There are a series of small, beautiful coastal towns in northern Iceland that are a bit off the beaten track, located along Rt. 85 which runs off the Ring Road around the peninsula. One of our favorites is Húsavík, which has a lovely waterfront, mountains all around, and is a popular whale watching location. Here are a few great spots to run in Húsavík:
Waterfront Running. The main road east and west of town is good for running, sitting above the sea and featuring great water and mountain views. There is not a shoulder, but this road is less trafficked and generally safe for running. For about 1.5 km, you can get off Rt. 85 onto Hafnarvegur, which is quieter and even closer to the water.
Path Around Lake Botnsvatn. This run is a real treat — a 5 km gravel path around this mountain lake, with views of town and sea below. MAP
Beach. There is a black sand beach about 3 km east of Husavik which is nice for running. The sand can be fairly firm and the beach goes for about 3 km.
There are a series of small, beautiful coastal towns in northern Iceland that are a bit off the beaten track, located along Rt. 85 which runs off the Ring Road around the peninsula. One of our favorites is Húsavík, which has a lovely waterfront, mountains all around, and is a popular whale watching location. Here are a few great spots to run in Húsavík:
Waterfront Running. The main road east and west of town is good for running, sitting above the sea and featuring great water and mountain views. There is not a shoulder, but this road is less trafficked and generally safe for running. For about 1.5 km, you can get off Rt. 85 onto Hafnarvegur, which is quieter and even closer to the water.
Path Around Lake Botnsvatn. This run is a real treat — a 5 km gravel path around this mountain lake, with views of town and sea below. MAP
Beach. There is a black sand beach about 3 km east of Husavik which is nice for running. The sand can be fairly firm and the beach goes for about 3 km.
There are many opportunities for unique, one-of-a-kind runs in Iceland. This post has some of the highlights: volcanoes, craters, canyons, hot springs, black sand beaches, lava fields, a Midnight Sun race, and more!
The northernmost capital city in the world has some wonderful running options. We've put together several routes, including a 'runseeing' tour, waterfront paths, parks, and some fun spots near the city.
'Golden Circle' route is a drive between the sightseeing highlights in southwest Iceland, within a day's drive of Reykjavik. We've put together runs at Hveragerdi, the Blue Lagoon, Thingvellir National Park, Black Sand Beach, & more.
One of the few opportunities in the world where you can run to a natural river thermal spring! A fairly gentle trail run for 3.5 km one-way leads to the hot springs. There's also a nice path from the parking lot to the town of Hveragerdi.
Located in northern Iceland and the country's second largest city. Dedicated path along the harbor, paths along the Glerá River, and good trail running on Súlur Mountain with fantastic views.
In the Ásbyrgi area of this large national park, there are some hiking trails that are also great for running. Run on a flat trail above or below a river canyon, or on a trail between two spectacular waterfalls -- Dentifoss and Selfoss.
One-of-a-kind run up the Eldfell volcano, which erupted in 1973. It's about 2 km up the winding, gradual path, with 200m of elevation gain. Great views from the top!
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Path Around Lake Botnsvatn. This run is a real treat — a 5 km gravel path around this mountain lake, with views of town and sea below. MAP
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