Ruskamaraton

Ruskamaraton is a road race in Levi, Finnish Lapland, held on the second Saturday of September since 1984. As Levi's oldest event, it offers runners three distance options: a full marathon, a half marathon, or a 6.5 km run. The longer races follow single-loop courses, and the shorter distance is also one loop, structuring the day around crossing Levi rather than repeating laps. Approximately two thousand runners participated recently, establishing it as a busy community race that is not exclusive to elite athletes. The race once connected Kittila village and Levi, with the marathon starting and finishing in Kittila and turning near Levi Hotel, while the half marathon ran from Levi Hotel back to Kittila. The entire event later relocated to Levi. Its history includes notable details: Finnish runner Martti Vainio roller-skied through the first edition as a publicity stunt, later returning to run and win. British marathoner Fiona Oakes also competed and won by over 18 minutes. At one aid station, runners had to dodge bull reindeer while getting drinks and snacks, a distinctly Lapland occurrence.