Simply put, Tromsø parties. By far the largest town in northern Norway and the administrative centre of Troms county, it’s lively with cultural bashes, buskers, an animated street scene, a midnight-sun marathon, a respected university, the hallowed Mack Brewery – and more pubs per capita than any other Norwegian city. Its corona of snow-topped peaks provides arresting scenery, excellent hiking in summer and great skiing and dog-sledding in winter.

Although the city lies almost 400km north of the Arctic Circle, its climate is pleasantly moderated by the Gulf Stream. The long winter darkness is offset by round-the-clock activity during the perpetually bright days of summer. The main part of town stretches along the east shore of the island of Tromsøya, linked to the mainland by a gracefully arched bridge.

With that being said, the Polar Night Halfmarathon is the place to be!!

Polar Night Halfmarathon is an annual half marathon running competition been organized since 2004 in Tromsø, Norway. It takes place in the beginning of January, during the Polar night-period, when the sun does not rise above the horizon. It is renowned for its torch-lit route and the chance of running underneath the aurora borealis.  

You can choose between 42km (new since 2021), 21km, 10km and 5km. The marathon is not the race for beginners since you have to prove that you have done the distance less the 4 hours the last two years to sign up.

If you’re looking for that wild and unique challenge for your bucket list, this is it!!