Running in search of the Northern Lights - Kiruna, Sweden
I commuted to Sweden for five years, yet it took me until one of my final trips to make it to Kiruna, Sweden. I think I first heard of Kiruna when someone told me about the Kings Trail. The idea of a trip there was in my head for a long time. The trail is in the very far north of Sweden and covers 270 miles (440 k). It’s probably ideal to do it in the summer, but the window of opportunity for me to head up was in October.
Kiruna, Sweden is the most northern city in Sweden. As such, I shouldn’t have been surprised there was so much snow in late October. However, even for Kiruna, that is an early snowfall. When I landed at the airport it was snowing heavily, and the drive to the hotel was a little dicey due to the darkness and slick roads. I got to the hotel, and went straight to bed.
Never one to miss an opportunity to go running, I found a track on my Gaia GPS and headed over for a run before I set out for Lannavaara, Sweden. A major focus of the town is the Kiruna, Mine in that you can’t miss the massive mountain made from the excavation of ore and the mine is the reason the town exists.
I wanted to get out into nature to have a chance to see the Northern Lights so had booked a room in Lannavaara, Sweden. Unfortunately, there were clouds the two nights I was there, but I still had fun runs in the dark, in the cold, on snowmobile tracks in the middle of the wilderness. The best part was seeing the sign for Russland. You realize just how far North you are, and how close Finland and Russia are. Given the time of the year, I was the only person in the hotel, and there were no restaurants or convenience stores open. I had to drive 30 minutes to the next town to grab some food at a gas station.
I didn’t get in any ultra distance runs, but given the 3 feet (1m) deep snow, cold night runs, and desolate trails, I’ll still count this trip as an ultrarunning destination. I hope you can get to Kiruna, Sweden and experience its beauty.
