Lofoten Triathlon // Extreme

Welcome

This manual covers the Extreme distance: 4 km swim, 181 km bike and 43 km run. The organizers provide all support; no external support is accepted, so you can race without bringing your own crew and car.

Back to nature

The Arctic Triple has a strong environmental focus. We want to organize the most environmentally friendly races in the world. The course is marked with removable flags so the mountains stay as natural and untouched as possible, both during the race and after. We also avoid producing items that would end up as trash or at the back of a closet.

Throwing trash anywhere along the course is strictly forbidden. Use the bins at the service points, and nowhere else.

Leave nothing but a "thank you" behind.

Summary

• 4 km swim · 181 km bike · 43 km run, 227 km in total
• About 3 900 m of climbing: 2 200 m on the bike and 1 500 m on the run
• Swim start Friday 05:00 in Svolvær harbour
• Age limit 18 years
• No external support. Only the Lofoten Triathlon crew supports you
• Pre-race briefing the evening before the race
• Cut-offs: swim 2 h 15 min · bike 10 h · run: pass 37 km within 16 h (21:00)
• Optional special-needs bag for the bike leg, handed out about halfway
• You may change shoes in T2 before the mountain part of the run
• Every finisher earns the finisher shirt

Event venue in Svolvær

Everything centres on the harbour in Svolvær: registration and start kits at RETUR, briefings at Thon Hotel Lofoten, and the start/finish on the town square.

Tap a location in the list to zoom to it. Start, finish, transition zone and the swim course are plotted from the official race GPX; the square outline, hotel and bus stop from OpenStreetMap.

What's included

• Start kit, swim cap and The Arctic Triple buff
• Early breakfast at Thon Hotel Lofoten (athletes staying at the hotel)
• Timing and live GPS tracking
• First aid and evacuation transport
• Drink and food stations
• Warm meal after the finish
• Finisher shirt

Course map & GPX

Explore the course on the live map. Drag, zoom, and slide along the elevation profile to see exactly where every climb hits. Numbers are measured from the official GPX track.

Course description

Start, T1, T2 and the finish line are all centred on the town square in Svolvær, which is good for your supporters and simple for your logistics.

Swim · 4 km

Water start. The swim circles the pier in Svolvær harbour under normal conditions; in strong waves, the sheltered route inside the pier is used.

Bike · 181 km

Out along the E10 to Sundklakk, then a loop around Gimsøy, flat land on one side and steep mountains on the other. Back over the Gimsøystraumen bridge towards Svolvær, where your special-needs bag and a food station wait at the square. Then out again: the E10 all the way to Fiskebøl, and onto the wonderfully scenic Midnattsolveien along the north side of Austvågøy through Strønstad, Morfjord, Delp and Laukvik (food station). Back on the E10 to Svolvær and into T2.

Run · 43 km

Four laps around Svolvær on tarmac, gravel and trails: 10 + 10 + 12 + 12 km. On the final two laps you cross the mountain Tjeldbergtinden (367 m above the sea). The view is worth it, but the climb is technical and demanding. Respect it. Be prepared to spend many hours crossing the two mountains.

GPX files for all legs are available for download on this site.

Cut-off times

Service stations

Drink: water and sports drink, plus Coca-Cola on the run leg. Bring your own cup.
Food: The Arctic Triple bun, chips, nuts, bananas and sandwiches; warm soup at the bigger stations and T1/T2.
Also: basic medical kit and warm blankets; bike pump and Allen keys at every bike station. Athletes are advised to place their own food and drink in T1/T2 and the optional bike special-needs bag.

Race support

The organizers do all support. No external support is accepted. Social running is allowed, but the companion must not pace in front or give any form of race support.

We want less plastic and less waste. Refill your bottles with water (and sports-drink mix if you need it) at the stations on the bike leg, and bring your own cup for the run stations.

Race language: English

English is the official race language. All briefings, course markings, manuals and safety instructions are given in English, and our crew must be able to communicate with you quickly and clearly, especially in an emergency in the mountains or on the water.

• Every athlete must fully understand and speak English to start the race
• By registering, you confirm that you meet this requirement

Rules

General

Lofoten Triathlon follows the rules and regulations of World Triathlon (ITU). Present a valid photo ID at registration; Norwegian athletes need a valid triathlon license (day license available at registration), foreign athletes a license from their own federation.

Start, T1, T2 & finish

Keep all your gear inside your assigned box in T1/T2. Gear outside the box can mean time penalties.

Swim

Full wetsuit is mandatory. Neoprene cap, vest and socks are optional but recommended, because the water is cold. Gloves are not permitted. Check in with the crew before entering the water.

Bike

• Race number visible from the back at all times
• Mount only after the mount line out of T1, helmet strapped; dismount before the dismount line into T2
• The course is open to regular traffic, so traffic rules apply at all times
• No headphones, headsets or phone use while riding
• No pacing (by car or bike) and no drafting. Keep 10 m between athletes, rear wheel to front wheel
• Bike in good working order with front and rear lights; CE-approved helmet

There is no technical support on the bike leg, but every service station has a bike pump and a basic Allen-key kit.

Run

No headphones. Follow traffic rules and run on the left side of the road.

Time chip & GPS tracker

Wear the time chip for the whole race, right ankle pointing outwards. The GPS tracker is worn on the bike and run legs, not in the water. Put it on in T1!

Medical & anti-doping

The medical crew may remove a competitor from the race at any time if their health is at risk. Anti-Doping Norway may perform random tests. All athletes sign a release from liability at registration.

Anti-doping

The Arctic Triple stands for clean sport. All our races are organized under the anti-doping regulations of Anti-Doping Norway (Antidoping Norge) and the WADA code.

• By registering, you consent to our anti-doping policy, and consent is gathered as part of the registration process
• The use of prohibited substances or methods is strictly forbidden, in and out of competition
• Random doping tests by Anti-Doping Norway may occur at any time: before, during or after the race

Do the whole Triple?

Many athletes aim to complete all three races. To get an official Triple result you must complete all three individually within 12 months:

Triple finishers are awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze jacket by our main partner Klättermusen, plus a spot on the Lofoten Wall of Fame.

You can sign up for all three at once: at register.thearctictriple.no, tick The Triple and choose your distances, and you get 10% off the standard prices.

Cancellation & transfers

The entry fee is non-refundable, regardless of the reason for cancellation.

You can transfer your entry to another athlete until 14 days before the first race day. Log in at register.thearctictriple.no and start the transfer from your registration. The transfer fee is NOK 150.

Last day to transfer for the 2027 edition: 5 August 2027.

Entries bought with a discount code that does not allow transfer cannot be transferred. If an earlier deadline is set for an edition, the registration system shows it, and that deadline applies.

Norwegian law (LOV-2007-06-29-86) prohibits selling tickets to cultural and sporting events at a higher price than the original.

Weather & safety

Water temperature: 13–16 °C · air temperature: 12–25 °C · winds: be prepared for heavy winds.

Safety on the water

• Check in with the crew before the swim
• Kayaks and RIBs follow the swimmers, so signal them if you need assistance
• You are never far from land on the whole swim leg

Withdrawal

If you withdraw at any point, informing the organizers is mandatory. Transport back may take a while, but we will keep you safe and warm while you wait.

Travel & stay

Flights, boats, buses and beds. Everything is gathered on our Travel & stay page: four airports, the express boat, the Hurtigruten coastal ferry, and where to sleep by the harbour.

Open Travel & stay →