Trail running with kids is awesome. It’s even more awesome when it’s trail running with kids in Iceland (a great family adventure destination).
Earlier this month, the kids and I spent a few days in Iceland and enjoyed some awesome trail running. It wasn’t our first trip to Iceland, but it was our first specifically for trail running.
Here is a short clip of one of our adventures. Unfortunately, I forgot to capture any footage of the ascent. By the time I actually thought to grab video, my ‘real’ camera battery had died due to the cold, so I was left to use my less-than-great phone camera.
This is running Mt. Esja (locally called Esjan). This volcanic mountain range (it’s not actually a single mountain) is about 10 kilometers north of Reykjavik.
Resources for Trail Running in Iceland:
If you’re planning a trip, long stay, or relocation to Iceland and hoping to run (with or without kids in tow), you might want to check out the Trail Running Iceland Facebook group.
Having visited Iceland a couple of times and as much as I love my phone (and Google) for a resources, an old-fashioned paper guide book like Rick Steve’s Iceland can be really helpful.
If you’re looking for a serious ultra in Iceland, check out the Laugavegur Ultra.
To get the kids psyched up for a trip to Iceland, check out A Kid’s Guide to Iceland or Iceland.
If you’re new to the idea of traveling with kids in tow (as a solo parent or as a family), check out this short and sweet post on Tips & Tricks for Travel with Kids.
Follow Kids Trail Running on Instagram and find other videos and trail running photos of running with kids.
Where to Run in Iceland
There are so many amazing places, paths, and trails to run in Iceland. Places you may want to consider running:
- Reykjavík. There are good running paths in and around the city. Don’t miss running along the waterfront or running past popular attractions. You can find a city runseeing guide here.
- Mt. Esja. That’s the mountain (range) featured above in my YouTube clip. Here is more information about the run and how to get there.
- Sólheimasandur plane wreck. About 2.5 hours beyond the capital city of Reykavik or 20 minutes from Vik, you can find this historic plane wreck. You’ve probably seen amazing Instagram photos of the wreckage. Run or hike to the wreckage. You can get directions from Live. Love. Run. Travel. here.
Have you run in Iceland before? Where did you go?
updated 6/17/2020
