RACE INFO

RACE INFO

RACE INFO

Lapland Home

QUICK FACTS

Lapland makes up about one third of Finland's total area, and it's a region, not a country. It covers northern Sweden, Finland, Norway and part of Russia's Kola Peninsula. To put its size into perspective, Lapland is as big as Belgium, Holland and Switzerland all put together.

Lapland is the 13th location in the RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon Series which moves to a new location each year. Previous locations included Vietnam, Namibia, Australia, Nepal, Jordan, Iceland, Madagascar, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Patagonia, New Zealand and Georgia.

The Official Hometown of Santa Claus. According to the Christmas experts in Finland, Santa Claus resides in Rovaniemi, or better known as “Santa Claus Village”.

There are hidden symbols if you look carefully. When viewed from above, the streets of Rovaniemi, Lapland’s capital, appear to be shaped like reindeer antlers.

Lapland is the best place to view the Northern Lights. You can spot them any time from late autumn to spring when it's dark and the sky is clear. They show in colours of green, purple and red and often dance in the sky like pipe organs!  

Reindeer, fish and game meats are staple foods. However, did you know that Lapland is famous for its cheese? 'Squeaky cheese', so-called because of the noise it makes when you chew it (think halloumi) is the oldest and most well-known gourmet cheese in Finland. It's served with another Lapland speciality - cloudberry jam.

200 competitors from more than 40 countries are expected to compete in RacingThePlanet: Lapland 2022. The race is a reunion to many past RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts competitors but about 50% of the field is expected to be first timers.

The number of reindeer in the province roughly equals that of people. If you're a fan of these gentle, doe-eyed beasts, look away now - as you can buy reindeer hamburgers in some fast food outlets.

Approximately 20% of competitors run the entire course, 60% combine running with walking, and 20% walk the entire course.

In the summer, the sun sometimes never sets. For 73 days each year, the sun is visible round the clock. Visiting in August you can expect 21-24 hours of light a day.