The Engadin or Engadine is a long high Alpine valley region in the eastern Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden in southeasternmost Switzerland with about 25,000 inhabitants. It follows the route of the Inn from its headwaters at Maloja Pass in the southwest running roughly northeast until the Inn flows into Austria, little less than one hundred kilometers downstream. The En/Inn subsequently flows at Passau into the Danube, making it the only Swiss river to drain into the Black Sea. The Engadine is protected by high mountain ranges on all sides and is famous for its sunny climate, beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities.
The Rhaetian Railway, abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB operates all the railway lines of the Swiss canton of Grisons, except for the line from Sargans to the cantonal capital, Chur, which are operated by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), as well as the line from Disentis/Mustér to the Oberalp Pass and further on to Andermatt, Uri, which is operated by Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB). Inaugurated in 1888 and expanded from 1896 onwards in various sections, the RhB network is located almost entirely within Grisons, with one station across the Italian border at Tirano.
St. Moritz is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about 1,800 metres (5,910 ft) above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
The American Birkebeiner, or Birkie, is the largest cross-country skiing race in North America. It debuted in 1973 and is a founding member of the Worldloppet federation of cross-country ski marathons. The Birkie's two premier events are the 50 km (31 mi) skate and the 55 km (34 mi) classic races between the towns of Cable and Hayward in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Each year more than 10,000 skiers participate in the Birkie, including the full-distances races, a 29 km (18 mi) Kortelopet race, and a 15 km (9.3 mi) Prince Haakon race.
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps, the highest point of the Bernina Range, and the highest peak in the Rhaetian Alps. It rises 4,048.6 m (13,283 ft) and is located south of Pontresina and near the major Alpine resort of St. Moritz, in the Engadin valley. It is also the most easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent peak in the Alps. Although the summit lies within Switzerland, the massif is on the border with Italy. The "shoulder" known as La Spedla is the highest point in the Italian Lombardy region.
Zuoz is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
Pontresina is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.
S-chanf is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
Celerina/Schlarigna is a municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
Samedan is a town and municipality in the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Grisons. It is served by Samedan railway station on the Rhaetian Railway network and by the Samedan Airport.
Natascia Leonardi Cortesi is a Swiss cross-country skier and ski mountaineer who has competed since 1988 in the World Cup circuit. She won a bronze medal in the 4 × 5 km relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and had her best individual finish with a tenth place in the 30 km event at those same games. This was the first olympic medal ever for a Swiss woman cross-country team. Leonardi Cortesi's best score at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was a fifth place in the 4 × 5 km relay in 1999.
Lake Sils is a lake in the Upper Engadine valley, Grisons, Switzerland. It takes its name from the village of Sils im Engadin.
Marcialonga is a cross-country ski race which is arranged for the last Sunday in January in Trentino in Italy. It was first held in 1971 and has been a part of Worldloppet as long as Worldloppet has been around.
Samedan Airport, also known as Engadin Airport, is a regional airport in Samedan in the Engadin valley of Switzerland, 5 km from St. Moritz.
The Bernina Express is a train connecting Chur in Switzerland to Poschiavo in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy by crossing the Swiss Engadin Alps. For most of its journey, the train also runs along the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes.
Fossavatnsgangan is an annual ski marathon held in Ísafjörður, in the Westfjords of Iceland. The event has been a part of Worldloppet since 2014.
The Maloja Palace is a hotel 15 km (9.3 mi) from St Moritz, in the Graubünden canton of Switzerland, at the top of the Maloja Pass linking the Engadin and the Bregell valley, very close to the village of Maloja, a hamlet in the municipality of Bregaglia in the Maloja Region.
The Transjurassienne is an annual cross-country ski race held on the second Weekend of February between Lamoura and Mouthe in the French Jura mountains. It debuted in 1980 and has been a part of Worldloppet since 1981. It is also part of the FIS Marathon Cup and the biggest cross-country skiing event in France. More than 4,000 skiers participate over the two days each year. Saturday is devoted to classic-style with races taking place over 25 km and 50 km. The main race takes place on Sunday - the 76 km long Tranjurassienne in skating-style - the longest skating race on the Worldloppet tour. Shorter races over 57 km and 25 km are also offered. Participation is open to anyone from the age of 16, and while no licence is required to sign up, the organisers demand a medical certificate to demonstrate the ability to take part in a long-distance skiing event.
Competitive cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of race formats and course lengths. Rules of cross-country skiing are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing. It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation. Related forms of competition are biathlon, where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment.
The Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway—also called the Engadinerbahn, Engadinerlinie, Unterengadinerbahn or Unterengadinerlinie —is a Swiss metre-gauge railway, which is operated by the Rhaetian Railway and connects the Lower Engadine with the Albula Railway. The Samedan–Pontresina railway is often also considered part of the line. Both lines are closely linked with each other. The Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway is part of the RhB mainline network, so the kilometrage (chainage) has its zero point in Landquart.
Karl Wagenführ (SUI)
Ingrid Hadler (NOR)
Ola Hassis (SWE)
Bill Koch (USA)
Ladislav Svanda (CZE)
Guidina Dal Sasso (ITA)
Hervé Balland (FRA)
Maria Theurl (AUT)
Yuliya Chepalova (RUS)
Peter Schlickenrieder (GER)
Juan Jesús Gutiérrez (ESP)
Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN)