Oulu is a seaside resort city on Bothnian Bay in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It’s one of the largest cities in the world for its latitude, which means very little sunlight in winter and ‘white nights’ in summer. The scene for running in Oulu is enhanced by the city’s 900 km of cycle lanes and 300 underpasses and bridges devoted exclusively to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The best places to run in Oulu are centrally located and focus on waterfront paths. A great way to get oriented is to start with our ‘waterfront spectacular’ along the Merikoski Rapids & Ouloujoki River. There are several km of path along the Hiirosenoja River as well. One of our favorite routes in Oulu is a 10 km loop covering four islands, connected by scenic pedestrian bridges. There’s also some nice running on Toppila Island and around lakes in the University of Oulu area.
Notes: Oulu has cold winters with 150 cm of snow. Embrace it! Owing to the dark winters, many of the paths are well lit.
