Nordic Ways

18/05/2026

19 years of Xiwuqi's Grassland Festival continues from 10 to 12 July 2026.

The 2026 edition will open registration in a couple of days. Held from 10 to 12 July, the event programme consists of a sprint duathlon on Friday, an offroad running challenge of 23km on Saturday morning, Speedy Xiwuqi 100km road cycling or MTB 40km on Saturday afternoon, and Cyclo Xiwuqi 125km road cycling or 81km MTB. Do it all and be part of the King of the Grasslands Challenge!

Website is being updated:
https://www.xiwuqikog.com/

Information via email: [email protected]

04/01/2026

No three-in-a-row for Fabian Stocek in Vasaloppet China today, the 24th edition of the classic style XC Ski race in Changchun, China. The Czech skier got surprisingly beaten in a tight and exciting sprint finish against the Italian Mattia Armellini, who overtook him in the last 20 metres! The duo had outgunned the rest of a large field of competitors in the later part of the 50km race. What a debut for Armellini in this race, finishing in a fast time of 2h08’02” as well. There was more joy for the Italian team as Lorenzo Busin claimed third spot on the main podium, in another duo sprint against first Chinese skier Fu Yu a minute behind the race winner. A De Li Han Ma De Li was fifth, ahead `another domestic athlete. Lu Rong. Christian Winker was first German just ahead of another Italian, Christian Lorenzi, and Petr Kolaja from Czechia.

A perfect Chinese podium in the women’s race today. Chen Lingshuang already put pressure and distance on her rivals on the first of two laps around Jingyuetan Park and she managed to retain her advantage until the finish. Her first win in Changchun in 2h20’08”. In second place came Jin Ran, about 1’45” later. Li Lei, already on the podium last year, repeated that performance with third place in 2h24’35”. Last year’s race winner, Sweden’s Maiin Borjesjo had to be satisfied with fourth place in 2h26’32”, which was only a minute slower than her winning time last year. Impressive, given that the colder conditions slowed down the average skier by over a minute compared to a year ago. Li Jie was fifth for China. Tereza Hujerova was first Czech in 8th place, followed by the first two Norwegians: Aud Oyen Malos and Martine Engen.

Next year, Vasaloppet China will celebrate a quarter of a century: 25 years of cross country skiing in Changchun!

04/01/2025

The 23rd edition of Vasaloppet China in Changchun's Jingyuetan Park delivered the same male winner as last year in Czechia's Fabian Stocek. On a truly beautiful day with temperatures just a few points below zero and almost no wind of any significance, Stocek bided his time on the second lap of 25km to attack in the final few kilometers and leave Rolf Johansson and Lorenzo Busin behind. They were the best three of what was a group of fifteen skiers that passed through the checkpoint after one lap. Stocek went more than ten minutes faster than himself a year ago, and won the 50km race in 2h05'22". Johansson and Busin sprinted for second place seventeen seconds later. Kjetil Banerud claimed fourth , just 42 seconds later , preceeding the first Chinese skier Li Ming Lin.

The women's 50km race went to Sweden's Malin Borjesjo in 2h25'31", ahead of the Li Lei by 1'42". Li Lei faded quite badly in the final kilometers to see victory taken away from her by Borjesjo. The podium was completed by another Chinese skier, Zhang Zheng. Last year's winner Zhao Xinle came in as fifth.

More photo and video material coming soon. Video below is the first group passing through the event arena to start the second of two loops of 25km.

04/01/2024

Third time lucky for Fabian Stocek in the 22nd Vasaloppet China in Changchun. The 30-year old Czech skier beat Germany’s Thomas Bing in a hotly contested sprint after two loops of 25km in a sunny, mild but windy Jingyuetan Park. The duo distanced themselves from a group of six in the second lap and finished in a fast time of 2h16’18” , beating the course record of Zhu Mingliang (2h’16’29”) set in the 2021 edition. The women’s 50k race was also quite tight, but Changchun’s own Zhao Xinle managed to stay ahead of Sigrid Bye from Norway and Lyuft Vladimirovna from Kazakhstan by just under three minutes after a fast start.

The 50km, 25km and 2,5km races took off at 10am with over 750 serious skiers from 26 countries. It was the first edition since the covid crisis and Vasaloppet China once again became part of the Worldloppet Tour. While windy, the conditions for the race were good with temperatures even rising above zero degrees centigrade, which does not happen often around this time of year. It also enticed many people to come to Jingyuetan Park to attend and watch the race on-site.

Thomas Bing and Fabian Stocek, China's En Te Ma Ke, Germany’s Christian Winker, Italy’s Stefano Mich and Kazakhstan's Bashmakov Faritovich set the pace early on and developed a nice gap to the rest in the first lap of 25 km. China’s main XC skiing hero and a double winner of Vasaloppet China in the past, Wang Qiang, did not take part this year so En Te Ma Ke had the pressure on his shoulders to try and get a podium for the home country. As Stocek and Bing had a very close sprint in the final 250 metres with changing positions until the final 40 metres, Christian Winker took third place ahead of En Te Ma Ke. Stefano Fich grabbed fifth.

Podium Results 50km:

Men 50 km: 1. Fabian Stocek (CZE) 2:16:18 / 2. Thomas Bing (GER) 2:16:19 / 3. Christian Winker (GER) 2:19:56

Women 50 km: 1. Zhao Xinle (CHN) 2:51:35 / 2. Sigrid Bye (NOR) 2:54:17 / 3. Lyuft Vladimirovna (KAZ) 2:54:45

03/01/2024

For the 22nd year in a row skiers will line up on Thursday, 4 January for Vasaloppet China in the city of Changchun, roughly 950 kilometres northeast of Beijing. The race will be held at the Jingyuetan Park, as it has been since 2003, year of the inaugural edition of the classic event that has contributed a lot to the development of the XC skiing scene in China.

The event features 50km, 25km and 2,5km races and is part of the Worldloppet calendar since 2014. Only the classic skiing technique is permitted, following the tradition of Vasaloppet in Sweden, the famous classic style event every year in March. The Chinese ’sister event’ is indeed held in cooperation with Vasaloppet.

The start list shows participants from 26 countries including China, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, USA, Japan and Kazakhstan. Among the race favourites are Thomas Bing (GER) and Fabian Stocek (CZE) in the men’s 50k category, while Anja Andersdotter (SWE) and Mariya Lyuft (KAZ) are considered potential winners in the women’s. However, Vasaloppet China has always been a race in which new young Chinese talents emerge, so we might as well celebrate a home victory on Thursday.

The 50km race consists of a 25km loop through the park that needs to be done twice. The first part of the course is quite hilly, while the second is basically flat to the finish. The mass start is scheduled for 10am local time on Thursday. Skiers will be happy to see a weather forecast with relatively mild temperatures (zero degrees) for the location, but gusts of wind may play a role for the competition at the front.

03/01/2024

1 day to go till the 22nd Vasaloppet China in Changchun!

01/01/2024

It’s Vasaloppet time again in China this Thursday! The 22nd edition of our classic XC Ski event in Changchun’s Jingyuetan Park will see an international field with skiers as Fabian Stocek (Czech Republic) and Thomas Bing (Germany) against strong Chinese skiers such as Wang Qiang!

04/07/2023

Great to be back In Xiwuqi! The new version of our beloved event took place with great success last weekend. Cyclo Xiwuqi, a road cycling race of 124 km, concluded the event on Sunday.

10/06/2023

Call for a mascot design to celebrate the 10-year-anniversary of Granfondo Yunnan in November this year. Your designs are welcome until 3 July. The best three designs will receive a cash prize. All details below!

Nordic Ways is soliciting everyone in the world for creating a mascot design for the Colourful Yunnan Granfondo Cycling Festival 2023.

25/05/2023

The all-new Xiwuqi King of the Grasslands Challenge is open for registration. Our legendary Inner Mongolia event returns on 1/2 July and for the first time since covid.

The whole event has been redesigned and fit into two weekend days with the KOG competition consisting of a 50k run, a 30k individual TT cycling and a 112km mass start cycling. A true challenge for the endurance enthusiast! Please note that the cycling races are all designed for road bikes now, so you do not necessarily need a mountainbike.

Xiwuqi King of the Grasslands 2023 opens registration on Monday, 22 May. On the brand new programme we have a 50k Grassland Run (50% road, 50% offroad), a 30k Individual Time Trial road cycling, and a 112km Cyclo Xiwuqi road cycling!

Event date is 1/2 July.

All details to come on Monday!