Astronaut Marcus Wandt to ski Vasaloppet 2025

Although he’s been cross-country skiing since childhood, he’s never taken part in the race between Sälen and Mora. However, it’s always been a goal of his, and Marcus Wandt is now registered for the 101st Vasaloppet on Sunday, March 2, where he’ll be at the start line alongside 15,800 other participants.
“I was given an envelope on stage and, of course, it was a start place for Vasaloppet 2025, so I’m aiming to ski it this winter,” confirms Marcus Wandt.

During Vasaloppet’s Summer Week in August, Sweden’s latest astronaut visited Mora and handed over the Vasaloppet medal and number bib that he had taken to the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year.
“I brought these items because Vasaloppet has historical importance to Sweden and several elements that strongly appeal to me. It gets people out in nature, it gets people moving, and it gives them a goal to train and strive for.”

The Vasaloppet medal and number bib have recently been put on display in the window at Vasaloppet’s office on the pedestrian street in central Mora. They will now be on public display at Kyrkogatan 3, along with a certificate from ESA confirming that they’ve truly been to space.
“These well-travelled items hold both symbolic value and a unique story that stretches from the Vasaloppet trail out into space and back again. We see it as a tribute to all the participants who have struggled towards the finish line in Mora over the years. It’s a reminder that with dreams and motivation, we can go much further than we ever imagined,” says Camilla Sandy Swarén, Vasaloppet’s Press Manager.

Marcus Wandt will be the first astronaut ever to ski Vasaloppet.

Facts about the space mission
Marcus Wandt launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, January 18, 2024, and returned 22 days later. The mission was a collaboration between the Swedish National Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA), the American space companies Axiom Space and SpaceX, and NASA.

The mission, Axiom Mission 3, was called Muninn within ESA, referencing one of the Norse god Odin’s two ravens in Norse mythology. Together with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who was already at the space station on the Huginn mission, the two Nordic astronauts conducted numerous European and national experiments connected to various research groups.

Facts about the 101st Vasaloppet – ”In forefathers’ tracks for future victories”
Date: Sunday, March 2, 2025
Distance: 90 km, classic technique
Start: Vasaloppet start, Berga by, Sälen
Finish: Vasaloppet’s finish line portal in Mora
Number of Vasaloppet finishers after the first 100 races: 637,986
Reigning champions: Torleif Syrstad and Emilie Fleten, both from Norway
Maximum number of participants for 2025: 15,800 (around 1,000 places remaining at present), registration available at vasaloppet.se.