Esther Kiel achieved her fourth victory in five Grand Prix marathon skating races with a strong solo finish in Luleå, while Ronald Haasjes secured his first major win in the men’s competition.
According to NOS Schaatsen, Kiel, a 29-year-old national champion from Overveen competing for the Puur ICT-BTZ team, broke away from a leading group of six on the final lap in difficult conditions of mist and drizzle. Among those in the leading group were Veerle van Koppen and Tessa Snoek, who currently hold second and third places in the standings. Kiel, who will retire after this season, previously won a race in northern Sweden under colder temperatures earlier in the week. Her strong performances throughout the Grand Prix make her likely to secure the overall title once again, having won the final classification in 2023 following victories by Snoek in 2024 and 2025.
In the men’s race, 29-year-old Ronald Haasjes from Staphorst claimed his first Grand Prix victory by overtaking Ruben Verkerk shortly before the finish line. Verkerk had launched a late attack on the main group and nearly succeeded. The final Grand Prix races for both men and women are scheduled for Saturday, also in Luleå.
