The first Grand Classics event this season, Marcialonga, takes place on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Get to know the details for the Grand Classics Season XVI. 

The Grand Classics are the four largest and most prestigious events in Ski Classics: Marcialonga, Jizerská50, Vasaloppet, and Birkebeinerrennet. The Pro Team athlete who wins all four events in the same season completes a Grand Slam.

During Season XI, the Grand Classics events and the Grand Slam were introduced in Ski Classics. The concept was an immediate success and great motivation among the best Ski Classics Pro Team athletes. Nobody has completed a Grand Slam in the history of long-distance skiing, but it might happen in Season XVI.

If you win all four Grand Classics, Marcialonga, Jizerská50, Vasaloppet, and Birkebeinerrennet, in the same season, you complete a Grand Slam.

The races in the Grand Classics have a higher value than the other events in the Tour. There are 500 points for victories and a more considerable prize sum, whereas the other events in the Pro Tour hand out 300 or 200 points.

The Grand Classics events have a recommended minimum of 33.000 euros in total prize money – Pro Tour events, 22.000 euros for single-event weekends, and 33.000 euros for double-event weekends. According to Ski Classics XVI – Rules and Regulations, the prize money for a Grand Slam is 100.000 euros.

Several Contenders for Season XVI

After an exciting start to the season, Ski Classics continues this weekend with the sixth Pro Tour event of Season XVI, and the battle for the win promises to be fierce.

Solid names this season that could complete a Grand Slam, to name a few, are Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, and Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, in the women’s side. In the men’s field, many Pro Team athletes can shine in the upcoming events,

Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus; Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden; and Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, in the women’s side. In the men’s field, many Pro Team athletes can shine in the upcoming events, but Amund Riege, Team Ramudden, Amund Hoel, Team Engcon, Ole Jørgen Bruvoll, Team Engcon, Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge and, if recovered, Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, are some of the favorites for a possible Grand Slam.

But now, we can only wait, as only time will tell who the first Pro Team athlete will be to win a Grand Slam.

Impressive Achievements

Historically, no one has ever completed a Grand Slam, winning all four Grand Classics events in the same season. The Italian Cristina Paluselli has twice been close to reaching this goal. In 2005, she only missed winning Vasaloppet; the year after, she only missed Birkebeinerrennet. The Swede Sven Åke Lundbäck has also been close. He won all races but Jizerská50 in 1981.

In Season XIV, Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, started strong, winning Marcialonga and Jizeská50, but was fourth at Vasaloppet and third at Birkebeinerrennet. The same goes for Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, winning Marcialonga and Vasaloppet but finishing 11th at Jizerská50 and 14th at Birkebeinerrennet.

During Season XV, Runar Skaug Mathisen, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, started well, winning Marcialonga, but then Jizerská50 was canceled due to lack of snow, keeping the Grand Slam myth alive. The remaining Grand Classics events were won by Torleif Syrstad, then Lager 157 Ski Team (now Team Engcon) and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden – Vasaloppet; and Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, and Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus – Birkebeinerrennet.

Grand Classics Winners Season XV

Marcialonga

• Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden
• Runar Skaug Mathisen, Lager 157 Ski Team

Jizerská50 – canceled

• Read More: Jizerská50 canceled

Vasaloppet

• Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden
• Torleif Syrstad, Lager 157 Ski Team (now Team Engcon)

Birkebeinerrennet

• Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus
• Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge

Grand Classics Season XVI

Marcialonga – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 6 

• Location: Trentino, Italy
• Date: January 26, 2025
• Distance: 70km Classic Technique

Jizerská50 – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 7

• Location: Bedřichov, Czech Republic
• Date: February 9, 2025
• Distance: 50km Classic Technique

Vasaloppet – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 10

• Location: Sälen-Mora, Sweden
• Date: March 2, 2025
• Distance: 90km Classic Technique

Birkebeinerrennet – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 11

• Location: Rena-Lillehammer, Norway
• Date: March 15, 2024
• Distance: 54km Classic Technique

Read More: Complete calendar for the Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI

Next up is Marcialonga on Sunday, January 26. The 70-kilometer classic race marks the sixth Ski Classics Pro Tour stage and Season XVI’s first Grand Classics event.

Season XVI of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events across 10 event weekends in 6 countries. It started in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 13, 2024, with the Pro Team Presentation and ends in Finnsnes, Norway, with the Ski Classics Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja on March 30, 2025.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)

• Event 0: Friday, December 13, 2024 –Ski Classics Pro Team Presentation XVI – Bad Gastein, Austria
• Event 1: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Bad Gastein ITT – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
• Event 2: Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Sexten, Italy, 60km
• Event 4: Sunday, January 12, 2025 – La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago – Val Venosta, Italy, 11km
• Event 5: Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 43km
• Event 6: Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Marcialonga – Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 7: Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 8: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Grönklitt Criterium 61 – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 61km
• Event 9: Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Grönklitt ITT – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 10: Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 11: Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 12: Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
• Event 13: Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 46km
• Event 14: Sunday, March 30, 2025 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com