Arctic Circle Race
Arctic Circle Race takes place Late Mar 2027 (three days; the 2026 edition ran Mar 27 - 29) in Sisimiut, Greenland. The dress code is Full cross-country race kit plus serious winter camping gear. A mandatory kit list applies and is enforced; sleeping kit can be rented from the organisers for around EUR 120. Typical cost ranges from 700 to 2900 EUR per person.
Billed as the world's toughest cross-country ski race: 160km over three days across the Greenland backcountry above the Arctic Circle, with two nights camped in tents on the snow. A shorter 100km option exists but the tented nights are unavoidable. Fields are small, the terrain is genuinely remote, and finishing is the achievement rather than placing.
- When
- Late Mar 2027 (three days; the 2026 edition ran Mar 27 - 29)
- Where
- Sisimiut, Greenland
- Dress code
- Full cross-country race kit plus serious winter camping gear. A mandatory kit list applies and is enforced; sleeping kit can be rented from the organisers for around EUR 120.
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 700 to 2900 EUR per person.
- Weather
- -10 to -25C with wind chill, hard snow, blinding glare and long daylight
- When to book
- Entries open in the autumn and the field is capped. Book the package with flights if you can, since independent Greenland flights and beds in Sisimiut are the hardest part.
- Getting there
- SFJ (Kangerlussuaq), then a connecting flight to JHS (Sisimiut)
- Where to stay
- Hotel Sisimiut (the main hotel in town, race HQ territory), Somandshjemmet Sisimiut (Seamen's Home, simple and good value), Private B and B homestays arranged through the race package
- Official site
- https://acr.gl
How to attend
Register as a skier at acr.gl. The basic entry runs about DKK 4,971 (roughly EUR 665) and covers race fees, the two camp nights, luggage transport, the gala dinner and a certificate. Full packages including return flights from Copenhagen, transfers and five nights in Sisimiut range from about EUR 2,300 (shared dorm) to EUR 2,900 (shared hotel room). Places are capped and a mandatory briefing is held the day before. Non-skiers can watch the start and finish in Sisimiut for free.
Insider tip
Take the B and B or hotel package rather than booking independently - it bundles the Copenhagen flights and transfers, and Greenland's air links are far too fragile to improvise around a fixed start line.
Get inside Arctic Circle Race
Booking matters here: entries open in the autumn and the field is capped. Book the package with flights if you can, since independent Greenland flights and beds in Sisimiut are the hardest part. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.