Tromsø Backyard Ultra 2026

Tromsø Backyard Ultra uses a 6.7 km loop starting every hour from Kraft sportssenter in Tromsø, Northern Norway. It's a backyard-style endurance race: complete the loop, wait for the next hour's start, and repeat until only one runner remains capable of continuing. In this edition, the first runner to finish 24 laps wins, making the challenge about pacing, recovery, nutrition, and readiness for each subsequent start. The loop combines gravel roads and trails, ascending through Granåsen and Myrbakken before heading north on paths with views toward Kvaløya and Hamna. It then turns south through Hamnaholla, circles Rundvannet, and returns to Kraft sportssenter, featuring 188 meters of elevation gain per lap. The course includes technical sections and smoother parts, requiring more than just flat-road speed. Two local runners, Tromsøpeisan, helped establish the event, and the format creates a communal atmosphere: runners gather before each lap, encourage each other at the start, and share the fatigue as the race progresses.