Trail running in Iceland

The Laugavegur trail, from the geothermal colours of Landmannalaugar to the green valley of Þórsmörk, is usually walked over four days — but once a year, in July, runners take it on in a single day.

The Laugavegur Ultra Marathon covers the whole 55-kilometre route, crossing snowfields, fording rivers and climbing over highland passes, in one of the most spectacular and toughest trail races in the world.

It compresses Iceland's greatest trek into a day of running through rhyolite mountains, black deserts and glacial rivers, with the finish in the birch woods of Þórsmörk.

For mountain runners it's a bucket-list event: a chance to move fast and light through a landscape most people take days to cross, testing your legs and lungs against snow, cold water and relentless terrain. Racing the Laugavegur is trail running at its most epic.

A 55 km point-to-point mountain ultra on the Laugavegur trekking route — technical, hilly and cold, with significant ascent, snowfield crossings, unbridged river fords and volcanic terrain underfoot.

This is a serious event: you're running through remote highlands where weather can be harsh even in July, so you carry required kit (warm and waterproof layers, etc.) and must be a strong, experienced trail or ultra runner able to handle the distance, the cold water and the altitude of the passes.

Cut-off times apply, and the fords and snow demand care at speed. Aid stations support the route, but self-sufficiency between them matters.

The reward is covering Iceland's most beautiful trek in a single day, finishing amid the birch of Þórsmörk, having run through some of the most dramatic scenery on earth.

The race is held once a year, in mid-July; entries open months ahead and it's popular, so register early. You need to be a well-trained trail/ultra runner — build specific fitness for 55 km of hilly, technical terrain, and practise running with mandatory kit and on cold, wet ground.

Prepare for river crossings, snowfields and cold highland weather, and carry the required safety gear (the organisers specify it). Arrive acclimatised to the logistics: transport to the Landmannalaugar start and from the Þórsmörk finish is arranged around the race.

Respect the cut-offs and the environment, and don't attempt it as your first ultra. If you can't get a race place, you can run or fastpack the route independently in summer with the same respect for the terrain. It's one of the world's great trail-running experiences.