Tromsø Midnight Sun Marathon

Michael McNeela took the tall ship to Norway to run in the Nordmarka Skogsmaraton (Forest Marathon) in 2013  and finished in an excellent time 3:24:58. This year he was joined on another Norwegian marathon adventure by Colette Tuohy. It’s been her dream for some time to run in this race.

They travelled to Tromsø, an island in the very north of Norway to run in the 27th Midnight Sun marathon and half marathon on June 18.  The race is so called because daylight in Tromsø is 24 hours as we approach the June solstice. As they say, the sun is up all day. The marathon starts (8:30pm) and finishes at the city centre. Runners face the Tromsø Bridge after 2k; and then uphill from 6 to 43 meters over sea level. After running about 20 km they  recross the bridge, and return through the city centre. The rest of the course is mostly flat and easy.

The half marathon started at 10:30pm. It’s relatively flat and follows the same route as the last 21k of the marathon race.

Michael finished the marathon in a great time 3:21.40, 69th overall in the field of 965. He was halfway in 1:38.  Colette finished 36th in the half marathon race and 4th woman overall in 1:25.22 – a brilliant time. She was third until the final stages. There were 696 finishers and she was among the prizewinners 2nd 45+.

Well done to them both – it must have been an extraordinary experience.

Results www.live.eqtiming.no