The 31-year-old has a 721-point lead over compatriot Heidi Weng in the overall World Cup standings, with just 725 still available going into tomorrow's women's 30 kilometres classic mass start event.

Johaug can claim her third overall crystal globe, having previously achieved the feat in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 seasons.

If she does so, she will add to her distance World Cup title.

Only Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk, Norway's Bente Skari and Marit Bjørgen, and all-time record holder Elena Välbe of Russia have won more than three overall World Cup titles.

Kowalczyk, Skari and Bjørgen all have four to their name, while Välbe has five.

Tomorrow's women's event will be followed by the men's 50km classic mass start competition on Sunday (March 8).

Russia's Alexander Bolshunov is the current leader of the overall and distance World Cup standings, with  totals of 2,073 and 1,145 points respectively.

Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is 410 points behind in the overall rankings, while compatriot Sjur Røthe trails Bolshunov by 369 in the distance rankings.

The FIS Cross-Country World Cup forms part of the Holmenkollen Skifestival, together with this weekend's FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Raw Air Tournament and FIS Nordic Combined World Cup, both of which began today.

The local authorities of Oslo - Oslo Municipality, Norwegian Department of Health and Norwegian Institute of Public Health - have decided that the Holmenkollen Skifestival will take place without spectators.

"The safety precaution is taken due to the current global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus," a statement on FIS Cross-Country's Twitter page reads.