The course,
question by question

The race starts deep in central Iceland, more than 100 km from the nearest tarmac road, and runs north towards the Arctic Circle. Race HQ is in Akureyri, in the north of the country — not Reykjavík. You travel from Akureyri to Base Camp by road the day before the start.

The terrain changes constantly. Expect black volcanic ash deserts and dunes, ancient and recent lava fields, glacial plains and river crossings, canyons and valleys, geothermal areas with bubbling mud pools and steaming vents, and occasional stretches of lush meadow beside meltwater streams. The first few days stay high, starting at around 900 m of altitude.

This is a landscape that is inaccessible for seven to nine months of the year. Some sections of the course are used by the Fire + Ice Ultra and nobody else.

Yes. You will cross several rivers during the race. At the two largest we set up a rope and crew are in the water to help if you get into difficulty. These can be up to thigh deep, so be prepared for wet clothing afterwards.

Some people carry an extra pair of lightweight shoes for the crossings; others are happy to cross in their running shoes. We do not recommend crossing barefoot — the riverbeds are very rocky.

No. The entire course is marked with red flags and tape. Navigation is not part of the challenge here — the terrain is.

No, because of the sensitive nature of the flora, fauna and landscape. We work closely with the National Park Authority to build a course with the minimum possible impact, and in the most fragile areas you will find members of our crew literally sweeping the footprints of the runners who have passed. Publishing maps or GPS tracks would jeopardise the future of the race.

We measure with professional-standard GPS instruments and average two devices for the best accuracy we can get. We aim as close to 250 km as possible, but the route is shaped to show you the best of the interior, so you may finish a few kilometres over.

Most GPS watches connect to only a few satellites at a time and carry more error than our instruments, so expect your watch to disagree with us.

Usually two per stage, more on the long day, spaced at 15–20 km intervals. Checkpoints are there to resupply water and for your safety; medical support is available at each one. Members of the team also drive up and down the course between checkpoints.

Hot water is available at the last checkpoint on the long day for anyone who wants to stop for a meal. Everywhere else, cold water only.

These vary with the length of the stage and the terrain. They are generous enough for a fast walker to complete every stage. Exact cut-offs are published closer to the race.

It happens, for medical reasons and otherwise. A competitor who does not complete all six stages is not eligible for a finisher’s medal and will not have an overall time recorded.

Because of the remoteness of the course we cannot return anyone to Race HQ mid-week — all of our staff and vehicles are committed to the people still racing. The options are:

• If you feel you can complete the next stage, we will let you start the next day. We cannot accommodate people who start stages with no intention of completing them; if you are unable to complete multiple stages we will not allow you to keep starting.
• Many people who retire choose to help the crew with light tasks such as at a checkpoint, so they stay part of the race and cheer their tent-mates on.
• If you cannot help the crew, you will be transported from camp to camp to rest.

On day one everyone starts together. On every subsequent stage there are staggered starts by your finishing time the day before. Start times are set by the Race Director and are non-negotiable — changing them would affect the final results.

Be prepared for early mornings, especially if you are one of the slower runners. The camp team start taking tents down half an hour before the final wave leaves so they can be set up at the other end, so be ready by then.