Facilities and arrangements in Landmannalaugar before the race

Most participants travel to Landmannalaugar on the race buses. They bring their luggage with them, and it will be transported on to Þórsmörk. On arrival in Landmannalaugar, participants must load all luggage onto a single bus, following instructions from race staff. See more about luggage here.

Before handing in your luggage, check the latest weather information and the organisers’ recommendations on clothing.

Toilets are available in Landmannalaugar in a building run by the Icelandic Touring Association (Ferðafélag Íslands) and in a portable toilet unit provided by the race. There are no other indoor facilities for runners.

Participants start in race groups and must be ready at the set time for the check-in count of the race group they have been assigned to. See the schedule here.

Training

Before taking part in the race participants must evaluate if they have trained enough and are strong, mentally and physically so that they will be able to finish this 55 km mountain race in a hectic environment and sometimes difficult conditions. Participants will be running up and down steep hills in snow, mud, and sand. Cold rivers will need to be crossed while dealing with cold winds, rain, and even snow. Therefore this race is only meant for well-trained and experienced runners who have trained by doing mountain hikes and off-trail runs. Those taking part in this race must be ready for the unexpected.

The key to successful participation in this race is running long distances, hills, mountain hikes and runs and strength training. Being able to be on the move for 6-7 hours or even more is important. As guidance, participants can use a marathon training program that lasts for 20 weeks or longer where the goal is to run 50-70 km every week. On top of that, you will need to add weekly mountain- hikes or runs. Systematic strength training is necessary.

Mental training is also important, to be prepared to deal with the cold and the unexpected. Each person is meant to be able to help them selfs all the way to the finish line in Husadalur, Thorsmork. The time limits and cut-off are permanent and will not be changed for anyone. Read more about that here.

A detailed description of the course can be found here.

Nutrition

Part of preparing for the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon should be training yourself into balancing your body's energy levels. You can train to run, walk and at the same time train your energy management. Each participant needs to find out what is the best food for them to be able to be on the move for many hours. Energy gels are a good solution for many but not everyone. What does one need to keep going? Participants need to know this before the race. Those who have experienced being totally at a loss of energy know that it is very difficult to the energy up again.

Even though there are refreshment stations along the course it is important that all participants have a drinking flask with them no matter what kind of weather is expected. It is also important to bring along energy gels or other nutrition.

Leaving litter on the course is forbidden, energy gel packages, banana peels, cups, plastic wrappings, human waste or anything else. Participants need to carry their litter with them to the next refreshment station where there will be a bin.

Participants must clearly mark all energy gels and similar nutrition products, such as energy bars, with their race number. The marking must be clearly visible and identifiable.

We kindly ask participants to put their energy gels in bottles on their waist belts to limit the possibility of unwanted litter on the course. This is also good from the nutritional point of view since you will this way be able to use the gel over a longer period of time by storing it on your belt in between sips. By avoiding, as best we can, to damage or leave litter on the trail we help keep this natural environment clean and healthy so that this race can take place for years to come.

Leave No Trace

It is strictly prohibited to discard litter along the course or leave anything behind in nature. This includes, but is not limited to, gel wrappers, energy-bar packaging, banana peels, cups, plastic packaging and any other waste.

Runners are required to carry all their waste with them and dispose of it at an aid station or at the finish area. Any runner found deliberately discarding litter along the course may be disqualified from the race.

Unfortunately, litter has been left along the course in the past. In particular, experience has shown that gel wrappers can sometimes fall out of runners' belts, and after use they may also be blown away or accidentally dropped.

For this reason, participants are strongly encouraged to avoid using individual gel sachets and instead transfer their nutrition into reusable soft flasks or bottles that can be carried in a hydration belt or vest. This can also be an effective way of managing your energy intake, allowing you to take small amounts at regular intervals rather than consuming an entire gel at once.

Let us enjoy the trail and work together to leave no negative impact behind. We ask all participants to respect the environment and help ensure that Laugavegur runners continue to be welcomed on this unique route. You can read more about what will be available at the drinking stations here.

Quitting before the end of the race 

The Laugavegur Ultra Marathon is a 55 km long race and it is assumed that participants have trained for that distance and by signing up for the race, they are committed to finishing the race. As previously stated participants are disqualified from the race if they are not able to leave the drinking station at Alftavatn or Emstrur within the time limits but otherwise quitting is not possible unless the participant is either sick or injured. Transferring participants between places is time-consuming and only thought of as an emergency aid. Those who are forced to put an end to their participation in the race must report to a race official. This is very important since otherwise an individual might be wrongly considered missing and that is something we want to avoid at all costs.

Weather

The average temperature on the Laugavegur trail in July is around 7-8°C. We can not have any effects on the weather and therefore, participants need to be prepared for a sudden change in conditions. We expect all participants to follow the race organisers' instructions on what to wear. When running a 55 km course in cold and wet weather your body can reach dangerously low temperatures, even life-threatening.

Cut-off time

Time limits are set for safety reasons for the runners. The Laugavegur Ultra Marathon is for runners that are able to finish the race in 9 hours and 15 minutes which will give them 370 ITRA points. After that time limit has passed, the race organisers and officials are allowed to turn off and remove all timing equipment from the finishing area in Husadalur, Thorsmork. As stated in the race rules, the cut-off time for leaving the drinking station at Alftavatn, lake cabin (22 km) is 4 hours and the cut-off time for leaving the drinking station by the Emstrur cabin (38 km) is 6 hours and 30 minutes. Those participants that do not make the cut-off time are not allowed to continue the race and there will be no exceptions to this rule.To be considered an official finisher, participants must cross the finish line within the time limit (9:15). Participants who cross the finish line after the time limit will not receive an official finishing time and will be recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish) in the race results and with ITRA. Read this page for further information.

Husadalur, Thorsmork after the race

When runners cross the finish line their baggage from Landmannalaugar should already be in Husadalur. Bags should be collected from the tents by the shower area. They will be sorted by gender of runner and by race number. The changing tent and the showers are outdoors, so you have to walk between them. At the finish area, participants can find shelter, both in the tents put up by the race staff as well as in the main hut. The warm meal will be served soon after the first participant crosses the finish line.

Travel service is running in Husadalur every day throughout the summer and participants in the race as well as the race staff are an addition to other guests in Husadalur, Thorsmork. A part of the framework of the race is the tents put up by the race staff with tables and chairs as well as important equipment. This all is a costly service.

Attention: The tents are only for participants in the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon and not for their families and friends. This also applies to any food that is included in the entry fee.

The race buses depart from Thorsmork between 18:00 and 21:00. After finishing the race runners who have ordered and paid for a seat on the race bus should show up by the bus sign. The first bus leaves when it is full and the last bus at 21:00. Bus tickets for those who have not booked a seat online are sold at the information desk in the main hut. For those who would like to stay longer in the magnificent Thorsmork then accommodation in Husadalur can be ordered from the Volcano Huts. Further information at volcanohuts.com

Gear

For added security, all participants are required to bring:

• Space blanket
• Waterproof jacket
• Whistle
• Mobile phone
• Reusable drinking cup/bottle

The space blanket is to be used to keep the runner warm in case of an accident or for other reasons if the runner needs to stop on the way to wait for assistance. The whistle is required in case participants get lost on their way due to bad weather or fog or are in need of assistance. If a runner gets injured they should call the emergency number 112. All participants should have the number saved in their phones. There will be a security check in Landmannalaugar before the race starts where all participants will have to show the required security items. 60 minutes will be added as a penalty to the finishing time for those who fail to start the race with a whistle, a waterproof jacket, a space blanket, phone and reusable drinking cup/bottle. At the race package pick-up, participants will be able to buy a whistle and a space blanket for a fair price.

What to wear during the race depends on the weather forecast. All participants must be able to add clothes to their attire before the race if the race director thinks it is needed.

In the picture below you can see which equipment runners should have available on race day should they need it. Long-sleeved top and long trousers, jacket, gloves, and headgear that covers the head and ears and can also be used to cover the back of your neck. This is all the necessary minimum equipment. According to the race rules, the race director can disqualify participants that do not follow these rules.

It is recommended that participants wear shoes meant for off-road running that have been used for some time before the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon takes place to prevent minor injuries. Waterproof shoes can be a good idea but some of them tend to keep the water inside the shoe as well if water finds its way into the shoe through the top. Wearing wool socks or something similar is well-seen and highly recommended. It can also be a good idea to wear gaiters to prevent snow and gravel from getting inside the shoe, here is an example of gaiters.

Other things that previous participants have recommended to bring along are plasters, painkillers, lip balm, sunglasses and sunscreen lotion if the weather forecast suggests it will be needed.

* Please read the red text on the picture