Twists and turns in the womens field on the way to Gaustatoppen as Corbova claims the victory
The women's race at Norseman 2026 delivered excitement from start to finish, with the lead changing hands several times before the final climb to Gaustatoppen.
The day began in calm waters in Eidfjord, although swim times indicated that athletes may have been battling a current beneath the surface. Dutch athlete Ilona Eversdijk was first out of the water, followed by Maisa Tuliniemi of Finland and Estée Chiara Larivière.
As the race progressed, the competition remained exceptionally close. At one stage, as many as eight women were separated by less than eight minutes, and Norwegian athlete Tonja Lunde Johansen from Sandnes later moved into the overall lead.
When the athletes started the run, Maisa Tuliniemi led the race, with Nikola Čorbová in second and Kaja Bergwitz-Larsen in third. But with several strong runners close behind, the race was far from settled.
The marathon would prove decisive.
Among those chasing was Helene Melson Tungesvik, who produced one of the strongest runs of the day. Starting the run more than 12.5 minutes behind Čorbová, she steadily reduced the gap and moved into podium contention.
Nikola Čorbová. Photo credit: Alexander Koerner
Despite the pressure from behind, Čorbová claimed the victory after a consistently strong performance across all three disciplines.
Helene Melsom Tungesvik. Photo credit: Alexander Koerner
Sonia Tomegros Regalado. Photo credit: Alexander Koerner
Behind her, Tungesvik's impressive run earned her second place, while Spain’s Sonia Tomegros Regalado claimed the final podium spot.
Just outside the podium was Tonja Lunde Johansen, who had led the race only a few hours earlier but ultimately finished less than three minutes behind third place.
While the men's race gradually became a battle between a few frontrunners, the women's competition remained unpredictable until the very end, with the final podium only decided on the roads and trails leading to Mount Gausta.
