Get ready for Ultravasan, Vasastafetten and Vasakvartetten 2018

These four races with a total of ten classes (of which eight are competition classes) run on Saturday, August 18:

Ultravasan’s two races:
– Ultravasan 90. 90 km. Start in Sälen at 05:00.
Ultravasan 90 starts, like the traditional Vasaloppet, in Sälen, following the course east towards Mora. Two classes: Women and Men.
– Ultravasan 45. 45 km. Start in Oxberg at 09:00.
The 45-km-race starts in Oxberg, largely following Halvvasan’s winter track along the Oxberg lake down to Vasslan before joining the Ultravasan 90 course. Two classes: Women and Men.

The two big relay races:
– Vasakvartetten. Last year’s newcomer! Running relay for four-person teams. Start in Sälen at 07:00.
90 km from Sälen to Mora divided into four sections of 23.5, 23.2, 24.2 and 19.1 km. (Vasakvartetten has three classes: Women, Men and Leisure. Participants in the Women and Men classes compete for prize money. Men = Women are allowed. Women = Only women. Leisure = Any mix of women and men allowed. In the Leisure class a single participant may run several sections.)

– Vasastafetten. Running relay for ten-person teams. Start in Sälen at 09:00.
90 km from Sälen to Mora divided into sections 4.5–15 km. (Vasastafetten has three classes: Women, Men and Leisure. Participants in the Women and Men classes compete for prize money. Men = Women are allowed. Women = Only women. Leisure = Any mix of women and men allowed. In the Leisure class a single participant may run several sections.

Ultra is the name of races longer than the marathon distance of 42,195 metres, and ”trail” or ”terrain” means that the main part of the race is not on asphalt. Ultravasan 90, Vasakvartetten and Vasastafetten run on the following surfaces: 60 km forest road/Vasaloppet track, 6 km gravel, 18 km paths and 6 km asphalt. The course elevation is 867 metres.

More information on sections and surfaces

Apart from the above races, the children’s running race ”Barnens Vasalopp löpning” runs on Friday, August 17 at 18:00 for those up to about 10 years of age. In Sälen the stretches are 500, 1,000 or 1,500 metres and in Mora about 700 metres.

Track changes
No track changes this year.

Registrants Tuesday 2018-08-14
A record number of participants want to run Ultravasan. In total there are 2,007 registered for the two races. Together with Vasastafetten and Vasakvartetten there are 6,157 runners registered for the Saturday races:

Ultravasan 90: 1,104 (of which 849 are men and 255 women) from 27 nations, aged 19–75.
Ultravasan 45: 903 (of which 449 are men and 453 women) from 18 nations, aged 19–75.
Vasastafetten: 3,730 runners in 373 teams (34 Men teams, 24 Women teams, 315 Leisure teams).
Vasakvartetten: 420 runners in 105 teams (36 Men teams, 17 Women teams, 52 Leisure teams)

NOTE! The teams (meaning the team leader) in Vasastafetten and Vasakvartetten should fill in their team line-up on ”My Pages” at vasaloppet.se, and it is possible to make changes up until the start of the race.

The biggest counties in Ultravasan 90 2018
Stockholm has 207 registered participants, Västra Götaland 196, Dalarna 90, Skåne 62, Örebro 46. (All Swedish counties have participants registered for Ultravasan 90.)

Breakfast run warm-up
On Friday, August 17 at 09:00 both elite and recreational athletes will warm up with the traditional Breakfast run, running this year from the Vasaloppet finish line to Hemus. Members of the media are very welcome to photograph and interview participants.

Winning prizes
The winners of Ultravasan will receive, apart from a garland and kiss, 60,000 SEK. In Ultravasan 45 the winner gets 15,000 SEK.

Medals
Medals awarded to everyone who completes the race. Achievement medals in Ultravasan 90 are awarded to everyone who completes the race in medal time. The medal time for men is 9.5 hours. Medal time for women is 11 hours.

Medals will also be awarded to everyone who completes Ultravasan 45.

READ: This is how Ultravasan 2017 went

Ultravasan 90, participants to keep an eye on 2018

Elite men:

Patrick Reagan, USA, no 1002
Third place in 2016 and second in 2017. Will this upward trend continue in 2018?

Ranno Erala, Estonia, no 1006
8th in Ultravasan 2015, 6th in 2016 and 6th in 2017.

Vajin Armstrong, New Zealand, no 1012
Won Swiss Alpine Marathon (78 km) in 2016.

Erik Anfält, Sweden, no 1011
Came second in Ultravasan 45 2016 and won in 2017, but is now running the full distance for the first time.

Kris Brown, USA, no 1014
Won several big ultra races back home in the US these past years. As recently as June he came 10th in the 100 miles race Western States. First start in Ultravasan.

Jonas Buud, no 1015
Ultravasan’s undisputed record holder can boast that he has the two fastest times in Ultravasan 90 history from his two victories in the race’s two first years, but Jonas had to abort the race in 2016 and did not start in 2017 due to injury.

Evgenii Glyva, Italy, no 1016
Ukrainian from Italy who won Swiss Alpine Marathon 2015 and came second in 2016. How will things go in Sweden?

Didrik Hermansen, Norway, no 1017
Participated successfully in Ultravasan 2014 and 2015 coming 4th and 3rd! Didrik won Ecotrail in Oslo (80 km) at the end of May this year.

Oleg Kharitonov, Russia, no 1018
This 50-year-old has run ultra races for twenty years with masses of top placements and medals through the years. Among much more he won Comrades 2006. Trainer for Alexandra Morozova in the women’s class.

Joacim Lantz, Sweden, no 1019
Little-brother Lantz came sixth in the first Ultravasan 90 in 2014. These past three years he’s run Ultravasan 45 with the following results: 6th, 4th, 2nd.

Johan Lantz, Sweden, no 1020
Third in Ultravasan 45 2017. Came 20th in the ultra trail running World Championship (85 km) this spring.

Patrik Wikström, Sweden, no 1021
Tenth is his best placement so far in Ultravasan 90 (2016).

Elite ladies:

Ida Nilsson, Sweden, no 3001
Second in Ultravasan 90 2015 and winner with a new track record in 2017. Has won Transvulcania Ultramarathon on the Canary Islands (73 km) three years in a row.

Frida Södermark, Sweden, no 3004
6th in Ultravasan 90 2014 and 4th in 2017. Long list of accomplishments from Swedish, European and World Championships and Comrades.

Eve Talts, Estonia, no 3006
6th in Ultravasan 90 2017.

Jenny Ramstedt, Sweden, no 3007
7th in Ultravasan 90 2017.

Sarah Bard, USA, no 3011
Sarah came second when she ran Ultravasan for the first time in 2016 but had to abort the race last year. Will third time be the charm in 2018? She came 4th in the 100K World Championship in 2015, 4th in Comrades Marathon 2016, 6th in 2017 and 8th this year.

Emilia Lindstedt, Sweden, no 3012
Emilia is mostly known as a skier but came fifth in Ultravasan 45 2017. Three top-three positions in Tjejvasan and 4th in Vasaloppet 2017.

Alexandra Morozova, Russia, no 3013
2nd in Comrades 2017 and 3rd 2018.

Johanna Nilsson, Sweden, no 3014
Johanna came 2nd in Ultravasan 45 2016 and 4th in 2017. Running Ultravasan 90 for the first time.

Marija Vrajic, Kroatien, no 3015
3rd at the 2016 IAU 100 km World Championships. Competed in the marathon at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Ultravasan 45
Here are some interesting runners to be keep an eye on this Saturday:

Elite men:

Fredrik Eriksson, Sweden, no 4005
Fifth place in 2017.

Fritiof Fagerlund, Sweden, no 4012
Fagerlund won Ultravasan 45 2015 and came 2nd and 4th in Ultravasan 90 2016 and 2017. 15th place in this year’s Comrades. Long list of accomplishments.

Elov Olsson, Sweden, no 4013
Last year’s Ultravasan 90 winner is running 45 km this year since he’s got his sights set on the 100 km World Championship in Croatia this September.

Elite women:

Lisa Ring, Sweden, no 5002
Lisa won Ultravasan 45 2016 and came second last year. Afflicted with borrelia this spring but coming back to win Ultravasan again.

Jasmin Nunige, Switzerland, no 5011
Davos runner Nunige won Ultravasan 90 2015 and 2016. Last year she had to cancel her participation due to injury but she’s back this year to run Ultravasan 45.

Number bibs for the ten classes
Ultravasan 90 – Orange number bib, W = Women, M = Men, Asics (the race’s host) + course profile.
Number series: Men no 1001–2299. Women no 3001–3299.

Ultravasan 45 – Blue number bib, M = Men, W = Women, Asics (the race’s host) + course profile.
Number series: Men no 4001–4999. Women no 5001–5499.

Vasastafetten Ahlsell (the race’s host)
– Red colour, black numbers D = Women. Number series: 1–99.
– Green colour, black numbers H = Men. Number series: 100–199.
– Blue colour, black numbers M = Leisure class. Number series: 200–599.

Vasakvartetten Ahlsell (the race’s host)
– Red colour, white numbers D = Women. Number series: 600–659.
– Green colour, white numbers H = Men. Number series: 660–799.
– Blue colour, white numbers M = Leisure class. Number series: 800–999.

TV and radio
Vasaloppet.TV will broadcast live from Ultravasan 90, Ultravasan 45, Vasastafetten and Vasakvartetten on Saturday, August 18 at 04:30–20:30 with commentators, features, reporters on bikes and separate live feeds from the starts in Sälen and Oxberg, the checkpoints in Hökberg and Eldris and, of course, all the finishes from the finish line in Mora. These broadcasts can also be viewed afterwards.
http://www.vasaloppet.tv

Vasaloppet Radio will be broadcasting live at 04:45–15:00. Listen in the Mora/Siljan area at 94.1 MHz, Oxberg/Älvdalen at 89.1 MHz and Sälen at 107.5 MHz. Also available as web radio or on your phone. You can find Vasaloppet Radio in the free app Vasaloppet Sommar 2018:
http://www.vasaloppsradion.se

Estimated finish
Those who want to see the first runners finish should be in place no later than 10:40 on Saturday morning. The finish line closes at 20:00.

Previous Ultravasan winners
Ultravasan 90, Men
2014 Jonas Buud, IFK Mora FK (SWE), 6.02.03
2015 Jonas Buud, IFK Mora FK (SWE), 5.45.08 (Record time)
2016 Jarle Risa, Undheim IL (NOR) 6.11.49
2017 Elov Olsson, Ockelbo SK (SWE) 6.07.37

Ultravasan 90, Women
2014 Holly Rush, Team Bath AC (GBR), 7.09.04
2015 Jasmin Nunige, Switzerland (SUI), 7.02.35
2016 Jasmin Nunige, Track Club Davos (SUI) 6.54.32
2017 Ida Nilsson, Högby IF (SWE) 6.51.26 (Record time)

Ultravasan 45, Men
2014 Roman Ryapolov, IFK Mora FK (RUS), 2.49.47
2015 Fritjof Fagerlund, Rånäs 4H (SWE), 2.45.30
2016 Roman Ryapolov, IFK Mora OK (RUS) 2.41.47
2017 Erik Anfält, Örebro AIK (SWE) 2.40.28 (Record time)

Ultravasan 45, Women
2014 Gloria Vinstedt, Sweden (SWE), 3.28.13
2015 Caroline Dubois, France (FRA), 3.13.22
2016 Lisa Ring, IK Nocout.se (SWE), 3.04.18 (Record time)
2017 Joasia Zakrzewski, (GBR) 3.06.12

Participation statistics for Ultravasan’s first four years
Ultravasan 90
2014: 914 registered, 761 starting, 709 finished
2015: 1240 registered, 893 starting, 821 finished
2016: 988 registered, 805 starting, 745 finished
2017: 1,019 registered, 899 starting, 796 finished

Ultravasan 45
2014: 584 registered, 434 starting, 428 finished
2015: 527 registered, 403 starting, 391 finished
2016: 745 registered, 584 starting, 566 finished
2017: 727 registered, 573 starting, 558 finished

All races
41 people have run Ultravasan all four years 2014–2017. 15 people have run Ultravasan 45 all four years.

Results 2017
Ultravasan 90 Men
1 Olsson, Elov (SWE) M21 Ockelbo SK – 06:07:37
2 Reagan, Patrick (USA) M21 Hoka One One – 06:08:48
3 Ansio, Henri (FIN) M21 Salomon-Suunto Racing T… – 06:11:00
4 Olszewski, Bartosz (POL) M21  – 06:22:45
5 Fagerlund, Fritjof (SWE) M40 LK Roslagen – 06:29:25
6 Erala, Ranno (EST) M40 Tele2 – 06:33:23
7 Senseman, Eric (USA) M21 SCOTT RUNNING – 06:38:23
8 Nilsson, Daniel (SWE) M40 FK Studenterna – 07:09:23
9 McConville, Andreas (SWE) M35 FK Studenterna – 07:18:34
10 Sätter, Fredrik (SWE) M45 Mattmar SK – 07:20:33

Ultravasan 90 Women
1 Nilsson, Ida (SWE) W35 Högby IF – 06:51:26
2 Bygdell, Johanna (SWE) W35  – 07:11:56
3 Meek, Jo (GBR) W40 SCOTT RUNNING – 07:26:42
4 Södermark, Frida (SWE) W35 Tjalve IF – 07:50:59
5 Trunschke, Judith (GER) W21 Team Nordic trail – 08:08:50
6 Talts, Eve (EST) W40  – 08:10:34
7 Ramstedt, Jenny (SWE) W40 Envol Coaching – 08:18:11
8 Lindanger, Anja Kristin (NOR) W40 GTI Friidrett – 08:18:53
9 Rosenqvist, Kerstin (SWE) W40 Västerås LK – 08:24:28
10 Sällström, Elin (SWE) W21 ICA Team Ultra – 08:30:20

Ultravasan 45 Men
1 Anfält, Erik (SWE) M40 Örebro AIK – 02:40:28
2 Lantz, Joacim (SWE) M21 Ockelbo SK – 02:43:45
3 Lantz, Johan (SWE) M21 Ockelbo SK – 02:47:23
4 Ryapolov, Roman (RUS) M35 IFK Mora OK – 02:47:53
5 Eriksson, Fredrik (SWE) M40 IK Akele – 2:49:12
6 Living, Markus (SWE) M21  – 02:55:40
7 Krieg, Emanuel (GER) M21  – 02:58:08
8 Sjögren, Niclas (SWE) M45 Runacademy IF – 02:58:55
9 Lundberg, Jesper (SWE) M21 ASICS FrontRunner / Ä… – 03:02:07
10 Pickelner, Thomas (SWE) M21 ASICS FrontRunner – 03:09:53

Ultravasan 45 Women
1 Zakrzewski, Joasia (GBR) W40  – 03:06:12
2 Ring, Lisa (SWE) W21 Ik Nocout.se – 03:07:09
3 Gyurko, Fanni (HUN) W21 IFK Mora – 03:09:00
4 Nilsson, Johanna (SWE) W35 Morjärv SK – 03:14:28
5 Lindstedt, Emilia (SWE) W21 Falun Borlänge SK/Tea… – 03:14:43
6 Sundberg, Sophia (SWE) W21 Aktivitus Sports Club – 03:23:02
7 Byhlinder, Sofia (SWE) W21 Runnersway IF – 03:30:32
8 Smith, Yvonne (NOR) W35 GTI Friidrett – 03:31:55
9 Ziegler, Ingrid (SWE) W40 Örebro AIK – 03:33:46
10  Hellsten, Liselotte (SWE) W21 Hemlingby LK -03:36:40

Vasastafetten 28 and Vasakvartetten 2
Vasastafetten has been held since 1991, arranged by Vasaloppet since 2008. Two competition classes, women and men, and a leisure class. Vasakvartetten also has competition classes, women and men, and a leisure class. The race had its official premiere in 2017.

Vasaloppstrippeln
2014 was the first calendar year that completing ”Vasaloppstrippeln” was possible; Vasaloppet/Öppet Spår (skiing), Cykelvasan 90/Cykelvasan Öppet Spår (cycling) and Ultravasan 90 (running). Interest has grown greatly every year. In 2017 over 121 people completed the challenge and in 2018 there are currently 241 people registered to complete the skiing, cycling and running challenge. Running is the third and final part of Vasaloppstrippeln. Starting this year it’s also possible to complete Vasaloppstrippeln 45 (Halvvasan, Cykelvasan 45 and Ultravsan 45) which 27 people are attempting.

Kranskulla and Kransmas in Ultravasan 2018
This year’s Kranskulla and Kransmas are Sara Wadman and Joakim Kullberg (both from Mora).

Background – The story of Ultravasan
A happy coincidence led to Ultravasan seeing the light of day. Namely the fact that Mora was home to one of the world’s foremost sports organizers, Vasaloppet, as well as one of the world’s then most foremost ultrarunners, Jonas Buud! He brought experiences from ultrarunning races all over the world and was eager to give other ultrarunners the opportunity to run a race in the classic terrain between Sälen and Mora. ”If you can ski and bike between Sälen and Mora, surely you can run it too,” enthusiasts said.

It was not hard to find interested test runners, for there were many who wanted to run an ultramarathon on classic ground. In connection with Vasastafetten 2010 there were therefore about twenty experienced ultrarunners, invited from all around the Nordic region, running a test race to see how it would all work. Yes, a few had actually even run the whole stretch before that. The race was named ”SM90”, where SM stood for Sälen-Mora and 90 for the amount of kilometres – but unofficially ”Ultravasan” was already a potential name associated with this test race.

After a few years of thinking and planning it was time, in 2014, for Vasaloppet to challenge the runners of the world! That was the starting shot for the first real Ultravasan between Sälen and Mora. The trend with individual extreme races is very strong in many parts of the world and the goal with Ultravasan was to become the largest ultra trail race in Scandinavia and attract a strong international elite.

After the races, by the Vasaloppet finish line in Mora
14:30: Awards ceremony for Ultravasan 45 and Vasakvartetten
16:00: Awards ceremony for Ultravasan 90
16:30: Awards ceremony for Vasastafetten

A lot is happening in Sälen and Mora during Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2018
Take part in the whole programme

Registration for the Vasaloppet Summer Week 2019
Opens on Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 09:00 on vasaloppet.se