Vasaloppet Ultravasan
Ultravasan 90
Sälen (Berga by) → Mora
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
Ultravasan 90 is a 92 km trail ultramarathon that follows the historic Vasaloppet ski track from Berga by in Sälen down to Mora, the same corridor skied by hundreds of thousands of cross-country skiers each winter. Run in summer, the route is almost entirely on wide forest tracks and gravel paths through the Dalarna countryside, making it one of Scandinavia's most accessible ultras in terms of terrain — but the cumulative 761 m of climbing, the relentless rolling nature of the course, and the sheer distance demand genuine respect. Starting at 349 m above sea level at Berga by and finishing at 164 m in Mora, the overall trend is downhill, but the route constantly undulates through dense boreal forest, meaning there is no long flat section where you can simply switch off and cruise. The race draws runners who want to experience the legendary Vasaloppet track on foot, and the well-known place names — Smågan, Mångsbodarna, Evertsberg, Oxberg — give the course a distinct cultural weight. With crew access at Evertsberg (47 km) and staffed checkpoints through to the finish, logistics are straightforward. Cut-offs begin at Oxberg (62 km, 15:50) and tighten progressively to the 20:30 finish deadline in Mora, so runners need to arrive at the start with a realistic sense of their sustainable pace over long distances on mixed forest terrain.
Course & Terrain
The entire 92 km unfolds on the Vasaloppet track — a wide, well-maintained forest path that is groomed for skiing in winter and remains firm and clearly defined in summer. The surface underfoot shifts between packed gravel, compressed dirt and occasional rooted sections, but technical difficulty is minimal throughout. There are no scrambles, no exposed ridges and no route-finding challenges. What the course does deliver is relentless rolling terrain through thick pine and spruce forest, with short punchy rises followed by descending sections that rarely allow full recovery before the next climb begins. From the start at Berga by (349 m), the route climbs steadily to its high point near Smågan at 481 m by 11 km, before dropping back through Mångsbodarna (444 m at 24 km) and Risberg (388 m at 35 km). The second half of the course from Evertsberg (399 m at 47 km) onward gradually descends toward Mora (164 m at 92 km), passing through Oxberg (218 m at 62 km), Hökberg (210 m at 71 km) and Eldris (220 m at 81 km). The final 30 km feels runnable on fresh legs but can become a war of attrition once fatigue sets in on tired quads.
Decisive Climbs and Where the Race Is Won or Lost
Despite a modest total elevation gain of 761 m, the opening 11 km from Berga by up to Smågan is the most significant sustained climb on the course, rising roughly 130 m over the first leg. Running this section too hard — which is easy to do on fresh legs at the start of a race — will compromise your ability to run the long middle section efficiently. The climb back up toward Evertsberg after Risberg is the other key moment: by 47 km your legs have been working for several hours, and arriving at the crew point at Evertsberg in good shape is a strong predictor of finishing comfortably inside the cut-offs. The race is rarely lost on a single climb — it is lost through accumulated poor decisions. The rolling terrain means you are never walking a long obvious hill; instead, the temptation is to keep running every rise from the start, burning matches that you will need between Oxberg and the finish. Runners who treat the first 47 km conservatively, use the downhills efficiently without hammering the quads, and arrive at Evertsberg with energy in reserve will find the final 45 km very manageable. Those who chase pace early will face a difficult last 30 km with tight cut-offs at Hökberg (17:20) and Eldris (19:00) applying real pressure.
Pacing & Fuelling Strategy
With a 20:30 finish cut-off and the race starting in the morning, most runners have a working window of roughly 12–14 hours. A sensible approach is to target even effort rather than even pace, given the rolling terrain. Walk the rises confidently from early in the race — the Vasaloppet track is wide enough that passing is easy, and there is no social pressure to run every uphill. Aim to reach Evertsberg at 47 km feeling like you have run a controlled half-effort, not a race. Fuelling on a course this long requires discipline from the first hour. The checkpoints at Smågan (11 km), Mångsbodarna (24 km), Risberg (35 km), Evertsberg (47 km), Oxberg (62 km), Hökberg (71 km) and Eldris (81 km) provide regular opportunities to top up, but the gaps of 10–13 km mean you should carry sufficient calories and fluid to cover each segment independently. Plan for 200–300 kcal per hour, leaning on easily digestible carbohydrates. The crew access at Evertsberg is the one place to make a full kit and nutrition check — use it. In the later stages between Hökberg and Eldris, when cut-offs are tight and fatigue peaks, even a short stop to eat real food can restore enough energy to run the final 11 km to Mora strongly rather than shuffling in.
Conditions to Expect
Ultravasan 90 takes place in late summer in Dalarna, Sweden, and conditions are generally cool to mild — a significant advantage over many European ultras. Temperatures at race start in Sälen, which sits above 340 m, are often appreciably cooler than in Mora at the finish, and the dense forest canopy provides shade for the majority of the route. That said, summer days in Sweden can be warm during peak afternoon hours, which coincides with most runners being in the exposed, lower-elevation sections between Oxberg and Mora. Rainfall can make the packed dirt sections greasy, particularly on the descents, so trail shoes with reliable grip are advisable even though the course never becomes deeply technical. Insects — particularly mosquitoes — can be a nuisance in forested sections, especially earlier in the season. Carry a light wind layer for the start in Sälen and be prepared to strip down as the day warms. A headtorch is worth packing for slower runners who may be approaching Eldris and the finish as daylight fades in the early evening.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 349 m · —
11 km · 481 m · —
24 km · 444 m · —
35 km · 388 m · —
47 km · 399 m · —
62 km · 218 m · Sat 15:50
71 km · 210 m · Sat 17:20
81 km · 220 m · Sat 19:00
92 km · 164 m · Day 20:30
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