Santa's Arctic Circle Marathon - Race Reviews

My first marathon; I loved that it was not busy with a lot of people. I ran a lot by myself but I enjoyed the scenery. I was picked up at the airport, taken to the hotel, and called and given times for all events - awesome help. Do the extra trips; they're well worth it and a great way to see and learn about Finland. Stayed at Santa's Hotel - I loved it and had a great room. I stayed in town for 5 nights, and I would definitely come back but now I'm looking for a new destination. I flew all the way from Hawaii, so it was quite a trip. Plenty of restrooms and water/aid stops - they even give out pickles. Loved the t-shirt; the medal was cheap, but original and very cool.

This is a great novelty race. The highlights are 1) traveling to and racing in the Arctic Circle and 2) starting in and running through Santa's Village. Both of those aspects are really enjoyable, especially the beautiful location. After that it's basically a pretty ordinary, very small race (~100 marathoners). The setting is beautiful, but the course largely winds through suburban neighborhoods. And while the staff is supportive and friendly, there are basically no crowds. Having said that, how can a story that starts with, "So I ran the Santa Claus Marathon" not be a great one?!

I did the half marathon and my son did the 12K run. We had a great experience, right from the friendly reception at the airport, to the warm welcome when we went to pick up our race bibs, to Santa Claus at the start of the run, to the the markings on the route, to the frequent and well stocked water stations and the warmth of the organizers at the finish line. It was a unique and memorable experience. Most of all, the lovely, scenic route ensured that I really enjoyed my run. Olga was extremely helpful, and I must commend her effort in making this an event that I will relish for a long long time. I only wish there were more participants so that we would not have to run all by ourselves for most of the route.

I came to Rovaniemi expecting more from the experience than from the marathon itself. The race was fine, though not flat at all. There are rolling hills, though none too high, throughout. Unfortunately, the run through Santa's Workshop was eliminated because of a construction project, but having Santa start the race at the Arctic Circle certainly makes it memorable! There aren't many spectators, but the spectators that are there make up for the paucity in numbers. The volunteers at the aid stations were supportive and cheeful and friendly - my favorites were dressed as elves. There were plenty of snacks, but I forgot to eat pickles, which I wanted to do, just because it was so unusual to me. The excursions offered are also enjoyable, but be sure to mention if you're vegetarian. I was picked up and dropped off at the airport and made to feel welcome and cared for. I loved my time in Rovaniemi and hope to go back to see it in winter sometime, too.

Difficult to get to, it's remote - but that results in beautiful scenery for running and a very small field of runners (but very few supporters also). Running at the Artic Circle itself is an event; add Santa Claus to the start and midnight sunshine - 24 hours of daylight - and you get a memorable experience. Injury forced me back to the 21K, but theres also 10K walk and 42K full. Great organization gives you a "package," so once you arrive it's all arranged. Do the local excursions, it adds greatly to the experience. Worried about the cold? Warm drizzle for the race-day became sunny 26 degrees C the day after; it could be too hot!

Rovaniemi is a lovely town. The route of the marathon is very scenic and interesting; you must really enjoy it, given that most of the course is going to be just you and yourself, with nothing or nobody else. Olga was really helpful helping me with tips to find cheaper air fair tickets. I have found several contrasting comments about this race. My opinion is that even though the course is not complicated, it is not easy at all, given that it has more than 30 small elevations. I don't even consider them to be hills, because they are not... but still, getting into the race under the misleading description of "completely flat and descending all the time" and finding 30-something tiny-hills may have a physical and mental impact. I did not find any friendly or enthusiastic staff; at the water stations, all of them appeared to be pretty busy talking among themselves, as if no runners were running by. The route was poorly marked and I managed to get lost. I immediately advised the organizers that marking the route for next year would have some room for improvement and told them what happened to me. Instead of acknowledging the message, the response I got was that I was the only one "lost" and the only one with negative comments. I just provided some comments for them to improve next year; I hope they consider them. This space is to share experiences and make events better for the benefit of all of us. If you dare to run this marathon, read carefully all the comments from different runners and make a solid conclusion before you do.

Rovaniemi, Finland is beautiful, and the marathon course is the Best of Rovaniemi. From the Arctic Circle and the touristy Santa Claus Village (sort of Santa's version of South of the Border), through the pretty cool underground Santa Park (which is worth a vist with the kids), along rivers and through forests and eventually into town, the course is truly unique. There are some hills, and for the slower runner, some solitary periods - all the better to appreciate the environment. The T-shirt is cool. Three of my kids completed the 12K walk (no wimpy one-mile walks for the kids - these kids had to go 7+). The Santa Claus Hotel is modern, friendly and inexpensive. The Midnight Sun is a lifetime experience. The race started at 7:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. for us slowpokes) and finished up in town between 10:00 and midnight. Awards ceremony was at about 12:30 a.m. (and, if you are over 50, you are bound to get an award). At 2:00 a.m., we were still hanging out at an outdoor cafe, in broad daylight (or is it nightlight). The one criticism below I can agree with is the paucity of water stations. But, the Europeans do not drink like we Americans do. Used two Big Gulps and cheap 12-packs of Diet Coke.... I was thirsty for the whole two weeks we were in Scandinavia, and the marathon was no exception. Carry water. Great trip. Great race. Great time.

Hello, Santa Claus Marathon Team, this is the report of the German competitors from Essen. Four runners and 24 walkers from TLV Germania Überruhr took part in the marathon. We all enjoyed to come to know Suomi, and especially Rovaniemi. We met friendly people everywhere. It was a pleasure to run and to walk the scenic and varied route. The stops for food and drinks were alright and all of us had no problems finishing. The care for all of us after finishing was o.k. too. The four runners had nothing to complain about. The walkers unfortunately got some problems and I want to tell you because it will be possible to change. With regard to the bus to Santa Claus Village: most of the walkers wanted to take it at 6 p.m. to encourage the other members of our sports club, but that made it overcrowded. The next bus arrived one hour later - too late for the start at 7 p.m. An extra bus at half past six would be fine. The start time for the half marathon was 8 p.m. We noticed a lot of walkers for the half marathon going to start at 7 p.m. We pointed this out to them but they themselves decided to start one hour earlier because they said they were very slow. Nobody from the organizational team raised objections. The rating itself for walkers and runners together is absolutely not debatable. Even good walkers have no chance compared with all kinds of runners. Therefore a lot of our walkers were unsatisfied with the result. As a matter of form I have to report that you changed the rating for the first of us in the half marathon and for 12 KM. But the others had no success experience even though they gave their best. If you are a walker interested in participating in the race in the future, please change the rating. Considering this change, we'll recommend the Santa Claus Marathon for all walkers and runners we are acquainted with. We were lucky to stay and to start at Rovaniemi, and we hope to see you once again.

Please note that this is a quite small event. That must be taken into account when considering staff and fans. My opinion is that this is a great event. The course is beautiful! Be aware that runners are sharing much of the course with other peds, bikes, etc., but for me only one or two bothersome incidents occurred - far fewer than in NYC last year when I almost got run over by spectators darting across... The course did seem hillier than expected, but this is not what I would consider a hilly course. It's just not perfectly flat (few courses are, for that matter). If you want to try a different sort of event, I highly recommend this one. Olga was great, and the whole area is fun and beautiful.

This was my first marathon - which I chose because it was in July, close to Russia (where I live), flat, and - according to the website last year - staffed by friendly, encouraging people and fans. The biggest misleading statement about this race is that it is flat - but it is not. I trained for a flat race and was not prepared for the several low-grade hills on this course. As a result, I almost could not finish the race. Second, I wouldn't characterize the staff as encouraging or friendly - they were quiet and polite if asked a question, but nothing more and nothing less. There were very few fans to speak of and some of the few people I ran by on a river bank even laughed and smirked at the runners. On top of this, during the marathon at two different points I had to dodge motorcycles on the running path and once almost got lost because the trail (where it weaved through a residential neighborhood) was not marked. All of these things said, I would still run this race. Why? The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect. The Laplands are truly a unique place and despite the human factors that detracted from the race, nature more than compensated for them.

It was my first marathon. I am happy I've run it in 3:34. I have nothing to compare to, but it seems to me that everything was O.K. The only annoying thing was the too-crowded bus from my hotel to the start. The rest (refreshments, course, spectators, weather etc.) was super. Special fun was the absence of any dark at night in Rovaniemi in summer. I recommend the Santa Marathon to anyone.

This was the first of four marathons - a colleague and I will undertake in the next year in aid of charity. We are not athletic types and are trying to lose weight too. We walked the marathon so the 5 p.m. start was a really good idea... why don't other marathons try this!?! Having walked London in 1999 and was unsure of where to go in the latter stages (because they rub the blue line out after the 5-hour finishers). I was concerned about getting lost. We were the tail-end charlies but were never in doubt about which way to go.... The organization was excellent. Refreshment stations were good and the staff manning them friendly. I have to admit I thought the course had a few more hills than I had expected and the stretch where you turn around seems an awful long uphill stretch for tired legs. Towards the end there were lots of insects and I have many bites to prove it - even though we wore repellant. There were few spectators but it was nice to hear our names come through the loudspeaker at the finish. We particularly found local runners to be friendly and encouraging. Thank you to Olga and team for a unique marathon experience. One gripe: we never found the wine promised at the finish!!

Will I be back in 2007? Probably... The organization was not on a par with a big-city marathon, but then with a field of a few hundred, the runners just have to accept that it is never going to be. I thought the organizers did a good job, though the prize giving was probably a mistake - it was too long, too late and too cold. The course was fine though slightly too hilly (and who had the bright idea of putting a 100 meter-long climb at the end? Remove that next year please!) The lack of any local support around the course was odd. Is the event publicized locally?? No one seemed to know (or care) that there was a marathon taking place... and that was a big shame. Can we warm the locals up a bit next year? Otherwise it was a good shop window for Lapland. The course was pretty and the run was quite memorable. Not too many insect bites either...

I was looking for a marathon in July and did some research and found this one. I was attracted by the idea of running in the Arctic Circle and I was really encouraged for the only three comments they had. Big mistake - it seems like I definitely went to another marathon. The route had over 50 small hills - very short ones but still; that killed me since I was treating this marathon to prove myself I left behind a severe 6-months-to-recover injury in a ligament in my right leg. People at the water stations were totally indiferent to the race, not handing out the cups at all. Do you want water or sport drinks? Take it from the table - not a single word of encouragement either. The route was rather poorly marked, and somehow I managed to get lost and run an extra 4 K due to my own mistake. I was not competing for money nor for a place, but even so, the whole race did not feel right at all. It had a bad ending: the road was opened to vehicles and just a few meters before the finishing line, my path was cut across by a taxi, whose driver for sure did not mean to do it, but he did anyway. Most of the people I saw during the race ignored me or looked at me funny. There is a lot of room for improvement in marking the route, recruiting enthusiastic volunteers, and improving the quality of medals and traffic control. This was by far my worst experience in international marathons.

Everything K.S. said for 2004 goes for the 2005 race too. From the moment I got off the aircraft and Rauna helped me collect my bags until Olga checked me back in on the return journey I was treated better than any elite runner at a major capital city marathon. We were bussed from the hotel door to the race start. Whatever questions we had were answered immediately. Every competitor was special. This marathon really does have it all. The adventure of an arctic circle-start (with Santa himself), out-of-this-world-beautiful course with forest, fells, lakes and rivers. Not to mention the midnight sun! The water stops every 3 KM were very well stocked with water, juice, sports drinks, fruit, pickles (sounds weird but really did the trick when my salt levels went down). I even heard afterwards that one of the stations served a local berry wine. I'll have to look out for it next year. The organization was faultless. The marshalls were excellent. Rauna even hopped in his car and was a one-man mobile support team. No chance of slacking with his encouragement. The staggered start meant everyone finished around midnight in the town center. Loads of runners and locals hanging around which was great fun. After the race there was a free pass into the local sports institute for a shower, sauna or swim. The organizers really have thought of everything to make this special. The wild and free company who promote the race also offer some activity half-day trips, such as hiking, whitewater rafting, visitng a local shaman village, or quad-biking. If you have a chance, do them all. You'll get to see so much more of lapland than 26.2 miles allows. I'm not usually a 'package-deal' person but theirs was such good value I have to recommend it wholeheartedly. This is also a great family marathon. There are half marathon, roller-blading, and walking races as well, so there is something for everyone. Spot prizes mean everyone is has a chance of winning something. I really can't completely explain the atmosphere of this race. Not only is it my favorite race ever, it is up there on the best holidays I've ever taken. It is without a doubt the standard by which all future events worldwide will be judged. I can't imagine anything else ever making the grade.

Because of its location Santa’s Arctic Circle Marathon represents a unique opportunity for those runners collecting exotic marathons across Europe or across the globe. Starting in front of Santa Claus’s Office adds a nostalgic element. For a summer marathon the temperature is typically quite reasonable (this year 23° Celsius at the early evening start). The organization on the reasonably flat course is very adequate. A remarkable and exceptional feature is the systematic equal treatment of different age categories. Not only are separate rankings used per age group, but each category receives an identical set of victory cups awarded during a ceremony under the midnight sun. If you add the many tourist opportunities (local, Finnish and Scandinavian), the availability of a range of middle-class and budget hotels in Rovaniemi, it is only surprising that not more groups are yet participating in this young event. It looks as if this marathon will unavoidably become much more popular in the next few years.

From Race Director Olga, who answered my many questions in the weeks leading up to the event, to my actual arrival in Rovaniemi, I was treated to an energetic and positive attitude towards my participation in SACM. The old adage "anticipation is greater than the realization" was certainly not the case here. After having spent almost 24 hours traveling from Canada to Europe, and another sleepless night in the Munich airport, I finally arrived in Rovaniemi and my first impression was, "WOW!" The sun was shining and it was beautiful! From the moment I stepped off the plane I encountered nothing but smiling and welcoming faces. Rauno, Olga’s husband, greeted me like a long lost friend. The race started at the Artic Circle with Santa himself firing the starting pistol. What a thrill! The first thing we did was run through Santa’s Park. Being a true kid at heart, I was immediately transported to another world as I ran through the old bunker. I felt like I was truly in Santa’s workshop, I could hear the elves busily preparing for Christmas, I could imagine Santa running around making sure all would be ready for the night of December 24th! It was magical! Once out of the bunker, the marathon proceeded along the myriad of bicycle paths, passing though residential areas, the city, the lakes, the beautiful farms. It was by far the most beautiful marathon route I have done to date. The people along the route were very friendly, offering lots of support! The aid stations were well stocked and all volunteers offered nothing but positive encouragement to all runners. As the finish line appeared, the crowds of people sitting out on the patio of the bars and restaurants downtown began to shout and clap. The midnight sun was still shining, the temperature was just right and friendly people were everywhere – definitely a finish line I won’t forget! It truly was an adventure of a lifetime and one I would most definitely recommend to all!!! I got to see Santa (and since it was at the Artic Circle, I am positive it was the REAL guy), was transported to another world running through the Santa Park bunker, met wonderfully friendly people, and to top off the whole trip (which actually lasted a mere 15 hours in total), as Rauno and I drove out to the airport Sunday morning, not one but three beautiful reindeer walked out of the woods to bid me farewell! Once again the child in me escaped as I snapped pictures of these mystical animals! I highly recommend this marathon to all who want to experience a well-organized, friendly and beautiful marathon!