Skarverennet is a
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
race held in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, 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 locality in the mountainous north-east of Ulvik municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Located on lake Finsevatnet, it is centered around Finse station, a railway station on the Bergen Line, which is the highest station of the Norw ...
, and runs along
Hallingskarvet
Hallingskarvet is a mountain range in southern Norway stretching from Geilo to Finse in Vestland and Buskerud counties. The highest point is the tall mountain Folarskardnuten in Hol Municipality in Buskerud county.
In the north, there is a l ...
, 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 (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
, 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 () are an 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 Norsemen, Norse of the Early ...
. 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 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 Wo ...
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 in Norway