The Marcialonga victory awakened a wild beast from Norway. Runar Skaug Mathisen, Lager 157 Ski team, is now looking for more.

The bearded 30-year-old from Vinje, Norway, had his breakthrough this winter. Skaug Mathisen took his first Ski Classics victory and, at the same time, fulfilled his career dream: to win Marcialonga.

It’s something he’s been dreaming of ever since he made his long-distance debut in 2017 at the Marcialonga, the 70km ski race in northern Italy.

Also Read – Marcialonga: Epic win for Runar Skaug Mathisen

Runar Skaug Mathisen also finished eighth overall in Ski Classics Season XV and was by far the strongest skier in terms of results in the Swedish Pro Team Lager 157 Ski Team, largely thanks to his victory in Marcialonga.

The story continues below.

What drives you now that you have won Marcialonga?

“That victory has given me a lot of motivation. That feeling, the rush I feel when I realize that I’m fighting for the victory, that excitement, I want more of that,” says Skaug Mathisen to Langrenn.com, and continues eagerly:

“The feeling you get, especially in the last 20 minutes, when you’re fighting for the victory and can decide the race, is incredible. It is not just that you can win but also influence the race and make it exciting for everyone. Now I know that I can win big ski races, and there are many more I want to win.”

How specifically will you be training for the start of the season?

“There are several things I’ll be working on. But winning sprint finishes is something I’m not very good at, so that will be a focus area. For example, in La Diagonela, I finished fourth because I just wasn’t good enough to be in the sprint.”

Watch the highlights from Marcialonga 2024 (Story continues below)

Runar Skaug Mathisen is now in his sixth season as a long-distance skier, his fourth with the Swedish Pro Team Lager 157 Ski Team. He is now the only Norwegian on the squad.

On May 17, Vasaloppet winner Torleif Syrstad announced he was leaving the Swedish Pro Team.

Also Read: Syrstad leaving Lager 157 Ski Team

“Unfortunately, Torleif left the team; he’s going to be a tough competitor,” Skaug Mathisen tells Langrenn.com.

But Runar is not worried.

“The team is doing what we’ve always done without clear roles or designated captains. Everyone gets the chance to do good ski races and contribute. We’re a very close-knit group, and we’ve now seen that we can win big ski races with good teamwork,” he says, and continues:

“We’ve come a long way as a team over the past year. Emil (Persson) took the Yellow bib alone when he won Ski Classics overall Season XIV. The rest of us were in a completely different place then.”

Skaug Mathisen is convinced that the team effort secured his victory in Marcialonga, where his team colleagues Emil Persson and Alvar Myhlback finished second and fourth, respectively. This was despite the fact that Skaug Mathisen broke away from the peloton in Predazzo with more than 25km to go and had a gap of almost a minute to the leader going into the final hill.

You won Marcialonga after going alone in front for several kilometers.

“Yes, but it shows how important the team is in Ski Classics. I would never have been able to go alone if Emil and Alvar hadn’t been in the lead group chasing and causing problems for the others,” he says and elaborates:

“This year, the whole team took a step up. Everyone is in the top 10, and we have several podium candidates. That opens many new opportunities for us, and we will develop that even more. Now we can work even more as a team to outmaneuver the competition, take that bit to the next level, and get even closer to what they do in cycling.”

Read More – Anton Järnberg about Lager 157 Ski Team’s season: “We have worked so hard and for so long”

Runar Skaug Mathisen was one of the main characters in the Lager 157 Ski Team episode of Ski Classics Ski or Die, the sports documentary about life inside three Ski Classics Pro Teams.

The story continues below.

WATCH THE “RAW CUT” EPISODE WITH RUNAR SKAUG MATHISEN

Doubles the women’s team

While the men’s team will be the same as this year, minus Vasaloppet winner Torleif Syrstad, the women’s team will get a real boost next winter. Lager 157 Ski Team is doubling its squad from two to four skiers.

Jenny Larsson, the 28-year-old who set the world record on the SkiErg last fall, will now join the likes of Marcialonga winner Runar Skaug Mathisen, the super-talented Alvar Myhlback, who finished third at Vasaloppet, and this year’s Youth bib winner Karolina Hedenström.

Read More: Jenny Larsson joins Lager 157 Ski Team

Last winter Larsson made a comeback after being out for a season and a half due to a long-term injury, finishing on the podium twice: She finished second at La Venosta and third at Marcialonga.

Also Read: Lager 157 Ski Team for Season XVI