New collaboration is set to bring the Hadsel marathon out to the rest of world

Arctic Sport AS, Stokmarknes IL and Storheia Arena have agreed to start a strategic collaboration to make the Hadsel Marathon an even more attractive race.

International potential

The Hadsel marathon has been built up through solid voluntary work from the local people in Hadsel. The race was held for the 34th time in 2022, and is an annual event in the running calendar. The parties who are now starting a collaboration believe that the race has great international potential. Through increased access to resources, and by utilizing each other’s expertise, they want to create an event that is attractive far beyond Hadsel and Vesterålen.

The aim of this collaboration is to make the Hadsel marathon an even more attractive running event, not least for international participants. In that way, the race can be used to strengthen our work in the local community, and at the same time help to market Hadsel and Vesterålen’s position as a travel destination, says Robin Tømmerås, head of Stokmarknes IL.

Natural assumptions

General manager Knut-Eirik Dybdal of Arctic Sport believes that Hadsel marathon has great potential.

With the right organizational and marketing measures, we have a fantastic starting point to be able to establish an international top class race here in Hadsel. The running route around Hadseløya has natural conditions that make it a unique marathon course. At the same time, the fantastic nature in Vesterålen creates spectacular scenery. Through the Arctic Race of Norway, we have seen that there is great interest in this in other parts of the world, says Dybdal.

The Hadsel marathon will not be held in 2023. The collaboration partners will use the time until 2024 to plan and promote the race in a new format.

About the parties

Arctic Sport AS, based in Harstad, is a Northern Norwegian-owned company that works with planning and implementation of sports events. The most famous is the international cycling race Arctic Race of Norway. In addition, Arctic Sport AS organizes the skiing competition Andørja Freeride. The company’s ambition is to contribute to the development of other spectacular sports events in Northern Norway. The Hadsel marathon fits in very well with that ambition.

Stokmarknes Idrettslag was founded in 1919 and embraces football, skiing, athletics, all-sports, mountain biking and frisbee golf. The main team has a total of approx. 1,000 members, and has over the years built up, developed and operated facilities such as a roller ski track/cross-country track, a multi-sport hall, an 18-hole frisbee golf course, and has its own machine for creating cross-country skiing tracks during the winter season. Stokmarknes Idrettslag shall be a social actor that contributes to leisure facilities for children and young people, and shall be a contributor to events and regular activity offers for all. The Hadsel marathon is a fantastic offer for runners in the region, and an arena for people with an interest in athletics and long runs in scenic surroundings.

Storheia Arena is about public health, well-being, pride and belonging. The mountain, and the surrounding areas, must be a gathering point and the content must stimulate to better public health through the provision of transport and activities adapted to different functional levels and prerequisites. The project is to be a tool to achieve a goal of increased living conditions and attractiveness, activity and well-being in the entire region. In the next phase, it is an established goal that Storheia Arena will contribute to Vesterålen becoming attractive as an arena for large events because we collaborate, have a large volunteer network and have taken public health to a level with measurable results. Therefore, it is very appropriate to enter into a strategic cooperation agreement with Arctic Sports to contribute a voluntary network to the Hadsel marathon.