Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII closes out with a northern double: Reistadløpet in Setermoen-Bardufoss and the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja, finishing in Finnsnes, gateway to the island of Senja. Together, the weekend showcases the raw Arctic beauty, steep mountain terrain, and coastal landscapes that define Norway’s far north.
Bardufoss-Finnsnes Event Facts
- Active years: Reistadløpet has a long-standing place in Ski Classics and has been held since 1958, while Summit 2 Senja was introduced in Season XIV (2023) to conclude the Grand Finale concept, and has been voted Event of the Season twice since.
- Record number of participants: Reistadløpet has drawn as many as 1,585 participants; Summit 2 Senja has reached around 200.
- Other event distances: The Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja includes up to 250 spots for recreational skiers alongside the Pro Team field, open to skiers who qualify through Season XVIII Pro Tour or Challengers results.
Bardufoss-Finnsnes Travel Guide
- Family and spectator info: Polarbadet, a newly renovated water park just 300 meters from the Reistadløpet finish in Bardufoss, and Polar Park, the world’s northernmost zoo, both offer options for non-skiers. Near the Reistadløpet start, the Troms Forsvarsmuseum military museum is worth a visit. At the Summit 2 Senja finish, a ski village lets visitors try different activities, taste local food, and watch the skiers cross the line.
- Top 3 things to do:
- Polar Park, near Setermoen and Bardufoss: the world’s northernmost zoo.
- Målselv Fjellandsby: downhill skiing and cross-country tracks in the mountains near Bardufoss.
- Senja Husky, near Finnsnes: dog sledding experiences on the island of Senja.
- How to travel:
- Bardufoss Airport is the closest to both events, around 5 minutes from the Reistadløpet finish and the Summit 2 Senja start, 25 minutes from the Reistadløpet start in Setermoen, and 45 minutes from Finnsnes, with car and bus options available.
- Tromsø Airport is around 2 hours away by car or bus to Bardufoss, or a 1.5-hour boat connection to Senja, close to the Summit 2 Senja finish.
- Evenes/Harstad Airport offers a further alternative, around 2 hours to Bardufoss and 1.5 hours to Setermoen.
- Where to stay:
- Near the start in Setermoen and Bardufoss, options include Bardufosstun, right by the cross-country tracks, Bardu Hotell near the Reistadløpet start, Bardufoss Hotell just minutes from the finish line, Haraldvollen cabins and apartments, Målselv Fjellandsby for mountain views, and Lians Caravan for a camping experience.
- Closer to the Summit 2 Senja finish in Finnsnes, Comfort Hotel Finnsnes and Senja Hotell are both convenient options.
- Local specialty dish:
- Fish and moose meat feature widely across the region, available at Bardufosstun’s restaurant near the start.
- For something quicker, Pizza Kjelleren and Jokeren, both with locations in Bardufoss and Setermoen, and Patricias Gatekjøkken and O’Learys Bardufoss are popular options.
- Best-kept secret: Reistadløpet honors Colonel Ole Reistad, a skier and track and field athlete who led the Norwegian ski patrol to Olympic gold in St. Moritz in 1928, later serving as a squadron commander at Bardufoss and head of “Little Norway” in Canada during World War II. His commitment to outdoor life and the connection between civilian and military society lives on in the race that carries his name.
More information about Reistadløpet and Summit 2 Senja can be found at reistadlopet.no and visitsenja.no
Follow the action
Instagram: @reistadlopet, @summit2senja
Facebook: facebook.com/reistadlopet, facebook.com/Summit2Senja
Also Read: Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII
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
Bad Gastein Tour (Events 1–4 of Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII)
• 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
For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics World Championship, visit skiclassics.com.
Author: Leandro Lutz
Top Photo: NordicFocus
