Trail 21 km

The course is not timed to be called a half marathon, but 21 km is our most popular distance.

As with our longest distance 80km, 21km also has its first mile along a river that flows into the Oslofjord. The big difference is that 80km starts UP along the Akerselven River, while 21km goes DOWN along the Lysakerelva River.

In May, this trail is verdant as it winds along Bogstadvannet and down technical and hilly paths along the river and eventually the Oslofjord.

The Lysaker River flows from Bogstadvannet and flows out between Snarøya and Bygdøy. More precisely at Lysaker. In other words, all distances except 10km will run down along the Lysaker River. To avoid excessive strain on the trails, the three longest distances (31, 50 and 80km) will run on the other side of the river.

After starting at Fossum Sports Complex, you will run a bit on gravel along Bogstadvannet, which is a popular and peaceful hiking area. Then there will be some asphalt and snow along a housing estate before you will eventually get to experience real close contact with the Lysakerelva River.

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On parts of the trail you are almost down to the water's edge. In other places on top of steep hills. So there are many who get a surprise. This is a hilly stretch! And in places also technical with roots and rocks. They can be slippery if it has rained. In any case, there is always someone who noses and gets hurt, so here you HAVE to run focused!

The paths are also very narrow in places, so 21 km is separated from the other distances twice. This is well marked with signs!

The first time, 21 km will be on the Oslo side and the three longest will be on the Bærum side. The second time they separate, 21 km will be on the Bærum side. And then all the distances will meet again down at the mighty Granfoss waterfall. Oslo and Bærum municipalities have done a good job of preparing the trails on each side – without disturbing nature.

What is worth noting about the Lysakerelva River is that it is one of Norway's 50 most conservation-worthy natural areas. There is a lot of mixed forest with rich flora and rare swamp and aquatic plants. There are large occurrences of deciduous forests such as hornbeam and ash, but there is also a significant proportion of dead and rotten deciduous trees. But precisely because there has been no systematic clearing or removal of trees, the plant and animal kingdom has been given absolutely superb conditions to live in. 102 different bird species have been registered, including the endangered little woodpecker. And there are a lot of trout and salmon. Apart from the "usual animals" we can see in the city and in the urban zone, deer, martens and lynx have also been observed on the edge of the valley along the river.
That's also why there are trees in or near the trail that haven't been cleared. The dead trees are very important for the entire ecosystem.

The lush vegetation and the beautiful paths that follow the river give the feeling of being far away from the city. But in fact, we are here in the middle of one of Norway's most densely populated areas. That in itself is unique to think about.
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When the four distances are out of the "jungle" it is just over a kilometer on asphalt past Lysaker station and then onto a gravel path along the fjord. And that path is very nice. It is also here, from Sollerudstranda, that the 10km distance joins the trail. In other words, all five distances share the last mile.

The gravel path along Vækerøparken runs along the water's edge. It's important to enjoy this stretch, because suddenly you're out on the asphalt and cars are speeding parallel to the walkway. The consolation is that you see the very last drink station at Thaugland Trelasthandel.

Next, everyone will go to rural Bygdøy.

Bygdøy is only 5km from the capital city centre, but cows and horses graze there, and in the summer there is a bustling beach life on several beaches and rocky cliffs. And tourists flock to the museums to see much of Norwegian cultural heritage and history.

From 2026, the finish will be on Bygdøy. This means that the last 5km will end on the peninsula and the finish will be at the beach at Huk. Yeah!  

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CUT OFF TIMES AND SUPPORT STATIONS:
Support allowed only within the stations. We do not have drop bags. See FAQ for locations and what is served at the stations.  

• Thaugland drink station - after 11.5 km from the start. Closes 19:00 - drinks and snacks.
• Bygdøy - last intermediate time (5km before the finish) closes at 19.30
• Goal: Closes 8:00 PM - water/sports drink, snacks