Ski classics
The Ski Classics (officially Visma Ski Classics ) are a competition series that includes ski marathons in classic technology. The concept of Ski Classics aims to create a media-friendly framework for the appearance of professional teams in long-distance ski races. The racing series had its premiere in 2011. In contrast to the Worldloppet Cup, it is not advertised by the international ski association FIS . The first edition of the Ski Classics comprised six ski races. The competition series now includes twelve runs and a prologue.
The Swedish joint stock company Ski Classics AB was founded in August 2012 , backed by the Swedish media company IEC in Sports and the organizers of the Wasalaufe and the Birkebeinerrennet .
Evaluation and award
Points are awarded for placement in the finish line and for intermediate sprints. From the 2014 season, the following rule applies to the award of points. Points are distributed among the first 50 men and 50 women, provided that their running time does not exceed the time of the winner by 10%. The winner receives 200 points, the second placed 170, the third 140, the fourth 120, the fifth 100, the sixth 95 and so on with decreasing point intervals up to the fiftieth, who receives one point. For the evaluation of the intermediate sprints, points are given to the first five runners (40, 30, 20, 10 or 5 points).
| space | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14th | 15th | 16 | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23 | 24 | 25th | 26th | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30th | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| Points | 200 | 170 | 140 | 120 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 75 | 70 | 66 | 62 | 58 | 54 | 50 | 47 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25th | 24 | 23 | 22nd | 21st | 20th | 19th | 18th | 17th | 16 | 15th | 14th | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8th | 7th | 6th | 5 | 4th | 3 | 2 | 1 |
The awards will take place after the end of the racing series for the overall ratings. There are individual ratings for men, women, and juniors, in which the points from the target placements are included. Furthermore, a sprint classification, a mountain classification and a team classification are held. For the 2013 season, prize money totaling 150,000 euros was announced for all awards. For 2014, 200,000 euros were awarded. The runners leading in the overall ranking wear colored start numbers (yellow for the individual ranking, green for the sprint ranking, red-black for the mountain ranking, pink for the junior ranking).
Athletes who want to compete for points from Ski Classics must be registered in teams with Ski Classics and have a license from the FIS. The teams can consist of one or up to ten people. The athletes are obliged to be available to the media for interviews before and after the race.
Race of the series
Currently in the series calendar
| Run | country | route | Part of the series since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue team |
 Italy
|
15 km of classic technique | 2016/17 |
| Prologue single |
Italy
|
28 km of classic technology | 2016/17 |
| Kaiser Maximilian Run |
 Austria
|
65 km of classic technology | 2015/16 |
| La Diagonela |
 Switzerland
|
65 km of classic technology | 2014 |
| Marcialonga |
Italy
|
70 km of classic technology | 2011 |
| Toblach – Cortina |
Italy
|
50 km of classic technology | 2015/16 |
| Jizera Mountains Run |
 Czech Republic
|
50 km of classic technology | 2011 |
| Wasalauf |
 Sweden
|
90 km of classic technology | 2011 |
| Engadin ski marathon |
Switzerland
|
42 km of free technology | 2018/19 |
| Birkebeinerrennet |
 Norway
|
54 km of classic technology | 2011 |
| Reistadløpet |
Norway
|
50 km of classic technology | 2016/17 |
| Ylläs-Levi |
 Finland
|
55 km of classic technology | 2016/17 |
Former races in the series
| Run | country | route | Part of the series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norefjellsrennet |
Norway
|
66 km of classic technology | 2011–2012 |
| Tartu Maraton |
 Estonia
|
63 km of classic technology | 2012 |
| Ski Classics Final Vålådalen |
Sweden
|
53 km of classic technology | 2012 |
| Prologue (in Livigno) |
Italy
|
15 km of classic technique | 2014 / 15–2015 / 16 |
| King Ludwig Run |
 Germany
|
50 km of classic technology | 2011–2015 / 16 |
| Årefjällsloppet |
Sweden
|
75 km of classic technology | 2013 - 2016/17 |
| Vasaloppet China |
 People's Republic of China
|
50 km of classic technology | 2016/17 |
| La Sgambeda |
Italy
|
35 km of classic technology | 2014/15 - 2017/18 |
Development of the racing series
In the first edition in 2011, the racing series included the Jizera Mountains Run , the Marcialonga , the König-Ludwig-Lauf , the Wasalauf , the Birkebeinerrennet and a final race, which was held at the Norwegian Norefjell and for which only the professional runners of the Ski Classics series are allowed to start were.
In 2012, the Tartu Maraton in Estonia was part of the racing series. Due to the lack of snow at Norefjell, the final race was moved to Vålådalen in Sweden in 2012 .
In 2013, the Årefjällsloppet was held in Jämtland , Sweden for the first time . This ski marathon has been the end of the series ever since.
When the Jizera Mountains Run had to be canceled in 2014 due to lack of snow, the organizers of Ski Classics asked the organizing committee of La Diagonela in Switzerland whether this ski marathon, originally planned for 2015, could be held at short notice as a replacement for the Jizera Mountains Run. The competition was then organized in Zuoz in less than seven days and was initially only intended for professional runners, but was also opened to amateurs. Due to strong winds, the Birkebeinerrennet in Norway had to be canceled on competition day in 2014.
From the 2014/2015 winter season, La Diagonela was included in the Ski Classics competition calendar as planned. In addition, the program was expanded to include the La Sgambeda ski marathon in Livigno and a prologue of 15 km was introduced, which took place the day before the classic La Sgambeda race in Livigno. At the prologue, the women started in the mass start and the men started in teams at different times. For participating in the prologue, the athletes were awarded 50 points for the overall ski classics ranking, regardless of their final placement. For the team ranking, the best teams up to 25th place received points according to the Ski Classics point system. The relevant team time was calculated by adding the fastest women’s time with the third fastest men’s time of the team multiplied by a factor of three.
For the 2015/16 season, the Toblach – Cortina cross-country race was added to the Ski Classics program. After the König-Ludwig-Lauf was canceled due to weather conditions in February 2016, it was replaced by the Kaiser-Maximilian-Lauf , which was held for the first time . From the 2016/17 season, the Kaiser-Maximilian-Lauf will be an integral part of the Ski Classics.
With the 2016/17 season, the number of races was increased to twelve. In addition to the Kaiser Maximilian Run, the Reistadløpet in Norway, the Ylläs – Levi in Finland and the Vasaloppet China , a race outside of Europe, were added to the program for the first time. The König-Ludwig-Lauf has been deleted from the racing program. In addition, the prologue of the series has been brought forward a week from the previous date of the event, the day before La Sgambeda, and will now be played in a new format in Pontresina, Switzerland . In the prologue, the start is delayed for all participants. For the men, the teams (i.e. the first starters on the team) start at an interval of five minutes, and the individual team members start with a 15-second delay. The women's starting field is not divided into teams. The women start the prologue one after the other, 30 seconds apart.