Ingalåmi women’s cross-country race

• Ingalåmi is a women’s cross-country race in Lillehammer, Norway.
• The first race took place in 1993.
• Its name refers to Inga of Varteig, mother of Håkon Håkonsson.
• The 2018 edition offered 5-, 15- and 30-kilometre routes.
• More than 1,700 women started in 2018.

Ingalåmi began in 1993 as a ski race for women. Its name refers to Inga of Varteig, mother of Håkon Håkonsson. The race uses the forests and cross-country areas around Lillehammer, giving women with different levels of experience a shared goal on skis. The event combines a sporting challenge with a sociable atmosphere in which participants can support one another and share a day on the trails.

More than 1,700 women took part in the 2018 edition. They could choose between 5, 15 and 30 kilometres. The longest race crossed the Birkebeiner forests, part of Lillehammer’s long cross-country tradition. Participants ranged from former competitive skiers to women with only a few days on skis during the winter. The event shows how a popular race can bring different experience levels together.

Start and finish are at Birkebeineren Ski Stadium, an important cross-country venue in Lillehammer. The city hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, with Nordic events held on its trails and at the stadium. Ingalåmi uses this setting for a women’s race of its own. The link between an Olympic venue and a popular event brings international cross-country history together with a local community occasion.

Women are at the centre of Ingalåmi, unlike many mixed popular races. The Koasalauf in Tyrol and the Skadi Loppet in the Bavarian Forest also connect cross-country skiing with regional landscapes. The former Ski-Trail Tannheimer Tal reached into the Allgäu. Comparing their formats shows that popular races are defined by community and character as well as distance and technique.

Ingalåmi belongs to the history of Norwegian women’s cross-country skiing and gives Lillehammer its own winter-sport event. The 2018 distance information describes that specific edition. For background on the sport apart from this race, see our guide to cross-country skiing; more races are listed in the overview of ski-sport events.