Lillomarka Rundt

Lillomarka Rundt is a 50.7 km ultra trail with 1,860 m of elevation gain that circles Lillomarka, the forested hill country north-east of Oslo, between the Maridalen valley, Groruddalen and the municipality of Nittedal. It is organised by the running club Sidespor løpeklubb together with the Sky Blazers collective, on the last Saturday of October. The idea grew out of an autumn outing among Sky Blazers members in 2017 and 2018; a first trial race followed in 2019, and the event has since become a fixture despite cancellations in 2020 and 2023. The field is limited to around a hundred runners, and results count towards the UTMB Index.

The race starts at 8 a.m. from Langsetløkka in Kjelsås, in the north of the city, where it also finishes. The course, designed by Johannes Rummelhoff, is not marked: runners follow a GPX track along blue-waymarked paths and completely unmarked trails. Along the way it takes in Kampen, the lake of Lille Gryta, Grytlihøgda, Barlindåsen, the Slåttmyra nature reserve and Brennberget, the highest point in Lillomarka at 441 m, then Røverkollen, the lakes of Steinbruvann, Breisjøen and Alungsjøen, Årvollåsen, Isdammen, Trollvann and finally Grefsenkollen, before the descent to Kjelsås.

The terrain is classic Norwegian forest at the end of the season: roots, rocks, boggy stretches, lakeshores and short, steep climbs, often wet and slippery at this time of year. With no waymarking, there is an element of navigation that demands constant attention. The race is therefore aimed at experienced, self-reliant trail runners who are comfortable navigating with a watch or phone. Conifer forest, dark lakes and views over the capital from the heights of Grefsenkollen give the route a wild feel, even though the city is never far away.

Four aid points are spread around the loop: Rotnes in Nittedal at about 15 km, the Sinober forest café at 21.5 km, the bathing spot at Steinbruvann at 34 km and Isdammen at 44 km. Each has a closing time, and the finish closes twelve hours after the start; runners may carry on after a cut-off, but without any guarantee of support. Mandatory kit includes a survival blanket, a compression bandage, a charged phone with the organisers' numbers, a cup for drinks at the stations, a windproof jacket and long woollen base layers. With short late-autumn days, a head torch is recommended for anyone expecting to take more than eight and a half hours.

Langsetløkka is easy to reach by tram, by train to Kjelsås station or by bus; drivers are asked to use the Kjelsås-Oset car park a few hundred metres away. Changing rooms and showers are available on site, and a hot vegetarian stew awaits finishers. There are no medals: results are compiled from participants' public Strava activities, and the spirit remains that of a big day out among runners.