Vibeke Skofterud from Norway, women’s winner in 2012
There is a big celebration today in Mora, Sweden! For it is 100 years since the very first Vasaloppet took place in 1922.
Vasaloppet is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The 90 km (56 mi) course starts in the village of Sälen and ends in the town of Mora in Dalarna, Sweden. It is the oldest cross-country ski race in the world, as well as the one with the highest number of participants.
These days there are also other alternatives within the concept Vasaloppet. Such as the shorter distances, children’s races, relay races and night races. And the races in summer time by bike or running. But the main event remains the 90 kilometer ski race.
The race which was inspired by a notable journey which the Swedish king Gustav Vasa made from Mora to Sälen when he was fleeing from Christian II’s soldiers during the winter of 1520–1521. According to legend, he fled on skis. Vasaloppet is getting back from Sälen to Mora.
There has been two ties in the history of the race, both involving Swedes who also make the majority of the winners of Vasaloppet. The first tie was back in 1928, and the second sixty years later as two brothers decided to pass the finish line portal together! The list below shows all the male winners since 1922, but since 1997 women have also been able to compete in Vasaloppet.
And what do you know, there are Vasaloppet in other parts of the world as well! For example Vasaloppet USA in Mora, Minnesota since 1973. There the male and female winners of the 58 km freestyle race win a trip to compete in the Swedish Vasaloppet (or a thousand dollars prize money which is more or less what is would cost to travel to Sweden and pay the entry fee for the Swedish Vasaloppet).
Anyway, this article is about the original Vasaloppet, and here are the (male) winners in chronological order, by date of birth. If you want to see the more traditional list of winners, click here. And below the wonderful video telling about the history of Vasaloppet, follows a list where you can see winners by their birth month - also interesting reading as some months clearly dominate there!
The Winners of Vasaloppet
1894-0705 Oskar Lindberg* cross-country skier – Björknäs, Sweden (1 win: 1923)
1897-0418 Per-Erik Hedlund* cross-country skier/OG – Särnaheden, Dalarna, Sweden (2 wins: 1926, 1928(tie)
1898-0713 Johan Abram Persson* cross-country skier/fisherman/wolf hunter – Luokta Sami Village, Sweden (1 win: 1929)
1899-1108 John Lindgren* cross-country skier/WC - Hedlunda, Sweden (1 win: 1924)
1900-0301 Ernst Alm* cross-country skier/the first Vasaloppet winner – Hemmingen, Sweden (1 win: 1922)
1901-0130 Verner Lundström* cross-country skier – Arvidsjaur, Sweden (1 win: 1930)
1901-0516 Sven Utterström* cross-country skier/OG – Boden, Sweden (2 wins: 1925, 1928(tie)
1901-0821 Anders Ström* cross-country skier – Östnor, Sweden (1 win: 1931)
1903-0701 Konrad Pettersson* cross-country skier – Älvsbyn, Sweden (1 win: 1927)
1908-0326 Alfred Lif* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1939)
1908-0814 Arthur Häggblad* cross-country skier/OB – Nordmaling, Sweden (4 wins: 1933, 1935, 1937, 1940)
1910-0401 Elias Nilsson* cross-country skier – Stugun, Sweden (1 win: 1938)
1912-0316 Sven Hansson* cross-country skier – Lima, Sweden (1 win: 1936)
1914-1226 Olle Wiklund* cross-country skier – Bergvik, Sweden (1 win: 1942)
1917-0625 Nils Karlsson* “Mora-Nisse” cross-country skier/OG – Östnor, Mora, Sweden (9 wins: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1953)
1917-0919 Sigfrid Mattsson* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1952)
1918-0104 Mauritz Bränström* cross-country skier – Norsjö, Sweden (1 win: 1941)
1918-0118 Gösta Andersson* cross-country skier – Umeå, Sweden (1 win: 1944)
1921-0615 Pekka Kuvaja* cross-country skier – Heinävesi, Finland (1 win: 1954)
1921-0723 Gunnar Larsson* cross-country skier – Hudiksvall, Sweden (2 wins: 1957, 1958)
1923-0227 Sigvard Jonsson* lumberjack/ cross-country skier - Bodum, Sweden (1 win: 1956)
1926-0816 David Johansson* cross-country skier/coach – Delsbo, Sweden (1 win: 1961)
1929-0206 Sixten Jernberg* cross-country skier/OG – Lima, Dalarna, Sweden (2 wins: 1955, 1960)
1930-0621 Sune Larsson* cross-country skier/OB – Sweden (1 win: 1959)
1935-0319 Janne Stefansson* cross-country skier/OG – Transtrand, Dalarna, Sweden (7 wins: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
1935-0903 Assar Rönnlund* cross-country skier/OG – Sävar, Västerbotten, Sweden (1 win: 1967)
1938-0202 Pauli Siitonen* cross-country skier – Simpele, Finland (1 win: 1973)
1939-0215 Ole Ellefsæter* cross-country skier/OG – Furnes, Hedmark, Norway (1 win: 1971)
1941-0304 Matti Kuosku* Finnish-Swedish runner/cross-country skier – Pelkosenniemi, Finland (2 wins: 1974, 1976)
1944-1006 Lars-Arne Bölling* (b Torsten) cross-country skier – Sörsjön, Sweden (2 wins: 1970, 1972)
1945-0325 Gert-Dietmar Klause* cross-country skier/OS – Reumtengrün, Allied-occupied Germany (1 win: 1975)
1945-0801 Ivan Garanin* cross-country skier/OB - Rudny, Kazakhstan, Soviet Union (1 win: 1977)
1948-0126 Sven-Åke Lundbäck* cross-country skier/OG – Töre, Sweden (1 win: 1981)
1951-0322 Ola Hassis* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1979)
1952-0703 Jean-Paul Pierrat* cross-country skier – Xonrupt-Longemer, France (1 win: 1978)
1953-1201 Konrad Hallenbarter* cross-country skier – Obergesteln, Switzerland (1 win: 1983)
1957-0103 Lasse Frykberg* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1982)
1957-0111 Bengt Hassis* cross-country skier – Sweden (2 wins: 1985, 1986)
1957-0317 Walter Mayer* cross-country skier/coach – Hüttau, Austria (1 win: 1980)
1957-0823 Örjan Blomquist* cross-country skier/color commentator – Bromma, Sweden (1 win: 1988-tie)
1959-0118 Hans Persson* cross-country skier – Blomstermåla, Sweden (1 win: 1984)
1960-0210 Sven-Erik Danielsson* cross-country skier – Dala-Järna, Sweden (1 win: 1995)
1960-0310 Jan Ottosson* cross-country skier/OG – Högsäter, Sweden (4 wins: 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994)
1960-1017 Anders Blomquist* cross-country skier/color commentator – Bromma, Sweden (1 win: 1988-tie)
1961-1003 Anders Larsson* cross-country skier – Karlstad, Sweden (1 win: 1987)
1964-0721 Håkan Westin* cross-country skier/descendant of Gustav Vasa – Eds socken, Sweden (2 wins: 1993, 1996)
1967-1117 Mikhail Botvinov* Russian-Austrian cross-country skier/OS – Lidinka, Russia, Soviet Union (1 win: 1997)
1968-0123 Raul Olle* cross-country skier – Tartu, Estonia, Soviet Union (1 win: 2000)
1969-0520 Peter Göransson* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1998)
1970-0210 Staffan Larsson* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 1999)
1972-0912 Anders Aukland* runner/cross-country skier/OG – Tønsberg, Norway (1 win: 2004)
1974-0204 Henrik Eriksson* cross-country skier – Sweden (1 win: 2001)
1974-0310 Jörgen Brink* cross-country skier/biathlete – Delsbo, Sweden (3 wins: 2010, 2011, 2012)
1975-0806 Jørgen Aukland* cross-country skier – Tønsberg, Norway (2 wins: 2008, 2013)
1976-0106 Daniel Tynell* cross-country skier – Grycksbo, Sweden (3 wins: 2002, 2006, 2009)
1976-0919 Oskar Svärd* cross-country skier – Tvärred, Sweden (3 wins: 2003, 2005, 2007)
1981-0327 John Kristian Dahl* cross-country skier – Kirkenes, Norway (3 wins: 2014, 2016, 2017)
1983-0803 Tord Asle Gjerdalen* cross-country skier/WC – Ringerike, Norway (1 win: 2021)
1985-1201 Petter Eliassen* cross-country skier – Trondheim, Norway (2 wins: 2015, 2020)
1988-0302 Tore Bjørseth Berdal* cross-country skier/coach – Norway (1 win: 2019)
1990-1122 Andreas Nygaard* cross-country skier – Talvik, Norway (2 wins: 2018, 2022)
1995-0405 Emil Persson* cross-country skier – Optand, Sweden (1 win: 2023)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2V0YJxHRd0
The Winners by month of birth:
1957-0103 ?? Lasse Frykberg (1 win: 1982)
1918-0104 ?? Mauritz Bränström (1 win: 1941)
1976-0106 ?? Daniel Tynell (3 wins: 2002, 2006, 2009)
1957-0111 ?? Bengt Hassis (2 wins: 1985, 1986)
1918-0118 ?? Gösta Andersson (1 win: 1944)
1959-0118 ?? Hans Persson (1 win: 1984)
1968-0123 ?? Raul Olle (1 win: 2000)
1948-0126 ?? Sven-Åke Lundbäck (1 win: 1981)
1901-0130 ?? Verner Lundström (1 win: 1930)
1938-0202 ?? Pauli Siitonen (1 win: 1973)
1974-0204 ?? Henrik Eriksson (1 win: 2001)
1929-0206 ?? Sixten Jernberg (2 wins: 1955, 1960)
1960-0210 ?? Sven-Erik Danielsson (1 win: 1995)
1970-0210 ?? Staffan Larsson (1 win: 1999)
1939-0215 ?? Ole Ellefsæter (1 win: 1971)
1923-0227 ?? Sigvard Jonsson (1 win: 1956)
1900-0301 ?? Ernst Alm (1 win: 1922)
1988-0302 ?? Tore Bjørseth Berdal (1 win: 2019)
1941-0304 ?? Matti Kuosku (2 wins: 1974, 1976)
1960-0310 ?? Jan Ottosson (4 wins: 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994)
1974-0310 ?? Jörgen Brink (3 wins: 2010, 2011, 2012)
1912-0316 ?? Sven Hansson (1 win: 1936)
1957-0317 ?? Walter Mayer (1 win: 1980)
1935-0319 ?? Janne Stefansson (7 wins: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
1951-0322 ?? Ola Hassis (1 win: 1979)
1945-0325 GDR Gert-Dietmar Klause (1 win: 1975)
1908-0326 ?? Alfred Lif (1 win: 1939)
1981-0327 ?? John Kristian Dahl (3 wins: 2014, 2016, 2017 )
1910-0401 ?? Elias Nilsson (1 win: 1938)
1995-0405 ?? Emil Persson (1 win: 2023)
1897-0418 ?? Per-Erik Hedlund (2 wins: 1926, 1928-tie)
1901-0516 ?? Sven Utterström (2 wins: 1925, 1928(tie)
1969-0520 ?? Peter Göransson (1 win: 1998)
1921-0615 ?? Pekka Kuvaja (1 win: 1954)
1930-0621 ?? Sune Larsson (1 win: 1959)
1917-0625 ?? Nils Karlsson (9 wins: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953)
1903-0701 ?? Konrad Pettersson (1 win: 1927)
1952-0703 ?? Jean-Paul Pierrat (1 win: 1978)
1894-0705 ?? Oskar Lindberg (1 win: 1923)
1898-0713 ?? Johan Abram Persson (1 win: 1929)
1964-0721 ?? Håkan Westin (2 wins: 1993, 1996)
1921-0723 ?? Gunnar Larsson (2 wins: 1957, 1958)
1945-0801 SU Ivan Garanin (1 win: 1977)
1983-0803 ?? Tord Asle Gjerdalen (1 win: 2021)
1975-0806 ?? Jørgen Aukland (2 wins: 2008, 2013)
1908-0814 ?? Arthur Häggblad (4 wins: 1933, 1935, 1937, 1940)
1926-0816 ?? David Johansson (1 win: 1961)
1901-0821 ?? Anders Ström (1 win: 1931)
1957-0823 ?? Örjan Blomquist (1 win: 1988-tie)
1935-0903 ?? Assar Rönnlund (1 win: 1967)
1972-0912 ?? Anders Aukland (1 win: 2004)
1917-0919 ?? Sigfrid Mattsson (1 win: 1952)
1976-0919 ?? Oskar Svärd (3 wins: 2003, 2005, 2007)
1961-1003 ?? Anders Larsson (1 win: 1987)
1944-1006 ?? Lars-Arne Bölling (2 wins: 1970, 1972)
1960-1017 ?? Anders Blomquist (1 win: 1988-tie)
1899-1108 ?? John Lindgren (1 win: 1924)
1967-1117 ?? Mikhail Botvinov (1 win: 1997)
1990-1122 ?? Andreas Nygaard (2 wins: 2018, 2022)
1953-1201 ?? Konrad Hallenbarter (1 win: 1983)
1985-1201 ?? Petter Eliassen (2 wins: 2015, 2020)
1914-1226 ?? Olle Wiklund (1 win: 1942)
Updated 2025-0117 Helsinki
And after the race, how nice it is to have a bowl of hot pea soup - or a mugful of hot blueberry soup (blåbärssoppa in Swedish)! Both very popular in the Nordic countries! Thursday is traditionally the day to have green pea soup for lunch, and pancakes for dessert. This custom dates back to the 15th century when Catholic Swedish kitchens served large meals on Thursdays in preparation for the Friday fast. Adopted later by Finland that for hundreds of years was part of Sweden.