Light up winter darkness with a 10-km WINTER run!

When the darkness of January covers the roads like a wet blanket and you just want to stay under the bed covers, we’re organizing a running party unlike any others. Thousands of participants will run the 10-km fire-lit course.

A festival in the middle of darkest part of winter. Fire artists create a magical atmosphere at the start and both DJs and light shows keep up energy during the whole event. Winter Run will be a terrific experience even for those who don’t run. So be sure to bring along your faithful supporters to cheer you on in the darkness.

It’s not important how fast you run, but how you contribute to the atmosphere. The brightest runners will win nice prizes.

Winter Run was created for all of us who love to run, for all of us who refuse to let the weather hinder our training, for all of us who have discovered the magic of running a nice winter day.

We love winter running, we love it when our cheeks feel the cold’s bite, we love the feel of exerting ourselves during winter.  We know that you can and that you want to run during the winter. That’s why we’ve created Winter Run.

Light up your city!

The history of Winterrun has its beginning on a quiet winter day in Göteborg’s biggest outdoor area Skatås, where Icebug’s event manager Jonas Svengård was running with a friend.

– It was one of those fantastic winter days, when everything just sparkled. And then it hit me that this feeling, it’s something that many should experience. I’ve had many of my best running experiences during the winter and there is really something to discover there, says Jonas Svengård.

Knowing that most move their running indoors during the winter – or even take a complete break – Jonas began outlining Winterrun.

– Historically, people put their shoes away in October, says Jonas. But standing on a treadmill has to be most boring out there. And a main goal for Icebug is to inspire people to be active year-round. So actually, there wasn’t much to hesitate about.

With the vision to inspire as many as possible to do winter running, Jonas Svengård put his heart into the first edition of Winterrun. The race toured ten Swedish cities, from Malmö in the south to Östersund in the north. Relay, kid’s race, walking race and running race all in one.

– It was successful, we had races in very nice places. At the same time, they were pretty hard events for those hardcore winter runners. And what we wanted was  get more people to discover winter running. So Craft & Icebug decided to change the concept – do fewer things, but instead do them better, says Jonas Svengård, and continues:

– We went from being a real trudge race to an experience race. We now have it in the evening, with fire circuses and live music. It’ll be a special experience to run Winterrun.

Winterrun is being organised today in Göteborg, Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki – and the ambition is to expand soon to Toronto and Boston. Last year, Winterrun moved into Liseberg in Göteborg and Skansen in Stockholm, which heightened the experience even further.

– These are two of the biggest tourist attractions in Sweden and places that everyone has a relationship to. A place like Liseberg is full of incredible joy and positive qualities. But it’s also fun to experience these places in a new way, giving it an extra dimension.

After the races, just like last year, there is the possibility to eat something warm and take a beer at the race’s After Run.

– At most races, you run and then go home as soon as you’ve crossed the finish line. But there is something fun about meeting strangers and talking about the experience. It contributes so much. Because there is nothing better than meeting other runners?

Fact: Jonas’ three tips for a successful Winterrun!

• Register a team. ”Running is an individual sport, but doing it together is really great, and it isn’t often that you do it in other races. Register a team with your friends and challenge other teams!”
• Have the right equipment. ”I think that Anima Bugrip is the perfect shoe for this type of foundation, it is a fast, but reliable shoe. But make sure to also dress properly. For the race to be fun, you should be neither too warm nor too cold.”
• Light! ”If you’re not seen, you’re not there, and we always have prizes for those with the most lighting. There are battery-driven Christmas lights at the superstores that are pretty inexpensive. It’ll be even more fun should you wrap yourself in one of those and run. And the crowds will cheer you on even more!

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