A record number of teams and athletes heading to Ruka Nordic

Record Number of Teams Registered for Ruka Nordic Season Opening

A record number of teams have registered for the Ruka Nordic, which opens the FIS World Cup season in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.

The Nordic skiing super weekend will bring together the world’s top athletes in cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined in Ruka on November 28–30, 2025.

Based on preliminary entries, the upcoming event will be the largest of the 2020s. This year, 41 countries will participate, compared to 31 the previous year. A total of 440 athletes have registered to compete, up from 362 in 2024 — an increase of approximately 22 percent.

The same growth trend is visible in the number of team staff supporting the athletes. The enthusiasm for the competition extends to all three disciplines, each seeing an increase in participants.

According to Harri Keskiaho, CEO of Ruka Nordic Oy, the record-breaking number of entries is likely influenced, at least in part, by the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy in February 2026.

“As a World Cup-level event, Ruka Nordic offers teams an excellent opportunity to earn the FIS points required for Olympic qualification,” Keskiaho says.

For athletes from smaller nations in particular, it is crucial to compete in high-level events to meet the minimum qualification standards for the Olympics. Being held early in the season, Ruka Nordic offers one of the first — and most snow-reliable — opportunities to earn FIS points.

New Countries from Several Continents

Compared to 2024, new teams will join the event from multiple continents.

Teams and nationalities not participating in 2024:

Chile
Croatia
Ecuador
India
Israel
South Korea
Lithuania
Peru
Philippines
Romania
Thailand
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
Venezuela

Teams that participated in 2024 but have not registered for this year’s World Cup:

Brazil
Morocco
Slovakia

Additional Information

Harri Keskiaho
Secretary General, Ruka Nordic
CEO, Ruka Nordic Oy
harri.keskiaho(at)rukanordic.com
+358 50 590 6666