22nd Rovaniemi Marathon slated for July 2

The 22nd Rovaniemi Marathon will take place on July 2 with people from home and abroad taking part.

The race organised by the Arctic Marathon Club is one of the biggest international events in Rovaniemi City in which several hundred people participate every year.

Although the number of participants in the marathon has been waning every year, the organisers are expecting 1,500 runners joining in this year’s race.

“Our racing organisation is ready to take up to 1,500 runners. The number of participants in all marathon events has decreased in recent years due to new sporting events like triathlon and trail running being introduced where the runners are taking part,” Paula Vuolo, one of the organisers of the Rovaniemi Marathon, told the Daily Finland.

Vuolo said last year about 700 runners from 17 countries took part in the marathon in the categories – marathon, half marathon, 10km and mini-marathon.

She said the marathon will be arranged in the way the organisers have found good and working, adding that the route is the same as in recent years, going along the Kemijoki River starting from Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus.

“Santa Claus himself will be firing the starting gun, sending runners onto the route. At the finish every runner gets a meal of reindeer soup and a chance to cool off with a dip in the river or the city pool,” Vuolo added.

To a query she said preparations to hold the marathon smoothly are going on and they are expecting a good weather, not too hot, windy or rainy, and a successful event that will leave the participants in a good mood.

“Organising such an event requires a lot of preparations, but everything has progressed according to the schedule. We have, among other things, chalked out plans for traffic control and safety, made the necessary notifications to the authorities, and ordered prizes and medals. During the event, about 100 volunteers work to ensure that everything is working well.”

The members of the marathon club have joined a number of marathons throughout the world and would now like to offer other international runners a unique marathon experience on their home turf – Rovaniemi.

The heart of the marathon has always been top-notch services for runners. This year’s event caters to a range of distances and styles – mini-marathon, 5km, 10km, half marathon and full marathon – and features a flat course.

The starting and finishing points of the marathon are near Lordi Square in the city centre. Three winners from each series will be awarded after the marathon.