Champion crowned in 2026 Norwegian reindeer championships
TROMSO, Norway — Mikkel Alexander Olli Eira of Karasjok was crowned the winner of this year’s Norwegian Reindeer Racing Championships, the marquee event capping off Sami Week in the Arctic city of Tromsø.
“It feels good,” Eira told Eye on the Arctic after his victory on Sunday. “Norway’s the best in reindeer racing.”
The races take place on one of Tromso’s main downtown streets, where reindeer compete head to head in opening heats, followed by a final, down a 201-metre sprint course.
Although competitors are often described as jockeys, reindeer racing looks nothing like horse racing.
Rather than riding the animals, the handlers ski behind them, gripping reins or a rope as they are pulled at speed across the snow.
Steering relies on pressure, verbal cues to the animal, and body movement — a major balancing act behind a reindeer that can sprint at up to 60 kilometres per hour.
Eira won the final with reindeer number six, named Joker, in front of an international audience for an event that has become a major tourist draw.
“It’s fun — people are coming from everywhere in the world to see how reindeer racing is,” he said.
The championships marked the finale of Sami Week, a series of events held across the city showcasing the culture of the Sami, an Indigenous people whose traditional territory spans northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
Reindeer herding remains central to Sami culture, and traditional skills such as lasso throwing, along with reindeer racing, are among the most popular events during Sami week.
Sami Week also includes a market selling handicrafts, fur, and reindeer meat, as well as concerts, talks, and other cultural events throughout the city.
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Snowshoeing removed from Team N.T. for 2026 AWG, other sports reduced, CBC News
Finland: Ice fishing World Championships latest in Finnish series of odd sports events, Yle News
United States: Veteran musher Brent Sass wins Yukon Quest 300, CBC News
