Lighting Up the Engadin Night Race with Odlo
It’s bitterly cold outside, but there’s a buzz of excitement in the air. It’s about 7pm in Sils, a quaint but quietly luxurious town in the Engadin Valley of the Swiss Alps, and hundreds of cross-country skiers are bustling towards a small icy field. In just a few moments, they’ll take on a 17km race through the frozen landscape for the 8th annual Engadin Night Race, a sporting event that is part of the larger Engadin Ski Marathon: an international draw since its inception in 1969, it attracts all sorts of skiers–professionals, hobbyists, and newbies–who are down for a challenge rooted in tradition and community.
The sun has already disappeared behind the gigantic, snow-capped mountains looming over the horizon, because unlike most ski races, this one takes place right after dusk. Every skier wears a headlamp, and their beams of light cut across the darkness as they get ready for the final countdown. There are six skiers in particular we’re keeping an eye on in this race: Switzerland-based hiking and ski expert Danny Kok, Italian all-around sportswoman Aurora Realini, Norwegian sports and travel influencer Adrienne Eikrim, German outdoor enthusiast Franziska Ida, Norwegian alpine athlete and photographer Jørgen Øyehaug, and French freeskier Kaditane Gomis. These six winter sports fanatics are collaborating with outdoor apparel brand Odlo to breathe new life into cross-country skiing, with the goal of bringing the sport to a new, younger generation of fans. Cross-country is as much about physical performance as it is about mental presence, and as the Odlo skiers inch towards the starting line, you can see them lock into their competitive headspace .
Odlo started 80 years ago when textile engineer and passionate sportsman Odd Lofterød Sr. started developing elastic, heat-regulating suits for cross-country skiers and speed skaters. Since then, they’ve evolved into a high-quality, premium brand that innovates both in outdoor technology and style, creating clothing that both keeps the wearer extremely warm while remaining comfortable and sleek. Odlo are a long-term sponsor of the Engadin Ski Marathon, and while our skiers are of course decked out in the brand from head to toe, they’re not the only ones—many have been shopping at Odlo’s pop-up store on the town’s main street, where their cozy base layers have been flying off the shelves.
Finally, the entire Odlo team takes off with the rest of the cross-country skiers, as they begin to make the 17km journey to the finish line. For the cold night air, it seems like what they’re wearing could be seen as minimal, but by layering Odlo’s base and mid layers, they can go for miles while maintaining an ideal body temperature. It’s about being able to perform without distractions, focusing on the race while finding the perfect balance between performance and presence. That’s when you really enjoy the outdoors to their fullest; feeling comfortable and at ease while the intensity of the elements swirling around you.
All six of our athletes finish the race in about an hour, which from where we’re standing, is pretty much a Herculean feat. As they tackled the final slope towards the finish line, their joy was palpable. Finishing a race like this isn’t just about time or endurance, it’s also about the confidence that comes from being at one with nature. When you can set out to realize your goals without having to worry about your apparel letting you down, it’s a reward like none other: nothing but you, your skis, and the path ahead.
After the race, we retreated to a chalet after party where the crew took a guided wind-down meditation in an ice hut, stretched out in a sauna, and even took a cold plunge to pamper their tired muscles. All in all, an unforgettable experience, a night with a simple takeaway: once you take those first steps outdoors and see what nature has to give back to you, you’ll always have the urge to return. Because as Odlo's ethos says, there’s always more out there.
For more on Odlo, check out their site here.
