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Midnight Sun Marathon
— · Tromsø, Norway
scenicnight runiconic
Distances
5K · 10K · 21.1K · 42K
The Midnight Sun Marathon starts at 8:30pm in Tromsø, above the Arctic Circle, where in late June the sun simply doesn't set — runners finish deep into the night in the same daylight they started in. The course runs through town and across a bridge over the strait, with views of the Arctic Cathedral, and the next day many head out to "miniature Norway" Senja or ride the Fjellheisen cable car. In 2026, organizers openly admitted a turnaround cone had been placed 71.8 meters too early, making the course 143.6 meters short — that year's results don't count as official.
Course records
Men
2:20:02
2022 · Ebrahim Abdulaziz
Women
2:36:11
2025 · Marte Mæhlum Johansen
Race-day weather
Late June in Tromsø brings 5-15°C, with real odds of rain (averaging 16 rainy days a month), but some editions have had almost cloudless evenings with perfect golden light.
Starter pack 2024
- Bib with timing chip
- Race programme booklet
- Finisher medal
Branded merchandise is sold separately at the expo rather than bundled into the default starter pack; a technical shirt isn't guaranteed every year.
Pacers & bib pickup
No pacers announced for this race.
Bib pickup
Expo at Havneterminalen (harbour terminal), central Tromsø
day before or on race morning
The expo is open both Friday and race-day Saturday; runners who don't reach the 10km-to-go mark in time are pulled from the course.
Course map
Route not added yet
What’s nearby
Walking
Arctic Cathedral — The famous church with Northern Europe's largest stained-glass window, across the strait bridge.
Stortorget — The town's main square, where the finish-line celebration happens.
30 minutes
Fjellheisen cable car — A mountaintop panorama over the city and fjords.
2 hours
Lyngen Alps — Dramatic fjord-and-mountain scenery, about 1.5-2 hours by car.
Senja Island — "Miniature Norway" — bus plus ferry, a popular post-race day trip.
Dinner before the race
Casa Inferno (pizzeria in central Tromsø)There's also an official ticketed pasta party at the Clarion Hotel The Edge, but the town's restaurants fill up fast on race weekend — book ahead.
After the finish
Every 5km on course: water, Maxim sports drink, and bananas; at the finish, a drink station and, per runner accounts, plenty of snacks and drinks.
Reviews
Monique White (An Unstoppable Journey), half marathon2025
One of the most unique and magical running experiences I've ever had — there's something surreal about running a race that starts at night but never gets dark.
Sadie Lowell (Jet-Setting Runner), half marathon2023
It's the only race I've cried during, simply overwhelmed by how beautiful the world is; the city seemed to turn out to cheer instead of sleep.
Jessie Benson (The Right Fits), marathon2024
It was absolutely surreal running at night under a full sun — for several kilometers I just kept thinking, 'is this even real?' Out of the forty-five marathons I've run in my life, this ranked second, behind only the Antarctica Marathon.
Registration status to be confirmed
42.2