Sweden · Västernorrland County
Distance
50 km
Date
Entry fee
SEK 1,190
€ / km
€2.26
New date pending
This race has already occurred. A new date for next year’s edition is pending.
High Coast Winter Trail – Insane 50K is a winter trail race held each February in Västernorrland County on Sweden's High Coast (Höga Kusten), traversing 50 km through the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Skuleskogen National Park. The course gains 2,100 m (42.0 m/km) across polished granite cliffs, frozen shoreline, and snow-covered forest — conditions the organiser estimates as physically equivalent to 70–90 km on bare ground.
The race's defining moments cluster at the end: Climb 2 at km 44.85 (56.5% maximum gradient) and Descent 3 at km 47.64 (−42.2% maximum) arrive in the final 6 km on potentially icy terrain. The 2022 edition recorded a 45% DNF rate: 53 of 96 starters finished. The average downhill gradient of −10.9% is among the steeper in the DTR database.
Entry cost €2.26/km (1,190 SEK, 2026 fee — 2027 TBC). Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) is 5 hours by road — this race is flagged FAR. The Insane 50K typically finishes 40 runners per year. It suits experienced winter trail runners willing to travel to one of Europe's most remote and technically demanding snow-and-ice 50Ks in a UNESCO landscape unlike anything else in the European ultra calendar.
Total Meters
2,100m
D+/KM
42.0m/km
For context, the Tor des Géants 330 loop has 73 D+/km.
Avg Uphill Gradient
9.9%
Avg Downhill Gradient
-10.9%
| 2–5% | 6.1 km | |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10% | 5.2 km | |
| 10–15% | 3.3 km | |
| 15–20% | 1.2 km | |
| 20%+ | 2.0 km |
| 35.5% | Uphill |
|---|---|
| 32.9% | Flat |
| 31.6% | Downhill |
| 1 | 3.1 km · 274 m gain starts km 4 · avg 8.8% · max 36.0% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2.1 km · 228 m gain starts km 45 · avg 10.9% · max 56.5% |
| 3 | 3.9 km · 187 m gain starts km 9 · avg 4.8% · max 22.4% |
| 1 | 2.7 km · 270 m drop starts km 18 · avg -10.1% · max -32.5% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2.6 km · 268 m drop starts km 7 · avg -10.1% · max -32.9% |
| 3 | 2.4 km · 231 m drop starts km 48 · avg -10.0% · max -42.2% |
Exceptionally demanding — officially estimated as equivalent to 70–90km on bare ground. In 2022, 45% of starters did not finish (53 of 96 completed). The final 6km includes a 56.46% maximum gradient climb at km 44.85 and a −42.19% maximum descent at km 47.64, both on snow and ice. Average downhill gradient −10.86% is borderline top 25% of the DTR database. Temperature can drop to −15°C.
The 50km Insane route passes through Skuleskogen National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sweden's High Coast — including a 14km stretch through frozen cliffs, sea ice, and snow-covered shoreline. The landscape was shaped by continental ice sheet rebound and features polished granite with no equivalent in European trail racing.
The 2026 edition was priced at 1,190 SEK (~€113 / ~€2.26/km). The 2027 fee has not yet been published. Icebug trail spikes are available to borrow at no charge from the organiser at the start.
The race runs each February from FriluftsByn, Västernorrland County, Sweden. The 2026 edition was February 14. The 2027 date has not yet been announced — check highcoastwintertrail.com.
This race is flagged FAR — Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) is approximately 5 hours by road. Sundsvall–Timrå Airport (SDL, ~90 min from FriluftsByn) is a potentially closer option worth verifying. Umeå (UME) is accessible via domestic connection. A car is strongly recommended for February winter conditions. Bus transport from FriluftsByn to the race start is included in the entry.
Nearest airport
Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) / Umeå (UME)
Notes
Start: ~3–6 hrs depending on transfers / Public transport: Possible (train north) but winter timing makes car strongly preferred / Accommodation: Limited in small towns; plan early
FAR
It’ll possibly take 3+ hours from the closest large airport to arrive. Plan your adventure accordingly, take an extra day for those after-race beers or Curranz.
Ibiza Trail Maratón 48 km
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