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I believe the Midnight Sun Marathon and Half Marathon is the most beautiful race in the world. It certainly is the only race that I have cried during because I was so overcome with how beautiful the world is. Running through the fjord at midnight is a once in a lifetime experience that all runners should aim for in their lifetime.

When I started my journey to run a half marathon every month of 2023 in a new country I wasn’t expecting any course this amazing. The snow capped peaks, shining water, never ending golden hour. It’s hard to imagine any race in the world that is more beautiful than this. 

I don’t even think you should read the rest of this half marathon review. Just go for it, sign up for this race, you will not regret it. But if you do want to learn more about this half marathon here are my thoughts.

If you’re looking for someone to plan a vacation around the Midnight Sun Half or Full Marathon for you, look no further. I offer trip consultations, tailored travel itineraries, and end-to-end trip planning. I even support running clubs traveling in large groups.

Overview of the Midnight Sun Marathon

As stated above, this is one of the most beautiful races in the world, but it also has an amazing atmosphere of locals and international runners coming together to celebrate the sport and support each other. During the day leading up to this race there was children’s run, free food at the finish line, and a general atmosphere of people just having a blast and being excited for the race.

How to Sign Up

If you have decided on running the Midnight Sun Marathon or Half Marathon, sign up is a breeze. This is a smaller race and bibs will sell out approximately one month before race day.

If you are traveling with kids you can also sign them up for the kids 500 meter race that takes place earlier in the day. I’m always a big fan of the kid races and watching the parents of toddlers try to get them to move in the right direction.

Midnight Sun Half Marathon Course

The Half Marathon course starts with an easy 5km out on the main island of Tromsø. This 5km section has many small rolling hills. At that point your turn around and make your way back into the city to cross the Tromsø bridge. The bridge is going to be the biggest hill you tackle during your race, and you will have to do it twice. After crossing the bridge you will do another 5km on this side of the water and turn around at the end again. The finish line is in the city center, next to the Cathedral. It will remain open for runners until 2AM.

Refreshments

The refreshments along the course were standard, with water spots approximately every 5km. Before the race the finish line area also had some great snacks, such as blueberries and raw salmon. After the race there were lots of snacks and drinks for runners to grab. It was almost 1am when I finished the race, but the entire city was still awake and ready to hang.

Crowds and Support

I was expecting nobody to be out, as this was a late night race and people deserve sleep. But that is not what happened. In reality there were lots of people out and cheering for the runners. Music, bubbles, and lots of flags to cheer on the runners. Props to the city of Tromsø for really turning out to cheer, instead of sleep (I would have slept).

What to Do in Tromsø

Since the trip to Northern Norway can take a full day of travel in each direction, you are going to want to spend more time exploring the region. I recommend taking a night or two to explore the island of Senja and basing yourself in Tromsø for the rest of your trip. If you are interested check out this 7-day travel guide to Tromsø and Senja.

Food in Tromsø

While pasta may be the traditional source of carbs for runners, in Tromsø I had to be more creative with combining baked goods, crab, chicken and rice to carbo load.

When I wasn’t carbo-loading, I was focused on trying the many types of fresh fish available in the region. I’ve always been a fan of fish, but the fish here was absolutely next level.

If you are a more adventurous sort, you can even try Reindeer or whale. While I’m not brave enough for whale, I did try and enjoy the reindeer at a few restaurants. The cut I had was very similar to a nice sirloin and very lean.

Weather Above the Arctic Circle

This is the only potential negative for this race, weather this far above the Arctic Circle can be unpredictable. I was very lucky to have a clear night for my run, but a friend of mine did the race a few years earlier and had rain the entire time. I would still say that you should go for it, and take the chance on bad weather for the opportunity to experience the most northern marathon and half marathon in the world. If you are ready to commit, sign up for the Midnight Sun Marathon and Half Marathon here.

If you want to run a gorgeous race without traveling quite so far north, I would recommend the Romeo and Juliet Half Marathon in Verona, Italy. I have also created a FaceBook group for female runners who want to find people to run with around the world.