The Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII will consist of 15 events over 9 weekends in 6 countries. Below is the complete calendar release for Season XVIII.
The Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII consists of 15 events over 9 weekends across Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Norway. From the Bad Gastein opening block in December to the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja in April, the road to the yellow bib Ski Classics World Champion title promises exciting race action in beautiful surroundings.
“Season XVIII is perhaps the best calendar we have ever launched. We have worked to get a better weight balance over the season, and since renaming to Ski Classics World Championship, we have also tried to have stronger event weekends in each country we visit. In addition, our ambition has been in the new calendar to find a balance between hilly and more flat courses. Now let the tour presentation begin!” says David Nilsson, Director of Ski Classics.
Bad Gastein opening block
The season opens in Bad Gastein, Austria, for a four-event block over two consecutive weekends before Christmas. The first event is on Friday, December 11, 2026, with the Bad Gastein Prologue, an individual 1km event that sets the tone for the season ahead.
On Sunday, December 13, the Sportgastein Criterium takes the action to a higher altitude and 30km of skiing. The following Saturday, December 19, the Bad Gastein ITT offers a 7km individual time trial challenge, before the Bad Gastein Criterium closes the Austrian block over 36km on Sunday, December 20.
“We are very excited to be in Bad Gastein for two weekends in December. The first weekend opens with a 1km city center prologue in the picturesque and steep village of Bad Gastein, a new format for Ski Classics which we look forward to seeing the feedback upon. It will be in ITT (Individual Time Trial) format. Also new is the first weekend’s second race, where the course ends in an uphill climb to a new finish in Mittelstation Goldbergbahn; the best 7 times in the final climb segment receive the climb points,” says David Nilsson and adds:
“The second weekend features a flat ITT on Saturday, finishing off with the by now classic Bad Gastein Criterium race where athletes on the last two laps meet the notorious climb ‘The Wall’.”
Switzerland: Alps in January
After the Christmas and New Year break, the season resumes in the Engadin valley. On Saturday, January 16, 2027, the Engadin La Diagonela returns as one of the marquee mid-season races over 55km, followed by the Zuoz-St. Moritz Sprint over 30km on Sunday, January 17. The Sprint format is an A-to-B race with sprint points awarded at the finish line.
“Engadin La Diagonela has become an iconic event in Ski Classics. New this season is that Switzerland will host a second event, the Zuoz-St. Moritz Sprint, on the Sunday after Engadin La Diagonela. The Zuoz-St. Moritz Sprint is a 30km mass-start event starting in Zuoz and finishing in Celerina, near the St. Moritz bobsleigh finish. New for this winter is the Sprint category: when Sprint appears in an event title, it means green sprint points are awarded at the finish line. The Zuoz-St. Moritz Sprint is a 30km race with a flat finish, opening up for Pro Teams to prepare tactics for their green bib stars,” says David Nilsson.
Italy and Czech Republic
The circuit heads to Italy for one of the most iconic events, the Grand Classics Marcialonga, on Sunday, January 31, 2027. Athletes will tackle the classic 70km course through the Fiemme and Fassa valleys.
Two weeks later, the Czech Republic welcomes the circuit for the Jizerská weekend, opening with the Bedřichov Heat Sprint on Friday, February 12, over 1.5km, contested in a short-race format with heats. The Grand Classics Jizerská50 concludes the Czech weekend on Sunday, February 14, over 50km.
“After a tough back-to-back weekend in Switzerland, there is a free weekend for the skiers to prepare for the first 500-point Grand Classics event, Marcialonga, last season’s Event of the Season. After Marcialonga, there is another recovery weekend before the action continues in the Czech Republic. The Bedřichov Heat Sprint was a success last season, finishing fourth in the Event of the Season award voted by the athletes. The Heat Sprint category is used when the race is held in qualification, and thereafter semifinal and final heats with sprint points handed out at the finish line. The monument Jizerská50 then takes place as always on the Sunday thereafter,” says David Nilsson.
Sweden calling with a new event!
The Scandinavian segment delivers another historic first: back-to-back weekends at the same location for the second time in Season XVIII. Vasaloppet in Sweden hosts three consecutive events across two weekends. On Saturday, February 27, the Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women covers 30km, followed by the Oxberg–Mora Sprint Men over the same distance on Sunday, February 28.
The following weekend, on Sunday, March 7, the Grand Classics Vasaloppet takes center stage over its legendary 90km.
“A new addition this winter is that Vasaloppet will host two weekends in the Ski Classics World Championship. The weekend before Vasaloppet, we now have two shorter races: Oxberg-Mora Sprint Women, also known as Tjejvasan, on Saturday and Oxberg-Mora Sprint Men on Sunday. Tjejvasan is a legendary ski race in Sweden and has been a Challenger event for several years. Now being part of the Ski Classics World Championship calendar, we expect a significant increase in Pro Team skiers on the start line together with the recreational women taking part,” says David Nilsson and adds:
“These 30km flat events will be high-speed races, and under special conditions, the men’s 30km race may probably go under one hour for the first time on such a distance. Sprint at the end of the event name means sprint points are awarded at the finish line together with the yellow Ski Classics World Champion points. Vasaloppet the following weekend is a true monument and as such one of the main peaks of each winter.”
Into Norway
The season then moves to Norway, where the Grand Classics Birkebeinerrennet on Saturday, March 20, takes athletes over 53km through the Norwegian mountains.
“After a recovery weekend following Vasaloppet, the skiers prepare for the last Grand Classics 500-point event of the season, the spectacular Birkebeinerrennet. This year Birken has reduced the mandatory backpack weight from 3.5kg to 2kg. Birken is, as always, the last Grand Classics event of the season,” says Nilsson.
Grand Finale in the Arctic north
Ski Classics World Championship XVIII then concludes with a Norwegian double in early April. On Saturday, April 3, Reistadløpet covers 35km before the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja brings Season XVIII to a close over 60km on Sunday, April 4, 2027.
“The Grand Finale weekend once again wraps up the season in the most magnificent surroundings. No changes to the courses that were planned last winter, and when the athletes reach Finnsnes on Sunday afternoon, all Pro Teams can finally celebrate their successes,” concludes David Nilsson, Director of Ski Classics.
More detailed information about Season XVIII events will be presented during September events presentations.
The story continues below.
Grand Finale: Open for recreational skiers
At the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja, there will be a limited 250 starting spots available for recreational skiers, in addition to the Pro Team athletes. To be eligible to register, skiers must meet one of the following during Season XVIII:
- Complete one Ski Classics Pro event within the winner’s time + 50%, or
- Complete two Ski Classics Challengers events within the same time limit or
- Completed Ski Classics Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja Season XVII within the same time limit.
Skiers who meet the qualification criteria will receive a Grand Finale Qualifier Pin on their SC MyPages, which grants access to registration.
Read More: Ski Classics Grand Finale Season XVIII
Pro events on SC Play
You can watch all the Pro events and selected Challengers as a member of the SC Ski Community.
A membership gives access to the streaming service SC Play, where you can watch all the Ski Classics Pro events live-streamed.
Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII (2026/2027)
• Event 1: December 11, 2026 – Bad Gastein Prologue – Austria – 1km
• Event 2: December 13, 2026 – Sportgastein Criterium – Austria – 30km
• Event 3: December 19, 2026 – Bad Gastein ITT – Austria – 7km
• Event 4: December 20, 2026 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Austria – 36km
• Event 5: January 16, 2027 – Engadin La Diagonela – Switzerland – 55km
• Event 6: January 17, 2027 – Zuoz–St. Moritz Sprint – Switzerland – 30km
• Event 7: January 31, 2027 – Marcialonga – Italy – 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2027 – Bedřichov Heat Sprint – Czech Republic – 1.5km
• Event 9: February 14, 2027 – Jizerská50 – Czech Republic – 50km
• Event 10: February 27, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women – Sweden – 30km
• Event 11: February 28, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Men – Sweden – 30km
• Event 12: March 7, 2027 – Vasaloppet – Sweden – 90km
• Event 13: March 20, 2027 – Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – 53km
• Event 14: April 3, 2027 – Reistadløpet – Norway – 35km
• Event 15: April 4, 2027 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Norway – 60km
Author: Leandro Lutz
Photo: Ski Classics
