SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD ALVAR MYHLBACK FINISHED 8TH IN THE 2023 VASALOPPET

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD ALVAR MYHLBACK FINISHED 8TH IN THE 2023 VASALOPPET

March 6, 2023

The-90-kilometer-long main race is always the first Sunday in March and is limited to 15,800 skiers. But every day in the week leading up to the main race there are many shorter races, including competitions at night.

The start is on a large field and the competitors are grouped based on competition results from other XC events. Group 1 has world class skiers, group 2 excellent skiers, group 3 good skiers and the largest group is 4 with amateur skiers determined to finish the tough 90-kilometers.

To enter the race, you must be at least 19 years old. Alvar has been competing against some of the worlds best skiers since he was 14 years old and is considered the best 16-year-old cross country skier in the world. He is a member of Lager 157 Ski Team, one of the best long distance ski teams. The team wanted Alvar to be on the team for this years Vasaloppet. The Vasaloppet organizers decided to make an exception and allow him to enter. I believe this is the first exception since Vasaloppet began in 1922

This year, just about every world class distance racer had entered Vasaloppet. All the top teams were there. Lager 157 ski team member Emil Persson won the 2023 Vasaloppet, but Alvar Myhlback finished 8th, just 17 seconds behind Emil Persson, and beat all the other senior Lager 157 ski team members. Alvar’s time was 3:37.00 which is incredible for 90K. That’s less than 4 minutes per mile.

Len