May 15, 2008 (Anchorage, Alaska) – The sound of ski poles clinking together will replace the ring of wedding bells as the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team’s Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) marries Canadian skier Jeff Ellis on Friday. Randall made history in the 2008 season when she became the first U.S. woman to win a World Cup cross country race.

“It’s been a fun build up to this point and I hope it doesn’t happen too fast so I can enjoy it,” Randall said less than 24 hours before her wedding. “It’s kind of been a whirlwind the last week with everyone arriving and trying to tie up the loose details.”

Vows will be made outdoors under an arch crafted with cross-country skis as the couple are married by their mutual coach and friend Erik Flora.

Coincidentally, Randall will be married on the night where she will be announced as Cross Country Athlete of the Year at the USSA Congress Awards dinner. At the awards, Flora is also being named as USSA Domestic Coach of the Year and the program where Randall trained with Flora, Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center, will be named Cross Country Club of the Year.

From Randall’s wedding, the platinum and pink themed ceremony will move indoors where the happy couple and guests will enjoy a night of mingling, fun and dancing.

Randall said she is especially excited to marry a fellow cross country athlete.”He has really become the perfect training partner for me. We have so much fun. We’re both ski training and chasing the Olympics and when we’re done training, we can rest and hang out together,” Randall said. “He’s just a super positive person and he keeps me laughing.”

Randall, who recently underwent surgery for a blood clot in her leg, said that her health is completely restored and she is back to training.

The couple, who have already bought a house for their married life, will be traveling to Ontario for a Canadian reception for those who couldn’t make it to Alaska, and from there they will start their honeymoon in Moab, UT.

“Going and sitting on a beach somewhere when we know we’re supposed to be training would drive us both crazy so we picked a place where we could both stay active,” Randall said.