Marcialonga Bodø, the eleventh event of the Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII, took place today in Norway.
With the racecourse relocated to Jakobsbakken in Sulitjelma, the men started at 10:30 CET and the women at 10:40 CET for a three-lap competition. The action started early, and the race was thrilling. With strong performances from Team Engcon, Torleif Syrstad and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs won the 46km long-distance race.
MARCIALONGA BODØ – MEN
The men’s race started at a fast pace, but there was no decisive move before the Sprint checkpoint, with all the favorites in a large main group.
Ahead of the only Sprint of the day at Soahkejávri, 9.1km into the race, Gabriel Strid, Team GS8, and Vebjørn Moen, Team Eksjöhus, increased the pace and created a gap heading into the checkpoint. At the line, Strid crossed first, followed by Moen and Torleif Syrstad, Team Engcon.
A few kilometers later, the pace remained high, and the front group split, with three skiers establishing a breakaway: Torleif Syrstad, Team Engcon; Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie; and Simon Vuillet, Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino.
With 31km to go, the breakaway had already opened a gap of 20 seconds, with Syrstad setting a relentless pace and eventually going solo at the front.
At the start of the second lap in Jakobsbakken, 15.1km into the race, three skiers passed within 4.5 seconds, with Syrstad at the front. The first chasing skier crossed the checkpoint 34.4 seconds back, with Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, Team Eksjöhus, leading the chase.
With 25km to go, the gap was already 25 seconds to the chasers, with Syrstad still working hard at the front of the leading trio.
At the second passage of Soahkejávri, 24.4km into the race, Syrstad crossed first, followed by Vuillet and Novak. The chasers were now 43.4 seconds behind.
Heading toward the Climb checkpoint, Syrstad increased the pace again and broke away definitively.
At Monabakken, 28.3km into the race, Syrstad showed his strength, crossing the Climb checkpoint first, followed by Vuillet, 27.9 seconds back, and Novak, 30.0 seconds behind. The chasing group was already more than a minute behind.
From there, Syrstad maintained full control of the race, steadily increasing the gap.
With 6.5km to go, Syrstad was 58.6 seconds ahead of Novak and 1:10.0 ahead of Vuillet, with the chasing group a few seconds behind. In the closing kilometers, the race for the remaining podium places intensified, as the chasing group caught Vuillet, and Novak was later reeled in on the final stretch.
In the end, Torleif Syrstad, Team Engcon, won Marcialonga Bodø with a powerful solo breakaway in a total time of 1:58:48.1, securing his second Pro Tour event victory in a row.
Second place, after a sprint finish, went to Ole Jørgen Bruvoll, Team Engcon, 55.8 seconds back, while Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, was passed in the final meters and finished third, 56.4 seconds behind the winner.
Top 3 Men
- Torleif Syrstad, Team Engcon, 1:58.48.1
- Ole Jørgen Bruvoll, Team Engcon, +55.8
- Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, +56.4
Marcialonga Bodø results can be found HERE
MARCIALONGA BODØ – WOMEN
In the women’s race, the pace was high from the start, and a group of 16 skiers quickly formed at the front.
At the Sprint checkpoint at Soahkejávri, 9.1km into the race, Julie Kvale Støstad, Team Ramudden, crossed first, followed by Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Hedda Bångman, Team Burger King Northug.
The decisive moves came a few kilometers later as the pace increased, reducing the front group to nine skiers.
At the start of the second lap, 15.1km into the race, nine skiers crossed first, with Louise Lindström, Team Eksjöhus, at the front, followed by Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and Hedda Bångman, Team Burger King Northug. The first chasing skier crossed the checkpoint 52.5 seconds back.
In the second time at Soahkejávri, 24.4km into the race, Fleten crossed first, followed by Øyre Slind and Alnæs. The front group was still solid with nine skiers crossing the line within 4.1 seconds, and the first chasers were already 1:41.2 back.
At the Climb checkpoint, 28.3km into the race, Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, showed her strength and crossed the Climb first, 0.6 seconds ahead of Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and 0.8 seconds ahead of Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden.
With around 16km to go, a reduced group remained at the front, and the race gradually built toward a sprint finish.
In the final kilometer, five skiers were still in contention. In the end, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, showed her strength in the sprint, winning in a time of 2:17:12.4 and securing her third Pro Tour victory in a row.
Hanna Lodin, Team Engcon, finished second, 1.5 seconds back, while Louise Lindström, Team Eksjöhus, completed the podium in third place, 1.9 seconds behind the winner.
Top 3 Women
- Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, 2:17:12.4
- Hanna Lodin, Team Engcon, +1.5
- Louise Lindström, Team Eksjöhus, +1.9
Marcialonga Bodø results can be found HERE
SKI CLASSICS COMPETITIONS – CURRENT STANDINGS
After Marcialonga Bodø, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Amund Riege, Team Aker Dæhlie, lead the Champion Bib competition.
Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Gabriel Strid, Team GS8, hold the Green Sprint bib.
Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and Kasper Stadaas, Team Aker Dæhlie, carry the bib for the Climb Competition. The Pink Youth Bib belongs to Louise Lindström, Team Eksjöhus, and Amund Riege, Team Aker Dæhlie.
Team Engcon is the highest-ranked Pro Team after Marcialonga Bodø Season XVII.
SKIER OF THE DAY BY DEVOLD
In addition to the race results, the Skier of the Day awards were presented after Marcialonga Bodø. Noëlie Maurin and Curdin Räz, both from Team BSV IBEX, were voted Skier of the Day by fans via the Ski Classics App, in recognition of their strong performances and impact on the race.
Read More: Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII 2025/2026
Next up is Reistadløpet on Saturday, March 28, and the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja on Sunday, March 29. The events mark the 12th and 13th and final Ski Classics Pro Tour events of Season XVII.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII (2025/2026)
Season XVII of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 13 events across 9 event weekends in 6 countries.
- Event 1: December 13, 2025 – Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
- Event 2: December 14, 2025 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
- Event 3: January 17, 2026 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 47km
- Event 4: January 25, 2026 – Marcialonga – Moena-Cavalese, Italy, 70km
- Event 5: January 30, 2026 – Bedřichov Sprint – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 1.5km
- Event 6: February 1, 2026 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 7: March 1, 2026 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 8: March 7, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Women – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 9: March 8, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Men – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 10: March 14, 2026 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 53km
- Event 11: March 21, 2026 – Marcialonga Bodø – Sulitjelma, Norway, 46km
- Event 12: March 28, 2026 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 35km
- Event 13: March 29, 2026 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km
For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com
Author: Leandro Lutz
Photos: Reichert/NordicFocus
