Pippa and James Middleton, sister and brother of the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, will take part in Vasaloppet 90 km on Sunday 4 March, together with 15,800 other registered participants.
“It is now confirmed. We have been contacted by a person close to them who has asked us if we could arrange this. It’s really fantastic that such well known people will take part; it shows that our arrangements attract not only the most renowned skiers in the world but also some of the most famous personalities in the world as well! Everyone does it because it’s a challenge and achievement to ski Vasaloppet,” says Per Strid, Vasaloppet’s Information Manager.
Pippa and James Middleton will take part in Vasaloppet for charity fundraising. Read more here: http://www.justgiving.com/vasaloppet
A royal ski race
Royal participation on the Vasaloppet course has been extensive over the years: King Carl XVI Gustaf took part in Vasaloppet 1977, time 8:12:41, in Öppet Spår 1987, time 7:09:45, and in Öppet Spår 1997, time 7:37:00. Prince Carl Philip took part in Öppet Spår 2004 in a time of 6:21:52 and Princess Madeleine took part in TjejVasan 2008 in a time of 2:22:19.
H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip will be Vasaloppet’s Festival Speaker in Mora Church on Friday March 2nd 2012. The prince follows thereby in his father’s footsteps: H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf has in fact been Festival Speaker on two occasions, first as crown prince in 1973 and later as king in 2004.
History of Vasaloppet
On 10 February 1922 newspaper editor Anders Pers wrote a historic article. He launched the idea of a Vasalopp ski race between Sälen and Mora. And his idea was realised – that very year! He wrote of the current interest in skiing and linked it to Gustav Eriksson Vasa’s flight on skis from Mora towards Norway in 1521. It was from his thoughts and formulations that the world’s biggest ski competition was born – a 90 km long cross country ski race, in memory of the Swedish king, Gustav Vasa.
Vasaloppet today
The first race was in 1922 and the classic 90 km distance from Sälen to Mora was for a long time the only race. Today Vasaloppet winter week has nine different races over ten days, with various distances to suit all ages. Since 2009 we also arrange events in the summer for mtb-cycling, running and Nordic walking.
Altogether our events in 2011 attracted a total of over 70,000 entries. Vasaloppet is jointly owned by Sälen's IF & IFK Mora. All surplus income from our events goes undeducted back to the owners' sports activities and to some 55 other associations who provide us with 3500 functionaries.
There are in total more than 62,000 registered entries to the 2012 Vasaloppet winter week.
Press release OC Vasaloppet
