Skarverennet is a
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...
race held in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, arranged by the club
Geilo IL
Geilo Idrettslag is a multi-sports club from Geilo, Norway.
Established on 2 December 1917 as ''Gjeilo SK'', it changed its name to ''Gjeilo IL'' on 19 May 1918 and later to ''Geilo IL''. It has sections for alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, skiing ...
. The race begins in
Finse
Finse is a mountain village area on the shore of the lake Finsevatnet in Ulvik municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is centered on Finse Station, a railway station on the Bergen Line. The village sits at an elevation of above sea ...
, and runs along
Hallingskarvet
Hallingskarvet is a mountain range in southern Norway stretching from Geilo to Finse in Vestland and Viken counties. The highest point is the tall mountain Folarskardnuten in Hol Municipality in Viken county.
In the north, there is a large dam ...
, before it finishes at
Ustaoset
Ustaoset is a village in Hol municipality, Buskerud, Norway. It is located on Norwegian National Road 7 (''Riksvei 7''). Ustaoset is situated above sea level and is the finish for the cross country ski event Skarverennet.
Ustaoset first came ...
, a total of 38 km. There is an alternative stretch from
Haugastøl to Ustaoset, which is 25 km. The race takes place near the end of April, and was first organized in 1974.
Participation
Due to the exposed nature of the race, it takes place in open mountain terrain, the safety of the racers is a priority, and so there is a limit of 14,000 competitors. The racers cross a wide
spectrum
A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of color ...
, many elite cross country skiers and
biathletes take part in the race, these are joined with juniors, mature, and recreational skiers, although it is dominated in numbers by
Norwegians
Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the ...
. The average time to finish is 4–5 hours,
Winners
The 2012 race was the 39th Skarverenn. The men's race was won by Chris Jespersen in a time of 1:31.24 hours, followed by the more famous
Petter Northug jr
Petter Northug Jr. (born 6 January 1986) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier and double Olympic champion. He won a total of 13 World Championship and two Winter Olympic gold medals with 20 medals overall (two gold, one silver and one bronze ...
in second with a time of 1:32.29 hours. The women's class was won by
Marit Bjørgen
Marit Bjørgen (born 21 March 1980) is a former Norwegian cross-country skier. She is ranked first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings with 114 individual victories. Bjørgen is also the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country W ...
References
{{Reflist
FasterSkier 2005 race resultGeilo brief of race
External links
official website (in Norwegian)
Cross-country skiing competitions
Sport in Buskerud
Sports competitions in Norway
Winter events in Norway