Special Olympics for people with disabilities
The Special Olympics cross-country skiing competitions for people with disabilities take place one week after the International Gommerlauf race.
On Sunday, 1 March 2026, athletes from all over Switzerland will compete against each other in Ulrichen at the Nordic Centre over distances of 500 metres, 1, 3 and 6 kilometres. In the morning, qualifying races will determine the groupings for the final races.
In order to offer Special Olympics athletes optimal competition conditions, three different three-lane classic trails are being created for the various distances. The Nordic Centre in Ulrichen offers ideal cross-country skiing terrain with excellent infrastructure.
Obergoms Tourism and the organisers of the Special Olympics Gommerlauf hope that as many cross-country skiers as possible from disabled sports groups throughout Switzerland will take part.
Zhe Upper Valais Disabled Sports Association organises cross-country skiing training for its athletes every Saturday on the Goms trails. A wide variety of training methods are used, with the focus on having fun while exercising. Some members of BSOW have international competition experience, having already competed twice in the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in 2009 in Idaho (USA) and in 2017 in Schladming (Austria).