This past weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in the Vasaloppet Open Track, a fantastic event that lets skiers experience the iconic Vasaloppet course outside of the competitive race setting.
The day began beautifully in Sälen, with a crisp but pleasant morning greeting us at the starting line. I felt strong right from the start, tackling the first climb with a good pace and pushing myself further than usual. My time was looking good, and I was feeling confident about staying on track for my goal.
Everything was running smoothly until around the 45km mark. Up to that point, I had maintained a steady pace of 3 hours and 30 minutes, and with the major climbs conquered, I anticipated a potentially faster second half.
To my surprise, the final section of the course proved to be a real challenge. The tracks had completely disappeared, making downhill sections slower than the uphill climbs! Around the 60km mark, I started encountering racers with odd-numbered bibs, and it became clear that Vasaloppet 30 and Vasaloppet 45 had started on the same day. Unfortunately, this heavier traffic significantly impacted the course conditions.
While I didn’t quite achieve my goal of finishing under 7 hours, I was still happy to have crossed the finish line with a personal best. It wasn’t the race I envisioned, but it was certainly a memorable one!
This experience highlighted the importance of clear communication and course management for events with multiple races sharing the same course. Despite the unexpected challenges, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have skied the legendary Vasaloppet course and look forward to returning in the future under different circumstances.
