The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has removed the five-mile race in Holmenkollen from the schedule for next season. There will also be no sprint race in Drammen in 2025. FIS race leader Mikael Lamblot confirms this to the media.
Instead of the city race in Drammen and the five-mile race in Köln, there will now be three individual World Cup races in Holmenkollen in 2025.
– I've done what I can to influence Five Miles to become a Cullen, but it's a matter of give and take. Now there will be three individual races on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, says national cross-country skiing team director Ulf Morten Unne. VG.
The distance of the three individual races will be determined during the FIS conference in the spring.
Unfortunate for the sport
Many runners say they think it is a shame that both the five-mile race and the city race in Drammen will be removed from the schedule next year.
Many experts also pointed out that organizing ski races in urban areas where people travel is crucial for the sport. In this context, urban drag races are important for the interest, employment and future of cross-country skiing, which is losing more and more television viewers.
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Historical
The Femmila in Holmenkollen was first organized in 1888 and, with a few exceptions, has been organized on schedule since 1902 (in 1908, then four times due to lack of snow, and also due to the Olympic Games in 1994). And rebuilding the national facility in 2009, as well as during the war years 1941-1945). And now it won't be set up next winter either.
This winter, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Ragnhild Gløersen Haga won the 5,000 in Holmenkollen. This was also the first time women had run 50 kilometers in a World Cup context.
The city race in Drammen also has a long tradition. It has been stuck on the schedule for over 20 years. The Sprint became part of the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup for the first time in the 1995/96 season.
Hans Christer Holland: – Quite well
Hans Christer Holland, who surrendered after the five-mile run in Holmenkollen this winter, agrees with the FIS. He thinks it will be tough with five miles after just one week of five miles on the WC. This was seen, among other things, this winter, when many chose to stand on top of the chute.
Therefore, Hollande believes that it is better to cancel the race next season, and hold it again in 2026, and then preferably the World Cup final.
– Finish the World Cup with a five-mile run in Cullen, and make it a tradition. In recent years, too many of the best runners have crossed the 5,000 threshold because they want to save up for a sprint race in Drammen next or for other races later in the season, he says. VG.
At the same time, Holland believes the FIS will have to change the format of the five-mile distance when it is set up again: bring the race back to its roots with single starts and longer runs.
– Make the 5000 a single start on the old track with three 16.7-kilometre laps, and I think we'll generate excitement around the 500 in Holmenkollen that we haven't seen since the 2011 World Championships.
The head of the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, Stefan Marx, is no stranger to Hollande's input.
– We already have the end of the season in the Biathlon World Cup most years, so this puts an extra stamp on the event. It might be interesting to achieve something similar with Nordic Branches. We are ready to make the World Cup Final the public celebration it deserves.
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