.

“I hope to try it on snow this winter. There’s one in the Tour de Ski.”

Women’s verdict: “Brutal, but spot on”

The women interviewed were also satisfied. Maja Dahlqvist believes the format may work better for women, where there are usually only 2–3 heats and larger gaps in level than on the men’s side.

“For us, it was fine. The field stretched out quickly into a line, so it was almost like a normal mass start,” said the Swedish star.

Also Read: Done in Trondheim: Packing the suitcase – again

Helene Marie Fossesholm, who won the Trondheim race, agreed:

“It worked well. I was a bit nervous, but I’ve raced 5km before. This was 4km, so a bit shorter, but it was like a mass start – just two of them,” she said.

“You can’t start cautiously. For me, it’s about going all out all the way. It’s brutal, but for me it’s perfect.”

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“Don’t understand what FIS wants with this”

Among coaches, opinions are also split.

Team Swenor coach Eirik Mysen and elite skier Vetle Leander Johansen remain skeptical of the concept. They share the French concern that the heat system could make the competition unfair depending on the group you’re in, and doubt the entertainment value.

“I think the race was clear enough to follow, but I’m unsure how well it works for both audience and athletes,” Johansen told Langrenn.com.

He doubts the format will create more excitement for the sport:

“I don’t see this format adding anything new. It just makes an already diverse event program even more confusing. I don’t think any decline in interest is due to a lack of formats. My opinion is that FIS should focus on marketing the sport as it is, instead of adding more events.”

A different story in winter

National team coach Arild Monsen supports FIS’s effort to innovate and is generally positive.

He also believes some concerns about the heats will resolve themselves in the World Cup. At Toppidrettsveka, start groups were based on FIS points; however, in the Tour de Ski, the distribution will depend on the overall standing at that stage.

So, will it be fairer in the Tour de Ski than when it’s based on FIS points?

“Well… it depends on who you ask. Some will say yes, others no,” Monsen said.

Some worry that significant time gaps between the first and last heats could create unfair conditions, and that pace will depend too much on which heat you’re in.

“It’s hard to say. But yes, it could happen. Still, we need to try this out,” said Monsen.

So, you’re less skeptical after Trondheim?

“I was never skeptical. We have to test new things. I think this is fine.”

The consensus is that the organizers in Trondheim delivered an excellently executed debut on Sunday morning.

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