Last year's winner ready for another Ultravasan 90

Comrades Marathon ran in South Africa for the 94th time on Sunday, June 9. The race runs over 87 km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and it's the world's biggest ultrarunning race with over 21,000 registered participants. Alexandra Morozova from Russia came in second after the supreme South African Gerda Steyn. Last year Alexandra Morozova won Ultravasan 90 and it's now been decided – Morozova will be back in Dalarna this summer to defend her Ultravasan 90 win on August 17.

29-year-old Alexandra Morozova also came second in Comrades 2017 and third in 2018. Her Ultravasan debut was last year and she set a new track record for the 90 km stretch between Sälen and Mora; 6.43.55.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confirmed this past Sunday that the suspension of Russian athletes will continue. But Morozova has paperwork to confirm that she can participate in Ultravasan, as she is not representing the Russian Athletics Federation and she has no ties to this federation.

"Ultravasan 90 is gathering the absolute world elite within ultrarunning. Apart from Morozova we have the newly minted world record holder American Jim Walmsley aiming to win the men's class, and we'll see additional prominent names in the start lists," says Tommy Höglund, Vasaloppet's Sport Manager.

In the men's class in Comrades 2019 it's worth noting that Finland's Henri Ansio finished in sixth place. He came third in Ultravasan 90 2017. Swedes Elov Olsson and Fritjof Fagerlund – who won Ultravasan 2017 and 2018 – came in 14th and 25th place in Comrades this year.

FACTS/ All top ten placements in Ultravasan are available here:
https://www.vasaloppet.se/en/news/200-top-ten-participants-in-ultravasan-2014-2018

Watch the web broadcast from Ultravasan 2018 at Vasaloppet.TV:
https://www.vasaloppet.tv/?id=8316650

High-resolution photos of Alexandra Morozova
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vasaloppet/images/morozova-0359-1387062
and
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vasaloppet/images/ultravasan-90-2018-alexandra-morozova-1386999

Upcoming events in the Vasaloppet Arena

Vasaloppet's Summer Week 2019
Fri 9 Aug: Cykelvasan Öppet Spår. 94 km. Start Sälen
Fri 9 Aug: Cykelvasasprinten. 1 km. Lindvallen, Sälen (Open qualifier on Thursday)
Sat 10 Aug: Cykelvasan 90. 94 km. Start Sälen
Sun 11 Aug: Cykelvasan 30. 32 km. Start Oxberg
Sun 11 Aug: Ungdomscykelvasan. 32 km. Start Oxberg
Sun 11 Aug: Cykelvasan 45. 45 km. Start Oxberg
Sat 17 Aug: Ultravasan 45. 45 km. Start Oxberg
Sat 17 Aug: Ultravasan 90. 90 km. Start Sälen
Sat 17 Aug: Vasastafetten. 4.5–15 km. Running relay for ten-person teams. Start Sälen
Sat 17 Aug: Vasakvartetten. 19.1–24.2 km. Running relay for four-person teams. Start Sälen

Vasaloppet Winter Week 2020
Fri 21 Feb: Kortvasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Sat 22 Feb: Tjejvasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Sun 23 Feb: Ungdomsvasan. 9/19 km Start Eldris/Hökberg.
Sun 23 Feb: Öppet Spår Sunday. 90 km. Start Sälen.
Mon 24 Feb: Öppet Spår Monday. 90 km. Start Sälen.
Tue 25 Feb: Halvvasan. 45 km. Start Oxberg.
Fri 28 Feb: Stafettvasan. 9–24 km. Five-person teams. Start Sälen.
Fri 28 Feb: Nattvasan 90. 90 km. Two-person teams. Start Sälen.
Fri 28 Feb: Nattvasan 45. 90 km. Two-person teams. Start Oxberg.
Sat 29 Feb: Blåbärsloppet. 9 km. Start Eldris.
Sun 1 Mar: Vasaloppet. 90 km. Start Sälen.

High-resolution photos from Vasaloppet:
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet/image/list

Text and photos may be freely published.

For more information

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

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