The annual Laugavegur run from the Landmannalaugar geothermal area in the central highlands to the valley of Thórsmörk took place last weekend, in spite of volcanic ash that had fallen on the route.
From Landmannalaugar. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
The ash didn’t cause trouble, although some runners looked a bit “ashy” when they crossed the finish line, Morgunbladid reports.
Helen Ólafsdóttir set a new record in the women’s category when she finished the race at five hours, 21 minutes and 12 seconds. She improved the old record by approximately ten minutes.
In the men’s category, Thorlákur Jónsson won the race with the time four hours, 28 minutes and one second. A total of 267 runners out of the 279 who began the race at Landmannalaugar made it to Thórsmörk.
The weekend was unusually warm for Iceland and some of the runners needed an intravenous fluid injection after completing the race.
The Laugavegur route is 54-kilometers long and its highest point is 1,050 meters above sea level by Hrafntinnusker. It is popular among hikers, who usually make the trek in a few days, spending the nights in cabins along the way.
At the West Fjords a runners’ festival took place, starting with the Óshlíd run on Friday and ending with the Vesturgata run on Sunday. Svalvogakeppni, a cycling competition, was held for the first time on Saturday as part of the festival.
One contestant, Sigurdur Thórisson, participated in all three competitions.
