07 Sep 2022: Welcome to Iceland
Arrival at Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Reykjavík. There is no set arrival time, so you can book the flight that is most suitable for you.
Note that transfer from Keflavík to Reykjavík is not included in the package. Once you've reached the arrivals hall, please make your way to the airport shuttle desk or take a taxi to reach your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
We offer participants the opportunity to book a running sightseeing tour through the beautiful city of Reykjavík. Our local running guide will take us on an 8km tour through the capital, and we'll stop along the way at the most famous and interesting sights. Please see Package Add-ons for more details.
Take this opportunity to discover the world's northernmost capital city at your own speed!
Meals: Not included
08 September 2022: Iceland's Scenic West Coast & Race Briefing
After an early breakfast, we will board our bus and begin a scenic drive up along the west coast of Iceland. Along the way, our guide will tell us about Iceland.
In the afternoon, we reach Akureyri, known as "The Capital of the North," which lies just 100 km (62 miles) away from the Arctic Circle. Here, race officials will provide a race briefing and distribute your goodie bags while we enjoy a snack meal. After the briefing, our journey will continue to Mývatn/Húsavík, where you will get settled into your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch box, and a stand-up snack meal included
09 September 2022: Mývatn Route Highlights
On todays tour you will visit some of the places that are on the marathon route:
Dimmuborgir (Dark Castles), a spectacular maze of strange lava structures covered with surprisingly lush vegetation. The area is composed of various volcanic caves and rock formations.
Hverfjall – a tephra cone which erupted 2500 years ago in the southern part of the Krafla fissure swarm. The crater is approximately 1 km in diameter.
Hverir solfataras (boiling sulphur mud pits) at Námaskarð, these being some of the most spectacular in the country. Stroll around the bubbling gray puddles and the ethereal steam loudly escaping from the conical fumaroles. If you´ve never smelled a rotten egg this is a good change to fill this gap! But please - mind your steps!
And finally - we visit the steaming grounds in Bjarnarflag where locals bake their known Geyser bread. We meet a local that tells us the story behind the tradition and you’ll have a chance to taste a bread baked in the nature‘s oven heated by the geothermal heat from our geysers.
Meals: Breakfast and pasta dinner.
10 September 2022: Race Day
Today is the big day - the Iceland Volcano Marathon is on!
Runners will have the rare opportunity to run the dirt and gravel roads around the majestic Hverfjall crater. While the route will be demanding, the weather is likely to pose the biggest challenge. Although this event is held in September in the late Icelandic summer, it's unlikely temperatures will rise above 11 degrees Celsius (52 degrees Fahrenheit) and rain is not uncommon during the north Icelandic late summer. The scenery, however, is equally dramatic in both sun and rain!
At the finish line, a BBQ lunch will be served to participants. Shuttle busses will then take all participants back to their hotels.
After dinner at your hotel you have the chance to join our optional excursion to Jardbödin Nature Baths in Mývatn or GeoSea Húsavík. The perfect way to give your muscles a treat and take a soak in the restorative natural waters.
Or mayby join our optional excursion to explore the Lofthellir Ice Cave, a lava tunnel filled with permafrost ice.
Meals: Breakfast and BBQ lunch included
11 September 2022: Relaxation, Optional Excursions & Celebration Dinner
Spend the day on an excursion, or take in the stunning nature surrounding Mývatn/Húsavík at your own pace.
In the late afternoon, we will meet to celebrate yesterday’s achievements with a festive dinner.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner. Lunch included in optional excursions.
12 September 2022: Farewell Iceland or Hello Extension
After an early breakfast, we will board shuttle busses that will drive us through Reykjavík to Keflavik International Airport (KEF). Expected arrival at Keflavik Airport is 14:30. Knowing this, it is not advisable to book your flight out of Iceland earlier than 16:30* on this day.
Not ready for the adventure to end? Join one of our optional extensions - you can dive deep into Iceland's volcanic activity, stand beneath some of its mighty waterfalls or tour Iceland's less visited, but no less dramatic, east coast. Read more about your options below or here. If you have booked a post-night or an extension, the bus will drop you off in Reykjavík.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch box included.
*If your return flight is on the 12th Sep, you should not book a flight earlier than 16:30.