Fossavatn Ski Marathon
| Fossavatn Ski Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Status | active |
| Genre | sporting event |
| Date(s) | April–May |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | Ísafjörður |
| Country | Iceland |
| Inaugurated | 1935 |
Fossavatn Ski Marathon is an annual ski marathon held in Ísafjörður, northwestern Iceland. It debuted in 1935 and is part of Worldloppet since 2014.[1]
It is the oldest ski race in Iceland, held since 1935.[2] Although it was cancelled several times in the 1940s and 1950s, the race has been held every year since 1956.
Initially the marathon was 20 km long but in 1987 a shorter distance of 10 km was added, and in 1989 a 7 kilkometre course which made, designed to attract children and beginners.[2] The longest course, the 50 km race, has only been held since 2004 and due to its challenges and difficulties has increasingly attracted international professional skiers, particularly Norwegians.[2] In 2005 the 50 km marathon was added to the FIS and Fossavatn became a founding partner of the FIS Nordic Ski Marathon Cup, a series which includes the Holmenkollen Skimaraton in Norway, Tornedalsloppet in Sweden, Oulun Tervahiihto in Finland and the Fossavant Ski Marathon in Iceland.[2]
The most successful athlete to compete in the marathon since its inception in 1935 is a local skier named Kristjan Rafn Gudmundsson, 12 times winner of the Fossavatn Ski Marathon in the 1960s and 1970s.[2] The most prolific competitor is another local named Sigurdur Jonsson, who first competed in 1938.[2]