{"id":4241,"date":"2026-09-11T09:46:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T07:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vasaloppet.se\/en\/?post_type=news&p=4241"},"modified":"2026-09-11T10:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:06:44","slug":"the-vasaloppet-year-2026-nearly-90000-participants-and-several-historic-records","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vasaloppet.se\/en\/news\/the-vasaloppet-year-2026-nearly-90000-participants-and-several-historic-records\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vasaloppet Year 2026: Nearly 90,000 Participants and Several Historic Records"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vasaloppet continues to be a strong driving force for exercise, public health and sports clubs. More than 63,000 participants registered for this year’s Winter Week ski races, while the Summer Week cycling and running events attracted a further 26,000-plus participants.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Vasaloppet year 2026 shows people\u2019s desire to challenge themselves and experience community through exercise. Reaching the highest participation level since before the pandemic, while also celebrating our two-millionth finish and seeing record participation for Ultravasan, Trailvasan, Funkisvasan and Vasaloppstrippeln, feels fantastic; it’s a concrete example of how we are getting Sweden moving,\u201d says Johan Eriksson, CEO of Vasaloppet.<\/p>\n\n

One of this year\u2019s historic events took place on Sunday, March 1, when Veronica Olofsson from \u00c5nge crossed the finish line in the 102nd Vasaloppet, thereby becoming the two-millionth participant to cross the finish line in Mora since Vasaloppet began. This milestone includes all skiing, cycling and running events.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cTwo million finishes tell the story of Vasaloppet as a popular movement that continues to grow. We’re now looking forward to continuing to inspire Swedish movement and exercise, generation after generation, and to welcoming the next million participants across the finish line,\u201d says Johan Eriksson.<\/p>\n\n

Vasaloppstrippeln also continues to grow. A total of 634 participants completed Vasaloppstrippeln this year by finishing a ski race, a cycling race and a running race, all over the same distance, setting a new participation record for the third consecutive year. Additionally, the number of women taking on Vasaloppstrippeln 90 increased by more than 30 percent.<\/p>\n\n

As always, Vasaloppet\u2019s events provide important contributions to the sports community. Through its activities, 20\u201325 million SEK is generated each year for sports clubs and federations.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cJust as important as the developing participation is the fact that the surplus from our events continues to make a significant contribution to sports clubs. This creates opportunities for activities, leadership and participation throughout the year,\u201d says Johan Eriksson.<\/p>\n\n

More than 43,000 participants have already registered to take part in a Vasaloppet Arena race in 2027, and there is room for more. During the Winter Week, Dalarna will host the biggest ski celebration ever, with the World Ski Championships taking place in Falun at the same time as tens of thousands of skiers aim to cross the finish line in Mora.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe combination of the World Ski Championships on home soil and continued strong interest in Vasaloppet\u2019s events gives us a fantastic opportunity to inspire even more people to get moving in 2027. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning participants to another year filled with challenges, experiences and the joy of being active,\u201d says Johan Eriksson.<\/p>\n\n

FACTS: The Vasaloppet year 2026 in numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n