Finland · Kuusamo
Distance
83 km
Date
Entry fee
—
€ / km
—
Finland’s largest trail running event starts at the Arctic Circle — at Napapiiri, where the 83 km race fires at 22:00 in late May. At 66°N, darkness barely applies: you’ll cover the legendary Karhunkierros (Bear’s Trail) through Oulanka National Park in near-perpetual twilight, past river gorges, suspension bridges, and boreal pine forest from Hautajärvi all the way to the ski village of Ruka. Elevation is gentle by ultra standards — 1,890 m of gain across 83 km (22.8 m/km official) — ranking this among the least vertical courses in the database.
The course follows Finland’s most iconic long-distance hiking trail, well-marked and largely runnable, with wave starts and cutoffs at Oulanka (5h, 27.6 km) and Konttainen (15h, 77.1 km) before the 18-hour finish limit. Running since 2013, NUTS Karhunkierros drew 544 starters in the 83 km for 2026, with 436 finishers. ITRA certified. Entry is €194.90 (2.35 €/km). Kuusamo Airport (KAO) is 28 minutes from Ruka, but international connections are limited — most runners connect via Helsinki. A sauna and hot soup await at the finish.
Total Meters
1,304m
D+/KM
15.7m/km
For context, the Tor des Géants 330 loop has 73 D+/km.
Avg Uphill Gradient
8.1%
Avg Downhill Gradient
-7.5%
| 2–5% | 10.7 km | |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10% | 6.9 km | |
| 10–15% | 2.8 km | |
| 15–20% | 1.1 km | |
| 20%+ | 1.9 km |
| 27.7% | Uphill |
|---|---|
| 44.2% | Flat |
| 28.0% | Downhill |
| 1 | 7.7 km · 148 m gain starts km 61 · avg 1.9% · max 37.8% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 0.9 km · 121 m gain starts km 83 · avg 13.9% · max 36.9% |
| 3 | 4.1 km · 120 m gain starts km 37 · avg 3.0% · max 18.8% |
| 1 | 1.2 km · 136 m drop starts km 81 · avg -11.6% · max -44.8% |
|---|---|
| 2 | 3.7 km · 131 m drop starts km 44 · avg -3.6% · max -23.4% |
| 3 | 1.3 km · 111 m drop starts km 76 · avg -9.0% · max -18.6% |
22:00 on May 22, 2026, from Napapiiri (the Arctic Circle marker) near Hautajärvi. At 66°N in late May, darkness barely applies — you will run through near-perpetual twilight rather than true night. A headlamp is mandatory by race rules but functionally sees minimal use.
1,890m of D+ over 83km (22.77m/km official), ranking among the least vertical races in the database (rank 343/390 for climbing density). The course follows the Karhunkierros hiking trail — largely flat, runnable boreal forest terrain with river gorges and suspension bridges.
Kuusamo Airport (KAO) is approximately 28 minutes from Ruka (the finish), but international connections are limited and most runners fly via Helsinki. A race bus from Ruka to the Hautajärvi start costs €21 (booked before May 12) or €32 after. Drop bags for the Oulanka Visitor Centre must be submitted before 20:00 on race eve.
Oulanka aid station (27.6km): 5 hours from start. Konttainen (77.1km): 15 hours from start. Overall cutoff: 18 hours from start, meaning a finish by approximately 16:00 on May 23. Drop bags are available at the Oulanka Visitor Centre.
Yes to ITRA — the race is ITRA certified (itra.run/Races/RaceDetails/89922). UTMB qualifying status is not confirmed; the race is not listed as part of the UTMB World Series.
Nearest airport
Kuusamo (KAO) / Oulu (OUL)
Notes
Start: ~30–60 min from KAO; ~2.5–3.5 hrs from OUL / Public transport: Limited; car strongly recommended / Accommodation: Limited in peak season; book 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
Exclusive Discount - use ITMF-DISCOVERTRAIL26 CODE for 50% at checkout
