Roivas and Karppanen Claim Classic Long-Distance Victories at Finlandia-hiihto
Kati Roivas and Miro Karppanen emerged as the champions of Saturday’s 42 km classic technique race at Finlandia-hiihto, the iconic ski marathon held in Lahti.
The event took place in sunny but biting cold conditions, with over 1,800 skiers enjoying the top-class trails of the Lahti Ski Stadium. Luckily, the early-morning deep freeze eased during the day, staying well below -20°C but avoiding serious frostbite incidents.
Women’s Race: Roivas and Kettunen Break Away
Competing on the Ski Classics Pro Tour, Kati Roivas skied a strong race, battling closely with Oona Kettunen. Roivas crossed the finish line first in 2:05:35.9, just 20.2 seconds ahead of Kettunen. Amanda Nyfors finished third, trailing over 11 minutes behind the leaders.
Roivas reflected on the conditions:
“Three weekends in a row racing in the Pro Tour in Central Europe – this cold was definitely something to get used to.”
She added she hopes to one day race in a Ski Classics Pro Tour event held in Finland.
Men’s Race: Decided on the Final Climb
The men’s race saw an intense battle, with a lead group of eight skiers sticking together using double-poling all the way to the final climb at the Lahti Sports Centre. There, Miro Karppanen made his move, pulling ahead with a decisive burst on the hill and maintaining his lead down the descent.
Karppanen won with a time of 1:50:17.2, followed by Markus Vuorela in second and Lauri Lepistö in third.
Karppanen described the key moment:
“As we approached the final hill, I gauged how I was feeling and realized I had the strength to make a push, and the gap I created held to the finish.”
Sunday: Skating Technique Races – Watch Live!
On Sunday, February 8, the Finlandia-hiihto continues with the freestyle (skating) events. Both recreational skiers and elite racers will take to the trails once again.
Watch the live stream here:
IS’s live broadcast of the Sunday freestyle races
Live results:
Finlandia-hiihto real-time results service
Keep an eye on top Finnish skiers like Remi Lindholm, Markus Vuorela (also competing in the classic), and multi-time Finlandia-hiihto champion Kari Varis – all of whom are registered for Sunday’s race. Another great day of skiing awaits in Lahti!
