The event marks the first Cross-Country World Cup in Lake Placid since 1979, and the first-ever Cross-Country World Cup Finals held in the United States. Coming shortly after the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, the Lake Placid Finals conclude the 2025-26 World Cup cross-country skiing season, with Crystal Globes on the line for overall points champions.

In addition to world-class racing, the Lake Placid Finals will aim to deliver a festival-style experience for fans of all ages, with themed days celebrating the past, present and future of cross-country skiing, along with programming that highlights the lasting impact of women and girls in sport. A full slate of interactive activities, youth-focused programming, athlete engagements and community events will give fans opportunities to connect personally with the world’s top skiers.

Lake Placid is the final stop of the 2025-26 World Cup season, which began in November in Ruka, Finland. Mount Van Hoevenberg becomes only the second U.S. venue since 2001 to stage an FIS Cross-Country World Cup event, following the Loppet Cup, which drew large crowds to Minneapolis in 2024.

Jessie Diggins, the most decorated cross-country skier in U.S. history, announced earlier this season that the Lake Placid Finals will be the final World Cup of her career. She will be coming off her fourth Olympic Games and looking to put an exclamation point on a storied career that has included three Olympic medals (gold, silver and bronze), three overall World Cup titles (2021, 2024 and 2025) and seven World Championships medals. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, Diggins teamed with Kikkan Randall to become the first Americans to win an Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing.

Diggins, a Minnesota native who has trained with the SMS T2 team in Stratton, Vermont most of her career, will be joined in Lake Placid by a strong contingent of teammates from the current U.S. Olympic Team. Olympic veterans Rosie Brennan (2018, 2022, 2026), Julia Kern (2022, 2026), Novie McCabe (2022, 2026), Hailey Swirbul (2022, 2026), Ben Ogden (2022, 2026), JC Schoonmaker (2022, 2026) and Gus Schumacher (2022, 2026) are expected to compete, as well as Olympic newcomers Lauren Jortberg (2026), Kendall Kramer (2026), Sammy Smith (2026), John Steel Hagenbuch (2026), Zak Ketterson (2026), Zanden McMullen (2026), Hunter Wonders (2026) and Jack Young (2026).

International standouts include Norway’s Johannes Hosflot Klaebo, a five-time Crystal Globe winner who has the most Gold medals in Winter Olympics history, and Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who captured three medals at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

In addition to world-class racing, the Stifel Lake Placid Finals will deliver a multi-day winter sports festival featuring themed race days, live entertainment, film screenings, interactive expo activations and family-friendly programming. Working with the New England Nordic Ski Association, the 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Ski and Snowboard and FIS, ORDA has curated a weeklong slate of experiences to celebrate Nordic skiing and outdoor winter sports. The schedule will spotlight women and girls in sport through school-based outreach, panels and hands-on activities. Fans will have opportunities to connect with athletes through meet-and-greets, alumni celebrations and legacy moments such as Sunday’s “The Last Lap” ceremony. These activities and events are meant to foster engagement, connection and shared appreciation across the community.

Diggins and other athletes expected to step away from World Cup racing will be honored at the conclusion of the competition with The Last Lap ceremony on Sunday, March 22. The emotional farewell will serve as a powerful bookend to an already historic weekend.

For tickets and more information, visit tinyurl.com/5t4xsxks.