Runaways
5 Days in Iceland
Ice, Wind and Sweat
Blizzards. Rain. Howling gales. Think of the three most run wrecking forecasts
you can imagine. In Iceland, expect all of them on any given day. But when winter
rolls around, runners know that it doesn't matter if you're wet and windswept,
because the effort of seeing it for yourself is worth it.
To give winter an early welcome, we called up four friends and set our sights on the small frozen island with beautiful arctic runs. Here’s our guide to the perfect Runaway in Iceland.
To give winter an early welcome, we called up four friends and set our sights on the small frozen island with beautiful arctic runs. Here’s our guide to the perfect Runaway in Iceland.
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The Seekers
Recipe for a Runaway: call up a few adventurous friends and go run
somewhere new.
Brett Farrell
Brand Builder
Kim Bessler
Chemical Engineer
Birgir Saevarsson
Arctic Running Guide
Elísabet Margeirsdóttir
Arctic Running Guide
The Jump Off
Exploring Reykjavik, Iceland's capital
Head up the 73 meter (244 ft) tall Church of Hallgrímur, and get this
quintessential view of Reykjavik.
Church of Hallgrímur
Try the Café Latte with Oat Milk Photo by @Reykjavik_Roasters
Reykjavík Roasters
Iceland is one of the few places where you can run on an actual rainbow road
Skólavörðustígur Street
Traditional Icelandic dishes, with a twist
Matur og drykkur (food and drink) Restaurant
Designed by Jón Gunnar Árnason, winner of Reykjavík’s 200th anniversary
design contest, The Sun Voyager sculpture represents a promise of new,
undiscovered territory.
The Sun Voyager
H2-WHOA
Ice, water and steam. Staying dry in Iceland is reserved only for the well prepared.
Gullfoss
Reykjadalur (The Smokey Valley)
Iceland’s unique conditions (North Atlantic precipitation
combined with arctic glacier runoff) result in many
large and powerful waterfalls. Driving to the popular ones
is encouraged, running to the remote ones is even better.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
Reykjadalur (The Smokey Valley)
Getting Colder
Out here, “glacial pace” is quicker than it sounds
The second largest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull
(long glacier) features ice caves, amazing views, and
a smooth area perfect for snow-mobiling, or in our
case, snow mo-running.
Langjökull Glacier
Middle of Nowhere
BUCKET RUN: þórsmörk
The Valley of Thor, 8 unforgettable miles that can only be seen on foot.
As Icelandic legend has it, before and during the Age of Settlement, the ogres and trolls of the area assembled here to discuss their reaction against the increasing influx of humans in the country. Most of them were peaceful creatures, who gradually moved away as greater parts of the country were settled.
Trollakirkja (Troll Church), Thórsmörk
WHEN THE DAY RUNS OUT
Turn on the Northern Lights
Run Hard, Recover Easy
Relaxing to the core with easy shakeout runs and soul warming hot springs.
One of National Geographic’s 25 wonders of the world,
the Blue Lagoon features warm waters (99–102 degrees)
rich in silica and sulfur. If you want to recover
from a long run here, make a reservation, it’s the
single most popular attraction in Iceland.
Start Packing
Here are a few ways to get ready for your own Runaway.