The Reykjavik Spring Marathon

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 neighbouring town, the route takes the runners down to the sea side 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 year ago when the sea level was more then 40 m higher then now, and then back to the shore line 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 residents at Bessastadir on the other side of the bay. Now in the western part of the city, after 10,5 km kilometres from the start, the runners take an u-turn and head the same way back. The marathoners run this route twice. The entire course is on asphalt trails, mostly flat, with small elevation after 3 and 4,5 km, and only crossing two small streets each way.