Join Polar Night Half Marathon
Simply put, Tromsø parties. By far the largest town in northern Norway and the administrative centre of Troms county, it’s lively with cultural bashes, buskers, an animated street scene, a midnight-sun marathon, a respected university, the hallowed Mack Brewery – and more pubs per capita than any other Norwegian city. Its corona of snow-topped peaks provides arresting scenery, excellent hiking in summer and great skiing and dog-sledding in winter.
Although the city lies almost 400km north of the Arctic Circle, its climate is pleasantly moderated by the Gulf Stream. The long winter darkness is offset by round-the-clock activity during the perpetually bright days of summer. The main part of town stretches along the east shore of the island of Tromsøya, linked to the mainland by a gracefully arched bridge.
With that being said, the Polar Night Halfmarathon is the place to be!!
Polar Night Halfmarathon is an annual half marathon running competition been organized since 2004 in Tromsø, Norway. It takes place in the beginning of January, during the Polar night-period, when the sun does not rise above the horizon. It is renowned for its torch-lit route and the chance of running underneath the aurora borealis.
You can choose between 42km (new since 2021), 21km, 10km and 5km. The marathon is not the race for beginners since you have to prove that you have done the distance less the 4 hours the last two years to sign up.
If you’re looking for that wild and unique challenge for your bucket list, this is it!!
Course details
Start address: Tromsø, Norway
Finish address: Tromsø, Norway
Route map
What’s included
-
done Finisher medal info
-
done Timing chip (single use) info
-
done Photo Service info
-
done Drink Stations info
-
done Nutrition Stations info
-
done Bag drop info
-
done Toilets info
Frequently asked questions
When and where can I collect my BIB/race pack?
You can collect your bib on race day from 9:00-14:45 at the City hall, Tromsø city center. NB! You need to present the confirmation with your bib number, which is send to you about 2 weeks before the race and your ID. Please remember that marathon starts at 13:00.
What is the cancelation/refund policy for this event?
Your registration is personal and binding. By registering for the race you accept our terms & conditions, and we do not refund nor change names on fulfilled registrations. Runners who participate with someone else’s startnumber will be disqualified.
How can I travel to Tromsø?
If you are travelling from outside Norway to Tromsø, you have to fly to Oslo and take a connecting flight to Tromsø. The flight time from Tromsø to Oslo is approximately 2 hours and there are several daily flights. If you wish to travel by sea, the Coastal steamer Hurtigruten arrives in Tromsø daily, and travelling within the region you can board the express boats from Harstad and Finnsnes. There are also bus Connections from the surrounding cities, such as Narvik, Bardufoss and Alta.
What clothes do I need?
The weather can vary quite a bit above the arctic circle in January. Anything from a few degrees plus to some minus degrees. We advise runners to layer up their clothing after the temperatures and weather. If it is windy or temperatures below zero we suggest: tights or windbreaker pants, thin woollen longjohns or thin woollen shorts, thin woollen socks, woollen shirt, windbreaker jacket, an extra thin vest if you get cold very easily, something to cover neck, headband/hat, and thin gloves.
Where should I stay during my visit in Tromsø?
Visit Tromsø lists most of the hotels, Apartments, camping sites and other accomodation. Please note that even though almost all the hotels are located in the city centre, you should always check the location before booking. The hotels in the city centre are all within walking distance from the start- and finish-area of Midnight Sun Marathon, Polar Night Halfmarathon and the reindeer racing and lassothrowing during Samí Week.
The race information has been found on the official website of the event or through publicly available sources. Always refer to the official website the latest race information. Please let us know if any data is wrong or missing, by emailing us.
