Midnight Sun Marathon: The unique challenge of the 'world's northernmost race'

The Midnight Sun Marathon does not need much explanation given its name, but in starting the race at 20:30 the gauntlet is effectively thrown down to finish it the same day.

Tromsø is famed as a viewing point for the magnificent Northern Lights, but the northern Norwegian city is also becoming very well known for this unique, and wacky, event. You have to be pretty intrigued to take on a marathon of any kind, so this opportunity is pitched pretty perfectly.

Located 400km north of the Arctic Circle at 70˚N, the municipality in Troms county holds the status of Norway’s gateway to the Arctic so it is only right that the race showcases all that is unique about its position in the world.

Billed as the "world’s northernmost marathon", this race represents an otherworldly prospect that certainly lures in more than 6,000 curious runners from over 65 different countries.

"Running in the northern summer night you’re exposed to perfect outdoor temperatures to boost your performance," says race director Nils I. Haetta.

To join more than 4,000 runners from all over the world to run in the middle of the night with the sun shining is a bizarre but spectacular experience - and that, really, is what makes the race what it is: a truly unique experience.

For a nine-week period in the summer the locals do not experience darkness – and the jubilant throng on the home stretch appears to demonstrate the wonderfully high spirits.

This may not be a course ready to serve up a personal best for a number of reasons, primarily the fact that every runner has to fight the constant urge to whip out a camera. Yes, constant.

Any runner who has tackled a route described as “relatively flat” knows full well that “relatively” can, and usually should, be replaced by “not particularly”, but when the scenery is so spectacular it is easy to be sufficiently distracted from sectors such as Tromsø Bridge, rising up 50m.

Since it started back in 1990, runners have been captivated by the surrounding fjords, mountains and Norwegian Sea – and, of course, the surreal feeling of completing 26.2 miles in the middle of the night.

Tromso is the third most populous city north of the Arctic Circle, and it really does feel as though the whole town are out in force to support the event and make the atmosphere as warm as possible.

The Midnight Sun Marathon is every bit as stunning as you would imagine. If you ever feel the urge to run 26.2 miles in the middle of the night at the height of the Arctic summer, entertain the seemingly crazy thought and don’t feel bad for running with a camera on board.

Intriguing, unique and breathtaking: the Midnight Sun Marathon is an unforgettable Arctic experience.