Earlier this year, the Finlandia Ski Marathon in Lahti became part of the Ski Classics Challengers series with a 62km Classic and 62km Freestyle starting in 2025. Changes on the course will bring snow security and improved service.
Also Read – Finlandia Ski Marathon Classic and Freestyle: Two new Ski Classics Challengers in Finland
Now, in a press release from the Finlandia Ski Marathon Local Organizing Committee, it was announced that there will be route changes for the winter of 2025.
“The Finlandia Ski Marathon route will change for the winter of 2025. To strengthen the snow security, field parts have been reduced from the route. To keep the length of the longest route, 62 kilometers, some new parts have been added. Additional Orinkarkaus service station will become two-way, so there will be a new service station between 40 and 50 kilometers.
Autumn has once again been a time of development for Finland’s largest mass skiing event. Before the snow arrived, some work on the route was completed. These improvements will strengthen the snow security of the Finlandia Ski Marathon next year.
“For some time now, we have been planning route changes so that the field parts would be removed or at least reduced for minimum. If there is a bad snow conditions, it is difficult to keep the open areas snowy and skiable. On the other hand, the snow flurries during the event also blocks the classic track in the field parts first. This autumn we were able to implement the plans, and the new route is waiting for the snow to come”, says Heikki Kivikko, who became the Finlandia Ski Marathon Master of Course last year.
Snow reliability is an absolute competitive advantage for the Finlandia Ski Marathon. The goal is that the event will never have to be canceled again.
“If we can promise that Finlandia Ski Marathon will be skied with a guarantee, that is definitely our biggest promise and our best marketing tool”, continues Kivikko.
The biggest changes to the route concern the areas of Savistenpää and Hollola Kirkonseutu. Henri Rauhamäki, the chairman of the Finlandia Ski Marathon Committee, says that the renovation work went well.
“The newest section of the route was completed with relatively little effort. After clearing and removing a few trees and stones, the surface was leveled and widened. In addition, the load-bearing capacity of the soft terrain was increased with crushed stone. A big thank you must also be given to the landowners for the implementation of the renovation. Without their ongoing cooperation, this would not have been possible,” says Rauhamäki.
Orinkarkaus serves in two directions – there are no longer long, maintenance-free parts
Although the ski station services and their functionality were raised to excellent grades in the visitor survey conducted after the 2024 Finlandia Ski Marathon, with ski station satisfaction at exactly 9.0, service is being developed systematically every year.
Previously, the distance between the Papinkaivo and Heinsuo service stations was over 10 kilometers, which can cause challenges for skiers, especially at the end of a long distance. Now, Orinkarkaus will be in that gap thanks to its new location. Orinkarkaus will move about one kilometer further from its original location to the intersection of the routes.
“A small change in the location of the service station gives us the opportunity to use the station’s services in two directions: when going towards the farthest Papinkaivo and when returning from there before the Heinsuo energy point,” says Master of Course Heikki Kivikko about the background to the change.
The service stations are offering energy drinks and candies as well as other hydration and nutrition services, additional ski waxing, extra poles and first aid, not to mention strong encouragement and cheering.
Finlandia Ski Marathon is Finland’s largest mass skiing event, which will be held for the 52nd time on February 22-23, 2025 in the unique nature of Salpausselkä Geopark. The start and finish are located at the Lahti Sports Centre’s ski stadium; the same stadium is where the World Cup is competed annually. Seven service stations serve skiers throughout the route, and a sauna and an energizing meal await at the finish. www.finlandiahiihto.fi”
New Course Map & Profile
The Event
The venue for the Finlandia Ski Marathon is the world-famous Lahti Ski Stadium, where both the start and finish are located. The stadium is within walking distance of Lahti town and has hosted the Nordic Ski World Championships or World Cup annually at the same venue. In the skier-friendly event venue, all services, from clothing storage to dressing rooms, saunas, and post-event dining, are within a few hundred meters.
The course goes on in the beautiful Salpausselkä UNESCO Geopark area. The 62km route is in one single loop, and snow conditions are usually very good and secure. The course includes six service stations, where equipment and skiers can be assisted. The sauna guarantees high satisfaction after the race.
According to the Local Organizing Committee, “the event has been developed during the last years to be livelier and participant-oriented than ever before. The excellent atmosphere and the service provided by the service stations raised the participants’ ratings of the event to be excellent in the 2024 survey.”
The story continues below.
More information about the events and registrations can be found HERE
FINLANDIA SKI MARATHON – SKI CLASSICS CHALLENGERS
- Date: February 22 and 23, 2025
- Place: Lahti
- Country: Finland
- Race distance: 62km for both Ski Classics Challenges events
- Technique: Classic and Freestyle
- Website: Finlandia-hiihto
- Facebook: Finlandia-hiihto
- Instagram: Finlandia-hiihto
- TikTok: Finlandia-hiihto
- Registration: Finlandia-hiihto
As the 62km races are Ski Classics Challengers events, Pro Team registered athletes can collect points for the Ski Classics Champion and Youth competitions in their respective genders.
A list of Ski Classics Challengers events with confirmed dates for season 2024/2025 can be found at Ski Classics. The list is updated continuously with new events.
Everyone participating in Ski Classics, Pro Tour or Challengers events, professional and recreational skiers, can connect their profile to the results database of Ski Classics, called MyPages.
MyPages can be connected when subscribing to Ski Classics online community proxcskiing.com. In the profile, you can view your Ski Classics event results, collect pins, print diplomas, and analyze your results with friends in the SC ranking system. In your profile, you collect points according to your performance and are rewarded with pins and diplomas.
One of the central features of MyPages is that you get your global SC ranking. The SC Ranking is a live updated international ranking, unique in combining women and men, professional and recreational skiers in one single list.
As a member of ProXCskiing.com, you get full access to all content on the site, including logging in to SC MyPages, where you can check your SC Ranking. Also, live streaming of Ski Classics Pro Tour and selected Challengers events with English commentaries.
When you become part of one of the world’s leading XC ski communities, you will receive many exclusive offers all year round.
Top Photo: Finlandia Ski Marathon
