Reykjavik Autumn Marathon

The Marathon runners Association (Félag maraþonhlaupara – FM) in Iceland arranges two race events each year: The Reykjavik Spring and The Reykjavik Autumn Marathons. The history of the races goes back 22 years. This is a fantastic opportunity to participate in a small and friendly marathon and experience the grassroots of the running culture in Iceland. The event offers two distances: A half marathon and a marathon.

Route description:

The course lies through the most beautiful parts of Reykjavik away from the street traffic. The race starts in Elliðaárdalur valley in the east part of the city at the bank of the Elliðaá river, one of Iceland’s best salmon rivers, surrounded by 5500 years old lava formations and small fissures. Through Fossvogur valley, on the boundaries of Reykjavik city and Kópavogur the neighboring town, the route takes the runners down to the seaside south of the city. At Reykjavik University there is a right turn away from the sea alongside Öskjuhlíð hill, once an island after the last ice age 10000 years ago when the sea level was more than 40m higher than now, and then back to the shoreline passing Natura Hotel and the domestic airport. At Nauthóll, with a sand beach heated up by geothermal water during the summer, the route continues to the west with a beautiful view over the ocean sometimes being able to see the mighty Snæfellsjökull stratovolcano glacier and presidential residence at Bessastadir on the other side of the bay. Now in the western part of the city, after 10,5km kilometers from the start, the runners take a u-turn and head the same way back. The marathoners run this route twice. The entire course is on a paved trail, mostly flat, with small elevation after 3 and 4,5km, and only crossing two small streets each way.