2020 Cross Country Ski World Cup will be at Theodore Wirth Park
Elite athletes will once again cast their eyes on Minnesota for the 2020 Cross Country Ski World Cup. Organizers say it will be the first World Cup on U.S. soil in 18 years. The event will be called Parallel 45 Winter Festival because the 45th parallel running through Theodore Wirth Park. The event is scheduled for March 2020.
“Eyes on Minnesota”
Move over Superbowl 52, Ryder Cup and Final Four….there’s a new event coming to town that will also attract world-class athletes. Thursday, a group of organizers announced Parallel 45 Winter Festival, which features the 2020 Cross Country Ski World Cup.
“The thing that’s so exciting about this and why Explore Minnesota is glad to support this event, it it’s promoting an activity and event that people can do in every part of the state,” said John Edman, executive director of Explore Minnesota. “The eyes of the world are going to be on Minnesota.”
For the first time in 18 years, the World Cup will be back in the U.S. The event will take place in Theodore Wirth Park, which has a revamped trailhead facility. The Loppet Foundation was awarded a spot on the International Ski Federation (FIS) calendar for March of 2020.
Organizers named the event Parallel 45 Winter Festival. The title is a tribute to cross country skis and the fact that the 45th parallel runs right through Theodore Wirth Park.
“It shows off what Minnesota is about,” says Dan Florness, CEO of Fastenal, which is the title sponsor for the event. “It also shows we are willing to invest and what type of atmosphere we have here in Minnesota, the Twin Cities and here in Golden Valley.”
Organizers tipped their hat to Minnesota’s Jessie Diggins and her partner, Kikkan Randall for their inspiration and support in making this happen. The duo won the U.S.’s first gold medal in the sport in the previous Olympic games.
