Interesting Races in Interesting Places -- The Reykjavík Iceland Half-Marathon

Annie B

On a crisp, clear August morning, I found myself trailing a red balloon attached to a grinning bald man with an enthusiastic gait. He was a pacer, and I was negotiating how to keep up with him while dodging the unpredictable bops-to-the-face from said balloon. We had just passed a guy in a gorilla suit dancing to techno and I was in the process of high-fiving two jolly older gentlemen blaring ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ from a box truck. I could hear at least three different accents singing along in the pack around me- Monty Python transcends language barriers- and I was laughing so hard I forgot I was racing. My watch told me I was 30 minutes into a half marathon, but my brain told me I was in the midst of a party. The tourism bureau had it right -- Reykjavík: Pure Energy!

Only a week before this multilingual sing-along in Sauconys, I was finishing a Flyers Marathon Training Program practice and everyone was discussing upcoming races. A large contingent was running the Bronx Half Marathon, while others were going to a race in Pennsylvania. I, thinking myself pretty clever, announced that I was also running a half next weekend…in Iceland.

The response? ‘Me too!’

I had clearly underestimated this bunch. Two other Flyers were planning on running in Iceland. Dave K was running the Reykjavik Half Marathon, and Celia K was running the Reykjavik Marathon (and she subsequently came away with a killer PR)! I was with a friend who was a first-time halfer, and we were all there for an Icelandic adventure, which is exactly what we got.

Dave K, Annie B and friend Gareth

I genuinely cannot say enough about this event. It was the friendliest, funniest, and most pleasant race I have ever run. After sweating myself within reach of a new dress size each weekend in the heat of this New York summer, the brisk Icelandic weather was a welcome reminder that running is actually fun. As we ran through downtown everyone seemed to be out on their front steps cheering.

Family Fun - Break Out the Trombones!

Children were banging pots and pans, locals shouted encouragement and there was even what appeared to be a family band playing ‘When the Saints Come Marching In’ with an elementary-aged moppet wailing away on the trombone. We ran over medians, across roundabouts and along beaches. As the pack spread out, I realized I hadn’t even seen any of the mile markers, only to look down and spot an 8K sign attached to a traffic cone. We were already at 8K?!

The official entrant tally was 12,481, but as we all ambled into the corral at about 5 minutes to the start, it only felt like 200 runners. I crossed the start line seconds after the initial horn, and didn’t even get my heels stepped on. This clearly was not Manhattan.

The course was truly stunning. It was mostly flat which made the runners with pace balloons clearly visible, and went along the coast with some of the most striking scenery I have ever had the pleasure of running in. Think of the Rockies without peaks, or in Seattle on a really nice September day. There was only one hill -- a switchback at about the 16k mark, but it had a Mars Bar pit stop right before you hit it which distracted me from the fact that it was, you know, a hill. I’m convinced this was border-line genius.

Heading Straight to the Atlantic Ocean
with Volcanic Mountains in View

Even though this is a huge international event (1,400 of the entrants are from outside Iceland) I really felt like I was out for a morning run with a lot of very friendly neighbors. Everything about it felt lighthearted and fun. Toward the 19K mark, as the halfers turned for home and the marathoners split for the long haul, a local radio DJ was blasting ‘Living on a Prayer’ inducing another mass sing-along and making the final 3K kick seem almost inspired. Crossing the finish felt pretty great, and there were plenty of high-fives and Powerades to go around. I even found my friend in the post-race mêlée without any trouble.

Over the weekend, I met many other travelers who had come to Reykjavik specifically for this race. In fact, all of people staying at my small guest house ran, and my flight over was packed with a group from Marathon Tours & Travel. The whole weekend is an annual festival for Iceland. Reykjavik’s birthday is celebrated with fireworks the night of the race, and downtown was full of live music, street performers, and food for Culture Night. Also, a major perk of running this race is that your number gets you free admission to any local geothermal spa for a post-run soak. And there are many to choose from.

I would absolutely run this race again, and strongly encourage others to run it, too. In less time than it takes to get from New York to Boston on a Friday night, you can be in a beautiful country with a lively athletic culture, active nightlife, and a local spa. They also happen to have really good beer (Try a Thule. Trust me.). Everything about this trip was good-natured. Twice over the weekend, people pulled over on the side of the road to ask if we were lost and offered to drive us to our destination. We even squeezed in a breathtaking mountain trek and a glacier climb, and I was back at my desk by Tuesday morning.

Run in Reykjavík. I can promise you will not regret it.

Annie B.