Pippa Middleton completes ski race

Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, crossed the finish line Sunday in Sweden's grueling 56-mile Vasaloppet cross-country ski race, AFP reported.

She clocked in at seven hours, 13 minutes and 36 seconds, AFP said, placing her 412th out of 1,734 women contestants to finish.

In total, Middleton joined nearly 16,000 others to compete in the race, which runs between the Swedish villages of Salen and Mora.

Middleton, a fitness fanatic who regularly takes part in triathlons and road races, said on her fundraising webpage that she and her brother James were competing to raise money for Magic Breakfast — a small charity that helps deliver free breakfasts to British schoolchildren.

Event organizers had said they were thrilled that the Middletons joined the 15,800-strong field of competitors in the race — considered the largest and oldest event of its kind in the world.

"It's really fantastic that such well known people will take part; it shows that our arrangements attract not only the most renowned skiers in the world but also some of the most famous personalities in the world as well," Vasaloppet spokesperson Per Strid said in a statement.