Nopesport

For those Mountain Marathon fans out there, or those of you looking to try one for the first time, a new event this year looks like a great opportunity for experts and beginners alike. Thoes put off by tales of the KIMM and a freezing October weekend on a British hillside could well be in for a treat at the Arctic incarnation. Held in mid August with temperatures of between 7 & 14ºc, the region will also still be enjoying around 20 hours of visible light. And for those who don't fancy camping on a cold mountainside, those on the Short & Long classes don't even need to spend the night under the stars, they return to the event centre for the night. It gets better, the event centre is a mountain hotel, so upon returning from your race on day 1 you can recharge your batteries with a sauna, outdoor hot tub, a decent meal and perhaps even a wee tipple before heading off for your warm and comfortable bed! (Apologies to Elite competitors, you'll still have to rough it out in the hills!)

The Arctic KIMM is a new event this year and has been created by a group of Swedes who are regulars at the British KIMM. The idea for the event came when relaxing over a few drinks (the best ideas always do!) after the 2003 event and the Arctic KIMM is the result. It is being held on the 12-13 August in Hemavan, northern Sweden, a 90-minute direct flight from Stockholm. The airport is only 10 minutes walk from the event centre & hotel. Hemavan is an almost alpine environment set amongst the Vindelfjällen nature reserve, the largest protected area in Europe. The race has Male, Female & Mixed classes of Elite, Long and Short and with distances ranging from 65km and 3700m climb on the Elite to around 30km and 2000m climb on the Short class, this event looks to hold something for all abilities.

Full details of the event can be found on the Arctic Kimm Website.

The wonderful setting of the Event Centre