Norway’s cross-country elite open their season this weekend in Beitostølen – Check out the star-studded entry lists

As usual, Norway’s first cross-country skiing competitions of the season will take place in Beitostølen on 23–25 November 2025. The traditional event known as Beitosprinten once again attracts Norway’s best athletes as well as a number of other world-class skiers to open their season.

In some years, Norway’s top skiers have opened their season earlier at the Olos Tykkikisat, but this year the Norwegian elite were not seen in Muonio.

This year too, the Beitosprinten entry lists are bursting with top Norwegian skiers, and for example the French national team will also begin their season in Beitostølen. Additionally, the start lists feature world-class athletes from many other countries.

The Beitosprinten competitions will be broadcast live on NRK’s platforms. The broadcasts are available world-wide. The races serve as an important selection opportunity for Norwegian athletes ahead of the Ruka World Cup weekend held one week later.

Will there be any challengers to Klæbo in the sprint this year?

Beitosprinten begins on Friday with classic-technique sprints. In the women’s competition, Norway’s elite sprinters Kristine Stavås Skistad, Lotta Udnes Weng, Tiril Udnes Weng, Hedda Østberg Amundsen and Julie Myhre will start. Among the international names hoping to disrupt the Norwegian dominance are the Czech Republic’s Katerina Janatova and France’s Lena Quintin.

The men’s sprint start list features many of the world’s best sprinters, including Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Erik Valnes, Even Northug, Oskar Opstad Vike, Ansgar Evensen and Harald Østberg Amundsen. Many other interesting Norwegian names also appear on Friday’s sprint start list.

For example, Mattis Stenshagen, Håvard Moseby and Sivert Wiig are surely aiming for a place in the Ruka World Cup, and they will need to deliver strong performances at Beitosprinten.

Great interest also surrounds the performances of Lars Heggen, Filip Skar, Jørgen Schjølberg and Mathias Holbæk, who all celebrated success at the Junior World Championships last spring, as they line up for Friday’s sprint.

However, Beitosprinten is not only about internal Norwegian competition—there is also strong international challenge. In the sprint, Klæbo and company will be pushed by, among others, the French top sprinters Richard Jouve and Jules Chappaz, and China’s sprint powerhouse Qiang Wang.

Star-studded fields in the men’s distance races

On Saturday, Beitosprinten features 10 km interval starts in classic technique, and on Sunday the same distance in freestyle. Most skiers will compete in both the classic and freestyle interval-start races. Among the top names, Klæbo will not race in Sunday’s freestyle event.

Among the Norwegian women in the interval starts we will see, for example, Astrid Øyre Slind, Heidi Weng, Nora Sanness, Tiril Udnes Weng, Lotta Udnes Weng, Silje Theodorsen, Anne Kjersti Kalvå and Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs.

Among the international names are France’s Delphine Claudel, the USA’s Sophie Laukli, the Czech Republic’s Katerina Janatova and Canada’s Katherine Stewart-Jones.

The men’s interval-start fields include a long list of the world’s top skiers. Among the Norwegians seeking a strong season opening in the distance races are Iver Tildheim Andersen, Harald Østberg Amundsen, Henrik Dønnestad, Mikael Gunnulfsen, Emil Iversen, Jan Thomas Jenssen, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Håvard Moseby, Martin Kirkeberg Mørk, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, Andreas Fjorden Ree, Mattis Stenshagen, Erik Valnes and Didrik Tønseth.

Among the international names to highlight are France’s Mathis Desloges, Richard Jouve, Hugo Lapalus, Jules Lapierre, Clement Parisse, Great Britain’s Andrew Musgrave, Andorra’s Ireneu Esteve Altimiras and Austria’s Mika Vermeulen.



Beitosprinten entry lists

If the embed does not work, see the entry lists here.

See also: Beitosprinten schedule & TV info