Alvar Myhlback and Stina Nilsson won Vasaloppet 2025

Sporting history was made in the Vasaloppet Arena today. Eighteen-year-old Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, became the youngest Vasaloppet winner in history after a thrilling sprint finish. World and Olympic champion Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, competed in her first Vasaloppet and dominated the women’s race. A Dalarna man from Bjursås and a Dalarna woman from Malung took home the victories – receiving a winner’s wreath from a Kranskulla from Sälen and a Kransmas from Mora.

It was overcast and 1.5 degrees Celsius when the race started in Berga by, Sälen, at 08:00, with 15,800 registered participants. In the elite group at the front of the 101st Vasaloppet were 298 competitors, including 74 women. "There are many who could win and even more who want to," said two-time winner Andreas Nygaard before the start.

Men's class
The field split almost immediately, and Alvar Myhlback was first to reach the highest point after 3 km. A group formed shortly after, with twelve skiers pushing hard towards the first sprint prize at Smågan. Sprint specialist Vebjörn Moen, wearing the green sprint vest, claimed the sprint prize at Smågan (also the first Ski Classics sprint), with more skiers joining the front. No one managed to break away, and the pace settled.

Kasper Stadaas won the sprint prize in Mångsbodarna, with the leading group now consisting of over forty skiers. However, the pace increased after Risberg towards the legendary Hill Prize in Evertsberg. The Hill Prize is also a Ski Classics sprint prize, and Vebjörn Moen claimed it seemingly without much effort. The sun emerged, and the tracks dried up.

Fifteen skiers broke away on the descents after Evertsberg, splitting the field further before reaching Oxberg, where Johan Tjelle took the sprint prize. Many favourites remained in contention, including the winners of the past three years; Andreas Nygaard, Emil Persson, and Torleif Syrstad.

At Hökberg, 19 km from the finish, there were thirteen skiers in the leading group, and last year’s champion Syrstad won the penultimate sprint prize. Two more skiers dropped off before Eldris, where Petter Stakston claimed the final sprint prize.

Lager 157 Ski Team would put on a show over the final two kilometres. Runar Skaug Mathisen increased the pace, preparing the sprint for Emil Persson. Ten skiers crossed the Aukland bridge and entered the final stretch, with Emil Persson leading ahead of Max Novak and Alvar Myhlback, who took the outer lane. However, Myhlback surged to the right of Persson, overtook him, and won by one second in 3:28:45 – the second-fastest Vasaloppet in history.

Alvar Myhlback was not selected for the Junior World Championships this year but he is now the youngest-ever Vasaloppet champion at 18 years and 345 days. The previous youngest winner was, in fact, the very first Vasaloppet champion, Ernst Alm, who won in 1922, aged 22 years and 18 days. Alvar made his Vasaloppet debut in 2023, finishing eighth. In 2024, he finished third.

Max Novak secured third place, earning a spot on the Vasaloppet podium for the first time. This is the first year since 2001 that Sweden claimed all top three spots in the Vasaloppet men’s class. Another Swede, Axel Jutterström, also finished fifth.

Alvar Myhlback was interviewed by SVT immediately after crossing the finish line:
"I have never felt better in my entire life. This is absolutely unreal. It’s been a tough season for me so far, and this is just insane. I could die happy now – I can’t believe it."

The final sprint?
"I got it exactly the way I wanted, and then I realized it was between me and Emil, and that gave me so much energy."

What does this victory mean?
"It’s crazy, this is a life goal, and I’ve achieved it at 18! I love Vasaloppet. I’ve never had better skis in my life, from start to finish."

Women's class
Only Norwegian women had won Ski Classics victories this season. Anikken Gjerde Alnaes, the overall cup leader, was first to reach the highest point, just 0.4 seconds ahead of first-time Vasaloppet skier Stina Nilsson. Both had skipped Tjejvasan last weekend to rest up for Vasaloppet. At Smågan, Stina had built a ten-second lead.

Stina Nilsson also led in Mångsbodarna, now with a one-minute and twenty-second advantage over Silje Öyre Slind and Anikken Gjerde Alnaes. Last year’s champion Emilie Fleten was more than three minutes behind Stina at this stage. It would turn out that her team had struggled with ski preparation.

11 km later, at Risberg, Stina’s lead had grown to two and a half minutes, and by the time she reached the Hill Prize in Evertsberg, she was only one minute behind the record pace, maintaining a lead of three and a half minutes. However, only half the race was completed. Skiing alongside several men, she remained on the offensive. Would the lead hold?

Indeed, local skier Stina Nilsson from Malung-Sälen continued to extend her advantage and reached Oxberg with a lead of 4:48, closing in on the course record. At Hökberg, she was two seconds ahead of Astrid Öyre Slind’s record pace.

Stina would begin to tire and slow down, but she was still able to ski alone down the final stretch towards the finish. "I was sooo tired at the end," were her first words to the Kransmas.

Stina Nilsson’s finishing time of 3:54:00 was the third-fastest winning time in history. She won five minutes ahead of runner-up Anikken Gjerde Alnaes and third-placed Silje Öyre Slind, who had skied together since Mångsbodarna. This was also Stina Nilsson’s first victory in Ski Classics, which she is competing in for the first season.

Stina Nilsson, interviewed by SVT:
"This feels absolutely crazy. It was a battle from Hökberg! On the last stretch, my arms were so tired. I’m so happy, I had fantastic skis and a great lead-up. I’m so glad to win Vasaloppet – I had a feeling that this race would suit me. But I was nervous: where’s the start, all the guys, can I make my way forward, will I fall – which I did on the start hill… But I felt very strong."

"I didn’t see Fleten and Slind there; I thought Anikken and I would race together, but then I latched onto a good group of guys, so that was a success."

The feeling of winning?
"Absolutely amazing. But I wasn’t sure. I didn’t take anything for granted until I crossed the finish line because I was really exhausted at the end. I wasn’t a favourite today; I really value this win, I mean, I live between Mora and Sälen, so it's incredible to experience this. In a way, this journey started last May with Team Ragde, and I’m so grateful to have reached this point with them."

Results Vasaloppet 2025, men
1. Alvar Myhlback, (SWE) Lager 157 Ski Team, 3.28.45
2. Emil Persson, (SWE) Lager 157 Ski Team, 3.28.46
3. Max Novak, (SWE) Team Aker Daehlie, 3.28.47
4. Johan Tjelle, (NOR) Team Engcon, 3.28.48
5. Axel Jutterström, (SWE) Team Eksjöhus, 3.28.49
6. Petter Stakston, (NOR) Team Aker Daehlie, 3.28.49
7. Torleif Syrstad, (NOR) Team Engcon, 3.28.50
8. Andreas Nygaard, (NOR) Team Ragde Charge, 3.28.53
9. Runar Skaug Mathisen, (NOR) Lager 157 Ski Team, 3.28.54
10. Johan Hoel, (NOR) Team Ragde Charge, 3.28.57

Results Vasaloppet 2025, women
1. Stina Nilsson, (SWE) Team Ragde Charge, 3.54.00
2. Anikken Gjerde Alnes, (NOR) Team Engcon, 3.59.11
3. Silje Öyre Slind, (NOR) Team Aker Daehlie, 3.59.11
4. Emilie Fleten, (NOR) Team Ramudden, 4.05.43
5. Louise Lindström, (SWE) Team Eksjöhus, 4.05.44
6. Karolina Hedenström, (SWE) Lager 157 Ski Team, 4.08.22
7. Hedda Bångman, (SWE) eD system Vltava Fund team, 4.10.34
8. Moa Hansson, (SWE) Ski Team Göhlins, 4.10.54
9. Guro Jordheim, (NOR) Team Aker Daehlie, 4.13.39
10. Malin Börjesjö, (SWE) Team Internorm Trentino GSG, 4.14.24

Sprint prize winners 2025, men
Ski Classics Climb, after 3 km and 528 metres above sea level: Alvar Myhlback (SWE), 11.03
Smågan 11 km: Vebjörn Moen (NOR), 28.22
Mångsbodarna 24 km: Kasper Stadaas (NOR), 59.39
Risberg 35 km: Lorenzo Busin (ITA), 1.24.22
Evertsberg 47 km (Hill Prize): Vebjörn Moen (NOR), 1.54.42
Oxberg 62 km: Johan Tjelle (NOR), 2.24.21
Hökberg 71 km: Torleif Syrstad (NOR), 2.45.31
Eldris 81 km: Petter Stakston (NOR), 3.08.53

Sprint prize winners 2025, women
Ski Classics Climb, after 3 km and 528 metres above sea level: Anikken Gjerde Alnaes (NOR), 13.20
Smågan 11 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 32.00
Mångsbodarna 24 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 1.03.59
Risberg 35 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 1.30.05
Evertsberg 47 km (Hill Prize): Stina Nilsson (SWE), 2.03.09
Oxberg 62 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 2.36.25
Hökberg 71 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 3.01.29
Eldris 81 km: Stina Nilsson (SWE), 3.29.09

Record times
Men: 3.28.18,4 (Tord Asle Gjerdalen, 2021)
Women: 3.50.06,4 (Astrid Öyre Slind, 2022)

The last ten Vasaloppet winners, men
2016 John Kristian Dahl, Norway
2017 John Kristian Dahl, Norway
2018 Andreas Nygaard, Norway
2019 Tore Björset Berdal, Norway
2020 Petter Eliassen, Norway
2021 Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Norway
2022 Andreas Nygaard, Norway
2023 Emil Persson, Sweden
2024 Torleif Syrstad, Norway
2025 Alvar Myhlback, Sweden

The last ten Vasaloppet winners, women
2016 Katerina Smutná, Austria
2017 Britta Johansson Norgren, Sweden
2018 Lina Korsgren, Sweden
2019 Britta Johansson Norgren, Sweden
2020 Lina Korsgren, Sweden
2021 Lina Korsgren, Sweden
2022 Astrid Öyre Slind, Norway
2023 Emilie Fleten, Norway
2024 Emilie Fleten, Norway
2025 Stina Nilsson, Sweden

Kranskulla and Kransmas
Cross-country skier Maja Heikki from Sälens IF and footballer Arvid Jerkgård from IFK Mora.

Watch Vasaloppet 2025 after the fact
Sveriges Television (viewable only in Sweden)
https://www.svtplay.se/vasaloppet
https://www.svtplay.se/video/jVwPrRv/vasaloppet/vasaloppet-morgon
https://www.svtplay.se/video/jxgJYDQ/vasaloppet/vasaloppet--eftermiddag

SVT's Vasaloppet page
www.svt.se/sport/vasaloppet

Vasaloppet.TV
https://vasaloppet.tv
https://vasaloppet.tv/video/1114644/vasaloppet-live-elitsandning-2025
https://vasaloppet.tv/tv-tabla-eng

Vasaloppet's Summer Week 2025
Vasaloppet doesn't just have a Winter Week. Since 2009 there's also a Vasaloppet Summer Week with twelve mountain bike and running races, such as Cykelvasan 90 and Ultravasan 90. See the complete list of races below.

NOW: Register for Vasaloppet 2026 – train all year
Vasaloppet 2026 runs on March 1 and registration has already opened at vasaloppet.se. Welcome!

Vasaloppstrippeln x3
Vasaloppstrippeln means completing three different types of Vasaloppet during one and the same calendar year. The participant skis in Vasaloppet's Winter Week and runs and cycles the same distance in Vasaloppet's Summer Week in August. The distances are 90, 45 or 30 kilometres.

Start lists, results, statistics and media reports
At media.vasaloppet.se you can get start and results lists from all races, and follow skiers live. Login required.
http://media.vasaloppet.se/2025/?lang=EN_CAP
Username: vasa
Password: media

For regional results:
Choose ”Reports” at media.vasaloppet.se. Then select the race and file format. ”Resultatlista (inklusive föreningar och län)” is a complete results lists for the chosen race. You can use this to sort by county, for example.

History and facts at vasaloppet.se
On the Vasaloppet website, under the heading "History," you'll find more information and history.
https://www.vasaloppet.se/en/about-us/history

Events in the Vasaloppet Arena:

Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2025 and the 101st Vasaloppet – cross country skiing
Friday, February 21, Vasaloppet 30, start Oxberg, 30 km
Saturday, February 22, Tjejvasan, start Oxberg, 30 km
Sunday, February 23, Öppet Spår Sunday, start Sälen, 90 km
Sunday, February 23, Ungdomsvasan, start Eldris, 9 km, start Hökberg, 19 km
Monday, February 24, Öppet Spår Monday 90, freestyle, start Sälen, 90 km
Monday, February 24, Öppet Spår Monday 45, freestyle, start Evertsberg, 45 km
Monday, February 24, Öppet Spår Monday 30, freestyle, start Oxberg checkpoint, 28 km
Tuesday, February 25, Vasaloppet 45, start Oxberg, 45 km
Friday, February 28, Stafettvasan, ski relay, five legs, start Sälen, 90 km
Friday, February 28, Nattvasan 30, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Oxberg, 30 km
Friday, February 28, Nattvasan 45, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Oxberg, 45 km
Friday, February 28, Nattvasan 90, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Sälen, 90 km
Saturday, March 1, Vasaloppet 10, freestyle, start Eldris, 9 km
Sunday, March 2, The 101st Vasaloppet, start Sälen, 90 km

Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2025 – biking and running
Friday, August 8, Ungdomscykelvasan, start Oxberg, 32 km
Friday, August 8, Cykelvasan Öppet Spår, start Sälen, 96 km
Friday, August 8, Cykelvasan 30, start Oxberg, 32 km
Friday, August 8, Cykelvasan 45, start Oxberg, 45 km
Saturday, August 9, Cykelvasan 90, start Sälen, 96 km
Friday, August 15, Funkisvasan, start Mora, 4 km
Friday, August 15, Trailvasan 10, start Mora, 10 km
Saturday, August 16, Ultravasan 90, start Sälen, 92 km
Saturday, August 16, Vasastafetten, running relay, ten legs, start Sälen, 92 km
Saturday, August 16, Ultravasan 45, start Oxberg, 45 km
Saturday, August 16, Trailvasan 30, start Oxberg, 30 km

Vasaloppet's Winter Week 2026 and the 102nd Vasaloppet – cross country skiing
Friday, February 20, Vasaloppet 30, start Oxberg, 30 km
Saturday, February 21, Tjejvasan, start Oxberg, 30 km
Sunday, February 22, Öppet Spår Sunday, start Sälen, 90 km
Sunday, February 22, Ungdomsvasan, start Eldris, 9 km, start Hökberg, 19 km
Monday, February 23, Öppet Spår Monday 90, freestyle, start Sälen, 90 km
Monday, February 23, Öppet Spår Monday 45, freestyle, start Oxberg, 45 km
Monday, February 23, Öppet Spår Monday 30, freestyle, start Oxberg, 28 km
Tuesday, February 24, Vasaloppet 45, start Oxberg, 45 km
Friday, February 27, Stafettvasan, ski relay, five sections, start Sälen, 90 km
Friday, February 27, Nattvasan 30, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Oxberg, 30 km
Friday, February 27, Nattvasan 45, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Oxberg, 45 km
Friday, February 27, Nattvasan 90, individually or two-person teams, freestyle, start Sälen, 90 km
Saturday, February 28, Vasaloppet 10, freestyle, start Eldris, 9 km
Sunday, March 1, The 102nd Vasaloppet, start Sälen, 90 km

Vasaloppstrippeln – ski, bike and run, all in one year
Vasaloppstrippeln is a challenge where you complete three races – skiing, cycling and running – during one and the same calendar year. Choose between 30, 45 or 90 kilometres.

Like Vasaloppet on Facebook and follow Vasaloppet on Instagram!

High-resolution photos from Vasaloppet
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vasaloppet/latest_media

Text and photos may be freely published.

For more information
Camilla Sandy, Press Manager Vasaloppet
+46 (0)70-384 95 00
camilla.sandy@vasaloppet.se

More on Vasaloppet
www.vasaloppet.se
Press room: mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet
Facebook: facebook.com/vasaloppetofficial
Instagram: @vasaloppet