September 12, 2010 – Two years ago Marcus Hellner won the World Cup premiere at Dundret, Gellivare. On Wednesday evening the double Olympic champion was back on the winning track again as he won by an impressive margin in the new event, World Cup Challenge.

Runners and joggers challenged Marcus Hellner on a tough World Cup course at Dundret Ski Stadium in Gellivare. Marcus Hellner won the racing class easily in the time 15:39, which was one minutes and twelve seconds faster than runner-up Simon Oberg, who in turn was 25 seconds ahead of third-place Niklas Niska. After the race, which attracted 53 starters, Hellner was really happy.

“It was great fun to run on the tough World Cup course, and most fun of all is that we now started a sports and racing events here at Dundret, which I think could be something big in the future. I think it’s great that things happen up at the ski stadium in other times than when it’s World Cup skiing” said Marcus Hellner.

Hellner was last week at the speed training camp with the squad in Östersund and did not seem especially tired after the hard camp, he ran with powerful strides on the Dynamite hill. In the World Cup Challenge, he also gave the hobby runners five minutes handicap at the start. The Olympic champion did not get all the runners but there were not many left. Fastest in the hobby class, without timing, was Alexander Ode running strongly before Henrik Lyngmark.

In the hobby class, also Marcus’ father Thomas Hellner was running and he ran with good speed. “It was the most important of all, I caught up with him” laughed his son Marcus after the finish. After a few days at home Marcus Hellner and the Swedish team are off on yet another new training camp.