Quench'd: Weekly Stories for Cyclists
December 6th, 2025 | by Annika Landis
Annika Landis is a friend of mine from Hailey, ID who I met my freshman year at Middlebury. She was captain of the Nordic ski team and such a big inspiration for me. Watching her consistently get top 10 results on the EISA collegiate circuit while also achieving national and international success (winning a Junior National Championship and qualifying for U23 World Champs) was such a formative part of my experience in college. I feel so lucky to have started my time on the team with Annika as captain, and I’ve loved seeing all that she has accomplished in her time after college! When Carina mentioned that she thought that getting an overview on all the Nordic marathon races would be cool, I instantly knew that Annika would be the right person to ask.
-Charlotte Ogden
After she graduated, she spent three seasons on the SuperTour circuit with a top-10 at the American Birkebeiner, a 3rd at the Boulder Mountain Tour, and multiple top-10s. Annika then shifted her focus to the style of training and racing she loves. Stepping away from chasing World Cup starts, she joined the newly revamped Enjoy Winter Factory Team to race domestic marathons and rediscover her love for skiing.
Off the ski trails, Annika is developing her endurance in ultra trail running, ski touring, cycling, and other mountain adventures. You can find her over-caffeinated and scheming on Strava or Caltopo for her next big quest. She believes in embodying sport as a lifestyle and as a sustainable lifelong pursuit, and strives to be open and honest about her experiences as an athlete and the challenges and joys that endurance sports can bring.
Annika Landis is a friend of mine from Hailey, ID who I met my freshman year at Middlebury. She was captain of the Nordic ski team and such a big inspiration for me. Watching her consistently get top 10 results on the EISA collegiate circuit while also achieving national and international success (winning a Junior National Championship and qualifying for U23 World Champs) was such a formative part of my experience in college. I feel so lucky to have started my time on the team with Annika as captain, and I’ve loved seeing all that she has accomplished in her time after college! When Carina mentioned that she thought that getting an overview on all the Nordic marathon races would be cool, I instantly knew that Annika would be the right person to ask.
-Charlotte Ogden
After she graduated, she spent three seasons on the SuperTour circuit with a top-10 at the American Birkebeiner, a 3rd at the Boulder Mountain Tour, and multiple top-10s. Annika then shifted her focus to the style of training and racing she loves. Stepping away from chasing World Cup starts, she joined the newly revamped Enjoy Winter Factory Team to race domestic marathons and rediscover her love for skiing.
Off the ski trails, Annika is developing her endurance in ultra trail running, ski touring, cycling, and other mountain adventures. You can find her over-caffeinated and scheming on Strava or Caltopo for her next big quest. She believes in embodying sport as a lifestyle and as a sustainable lifelong pursuit, and strives to be open and honest about her experiences as an athlete and the challenges and joys that endurance sports can bring.
Pictured above: 1. Annika and her dad in her first BMT in 2009. 2. The start of the women’s elite wave at the 2025 BMT. Photo by Derek Svengusson and Craig Wolfromcourtesy of the Boulder Mountain Tour.
Pictured above: 1. Annika and her dad in her first BMT in 2009. 2. The start of the women’s elite wave at the 2025 BMT. Photo by Derek Svengusson and Craig Wolfromcourtesy of the Boulder Mountain Tour.
Nordic marathons are an unique experience that bring together participants from every level of skiing. You can have an elite racer standing at the start line with a first timer, and a retired olympian, and every type of skier in between. Marathons are competitions, but more than that, they are community building events where strangers become friends through the suffering, camaraderie, and joy of a shared endeavor. There are many special events across the US and I have yet to ski them all, but here are just a few of my favorites.
Nordic marathons are an unique experience that bring together participants from every level of skiing. You can have an elite racer standing at the start line with a first timer, and a retired olympian, and every type of skier in between. Marathons are competitions, but more than that, they are community building events where strangers become friends through the suffering, camaraderie, and joy of a shared endeavor. There are many special events across the US and I have yet to ski them all, but here are just a few of my favorites.
The Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT) is my all-time favorite event, because it is my hometown race and it sparked my love of marathon skiing. I skied my first BMT when I was 5th grade, and after all these years, I have just as much fun racing the elite wave as I did at 11 years old, outsprinting my dad at the finish. I am always blown away by the energy that the BMT excites in the community. Racing at home reminds me where I came from and immerses me fully in the environment that made me love skiing in the first place.
The Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT) is my all-time favorite event, because it is my hometown race and it sparked my love of marathon skiing. I skied my first BMT when I was 5th grade, and after all these years, I have just as much fun racing the elite wave as I did at 11 years old, outsprinting my dad at the finish. I am always blown away by the energy that the BMT excites in the community. Racing at home reminds me where I came from and immerses me fully in the environment that made me love skiing in the first place.
Annika racing to a 2nd place in the 2025 BMT. Photos by Derek Svengusson and Craig Wolfrom courtesy of the Boulder Mountain Tour.
Annika racing to a 2nd place in the 2025 BMT. Photos by Derek Svengusson and Craig Wolfrom courtesy of the Boulder Mountain Tour.
So much about this race is unique. The course itself, net-downhill for 32k, speeds down the Harriman Trail, offering mountain views so scenic it’s hard not to stop and gape. But it’s the people, the racers, spectators, and volunteers, who show up every year with more flair and enthusiasm than you thought was possible at a nordic race, that makes this event so special. Each year I am filled with gratitude that people love skiing as much as I do, and that we all get to share and build on that passion together. When the race is over, I always look forward to settling into a booth at Grumpy’s (local bar) with my friends and swapping race stories over a schooner (a beer that takes more effort to finish than the race itself).
The BMT, a joyful mixture of world class skiing, mountain town charm and all around good vibes is a can’t-miss event. This race sells out FAST, so add your name to the waitlist for 2026, or keep your eye on the website for 2027 registration.
So much about this race is unique. The course itself, net-downhill for 32k, speeds down the Harriman Trail, offering mountain views so scenic it’s hard not to stop and gape. But it’s the people, the racers, spectators, and volunteers, who show up every year with more flair and enthusiasm than you thought was possible at a nordic race, that makes this event so special. Each year I am filled with gratitude that people love skiing as much as I do, and that we all get to share and build on that passion together. When the race is over, I always look forward to settling into a booth at Grumpy’s (local bar) with my friends and swapping race stories over a schooner (a beer that takes more effort to finish than the race itself).
The BMT, a joyful mixture of world class skiing, mountain town charm and all around good vibes is a can’t-miss event. This race sells out FAST, so add your name to the waitlist for 2026, or keep your eye on the website for 2027 registration.
The American Birkebeiner (a.k.a the “Birkie”) is an iconic race and cultural event that every nordic skier should participate in at least once in their lifetime. Inspired by the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet, the Birkie combines Norwegian history, nordic culture, elite and citizen racing into a week of non-stop energy. There is an activity for every skier, from little kiddos to elite racers, and even a skijoring “Barkie Birkie.” A palpable electric charge connects the ~12,000 people that participate, through the volunteers and spectators, and over time through the generations of skiers in the past and those yet to come. Known fondly as “Birkie Fever,” once you get hooked, the only cure is to keep coming back.
The American Birkebeiner (a.k.a the “Birkie”) is an iconic race and cultural event that every nordic skier should participate in at least once in their lifetime. Inspired by the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet, the Birkie combines Norwegian history, nordic culture, elite and citizen racing into a week of non-stop energy. There is an activity for every skier, from little kiddos to elite racers, and even a skijoring “Barkie Birkie.” A palpable electric charge connects the ~12,000 people that participate, through the volunteers and spectators, and over time through the generations of skiers in the past and those yet to come. Known fondly as “Birkie Fever,” once you get hooked, the only cure is to keep coming back.
Annika finishing on main street in Hayward, 2025.
Annika finishing on main street in Hayward, 2025.
My experience at the Birkie is always start-to-finish goosebumps (the good kind). The power of community at the Birkie is unmatched in US skiing. On any given year, thousands of spectators line the 50 kilometers of trail from Cable to Hayward, and their excitement for every racer no matter their speed is contagious. Aid stations resemble small parties, and you will be offered shotskis, which I have never been brave enough to accept. The finish is iconic; skiers cross a frozen lake and ski over a bridge onto main street into downtown Hayward, where volunteers have covered the street in snow. Even if your legs feel like jelly, or you can’t feel them at all at the end of 50km, the roar of the crowd packed along the barriers is like jet fuel. This race embodies what it means to love nordic skiing culture and to be a part of history.
My experience at the Birkie is always start-to-finish goosebumps (the good kind). The power of community at the Birkie is unmatched in US skiing. On any given year, thousands of spectators line the 50 kilometers of trail from Cable to Hayward, and their excitement for every racer no matter their speed is contagious. Aid stations resemble small parties, and you will be offered shotskis, which I have never been brave enough to accept. The finish is iconic; skiers cross a frozen lake and ski over a bridge onto main street into downtown Hayward, where volunteers have covered the street in snow. Even if your legs feel like jelly, or you can’t feel them at all at the end of 50km, the roar of the crowd packed along the barriers is like jet fuel. This race embodies what it means to love nordic skiing culture and to be a part of history.
Images 1, 2, 4: Sites from the Ski to the Sun Marathon. Image 3: Annika and Hannah Rudd celebrate with a post-race schooner at Grumpy’s
Images 1, 2, 4: Sites from the Ski to the Sun Marathon. Image 3: Annika and Hannah Rudd celebrate with a post-race schooner at Grumpy’s
I took my first trip to the Methow Valley last winter and I was enamored by this quirky ski paradise. If the Birkie is a high energy Scandinavian-American fever dream, Ski to the Sun brings a more relaxed experience where old-west meets Norwegian ski retreat. A stroll down Winthrop’s main street feels like a Western movie set, except this one has lycra and speedmax. It’s a combination I didn’t know I needed and now that I’ve experienced it, I can’t wait to go back.
I was excited to race the marathon, a 40km that works its way down from Mazama and ends with a grueling 10k climb to the Sun Mountain Lodge. The race was a blast, but it ended up being just a gateway to a ski-cation that I never wanted to leave.
I stayed a few extra days to explore and every trail offered a panoramic view of the Cascades that left my jaw sore from hanging open. My favorite ski was a long adventure on the Rendezvous trails. For nearly 6 hours, I skied perfect corduroy, linking together a handful of mountain huts nestled in the pine and cedar forest. Long climbs and ripping downhills that felt like they lasted forever juxtaposed the more gradual terrain on the valley floor. And when I was done, I flopped contentedly in a sun soaked chair at the Mazama General Store and devoured one of their famous salted baguettes, grinning at the fact that there were still so many trails left to explore. I typed out a strava caption: “just about as much fun as a person can have before it’s illegal.” When at last it was time to leave, it was with the contentness of tired legs, a happy heart, and a belly full of baguette.
I took my first trip to the Methow Valley last winter and I was enamored by this quirky ski paradise. If the Birkie is a high energy Scandinavian-American fever dream, Ski to the Sun brings a more relaxed experience where old-west meets Norwegian ski retreat. A stroll down Winthrop’s main street feels like a Western movie set, except this one has lycra and speedmax. It’s a combination I didn’t know I needed and now that I’ve experienced it, I can’t wait to go back.
I was excited to race the marathon, a 40km that works its way down from Mazama and ends with a grueling 10k climb to the Sun Mountain Lodge. The race was a blast, but it ended up being just a gateway to a ski-cation that I never wanted to leave.
I stayed a few extra days to explore and every trail offered a panoramic view of the Cascades that left my jaw sore from hanging open. My favorite ski was a long adventure on the Rendezvous trails. For nearly 6 hours, I skied perfect corduroy, linking together a handful of mountain huts nestled in the pine and cedar forest. Long climbs and ripping downhills that felt like they lasted forever juxtaposed the more gradual terrain on the valley floor. And when I was done, I flopped contentedly in a sun soaked chair at the Mazama General Store and devoured one of their famous salted baguettes, grinning at the fact that there were still so many trails left to explore. I typed out a strava caption: “just about as much fun as a person can have before it’s illegal.” When at last it was time to leave, it was with the contentness of tired legs, a happy heart, and a belly full of baguette.
01.17.26 Ski de She Camp and Race, Hayward, WI -If you like making friends
01.31.26 Craftsbury Marathon, Craftsbury, VT - If you love Vermont charm
01.31.26 Alley Loop, Crested Butte, CO -if you like dressing up
01.31.26 City of Lakes Loppett, Minneapolis MN - if you like an urban adventure
02.07.26 Vasaloppet, Mora, MN - if you like Dala horses
02.14.26 Gatineau Loppett, Gatineau Quebec, CA - if you like Quebeçois
03.08.26 Engadin Ski Marathon, Engadin Valley, Switzerland -if you like fondue
03.07.26 West Yellowstone Rendezvous, West Yellowstone, MT - if you like being way out there.
03.08.26 Tour of Anchorage, Anchorage, AK -if you like moose
03.14.26 Norwegian Birkebeiner, Lillehammer, Norway - If you like the classics
04.04.26 Sovereign to Silverstar, Sovereign Lakes, BC, CA - if you like a good post race party
01.17.26 Ski de She Camp and Race, Hayward, WI -If you like making friends
01.31.26 Craftsbury Marathon, Craftsbury, VT - If you love Vermont charm
01.31.26 Alley Loop, Crested Butte, CO -if you like dressing up
01.31.26 City of Lakes Loppett, Minneapolis MN - if you like an urban adventure
02.07.26 Vasaloppet, Mora, MN - if you like Dala horses
02.14.26 Gatineau Loppett, Gatineau Quebec, CA - if you like Quebeçois
03.08.26 Engadin Ski Marathon, Engadin Valley, Switzerland -if you like fondue
03.07.26 West Yellowstone Rendezvous, West Yellowstone, MT - if you like being way out there.
03.08.26 Tour of Anchorage, Anchorage, AK -if you like moose
03.14.26 Norwegian Birkebeiner, Lillehammer, Norway - If you like the classics
04.04.26 Sovereign to Silverstar, Sovereign Lakes, BC, CA - if you like a good post race party
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