The first time I ran this route I was completely blown away and in awe of everything around me. I immediately knew that I wanted to come back not only to experience the incredible diversity of this route, but also to see how fast I could do it.
We left our rental at 5am to start the drive to Landmannalagur. When we arrived at 7:30 I was happy to see that it was already close to 50 degrees, sunny, and not too windy. After getting my things together and, purchasing my wristband for the hut facilities, I started my run at 8:15.
For fueling I used mainly Tailwind with some chews and gels to supplement. I started with a full bladder (750 cal) and carried two pre-measured bags of powder for refilling my bladder as I went. I also started with 5 bags of chews and two gels. Along this route there are several huts that have a varying accommodations. Some of them have external spigots and this is what I used to refill my bladder and bottle.
8:15 Landmannalagur to Alfavatn - miles 0-13.5
In the first few miles there is a lot of geothermal activity, adding gases to the air, and a decent bit of climbing. This combination made me feel very out of shape at the start. Once the air cleared up I was feeling much better and just stuck to the plan. I finished my first bladder heading into Alfavatn where I refilled. I left Alfavatn more than 10 minutes ahead of my previous attempt and feeling good.
10:33 Alfavatn to Emstrur - miles 13.5-23
After a few short climbs this section is relatively flat. I was feeling good and kept most of these miles under 9 minutes. Around mile 20 I started to think that 8:30 might be within reach, around mile 22 I noticed that my calves felt a little tight. I was feeling pretty good but was maybe pushing a little harder than I was trained for. In these 10 miles I only finished about half of my bladder and so refilled using about half of my remaining bag of tailwind. I also refilled my soft flask with water. I was now about 25 minutes ahead of my previous attempt.
12:03 Emstrur to Thorsmark - miles 23-33
I could tell that my legs were getting a little fatigued but this section is also fairly runnable trail and I wanted to take what I could get. 8:30 was still in the back of my mind but I knew it would be a fight. As I got closer to Thorsmark I was doing the math and starting to think that I would be pretty happy with staying under 9 hours. I kept telling myself that once I got there I would be hiking for 2 hours and my legs would get a break... not so sound logic. I refilled my bladder with the tailwind I had left and filled my soft flask with water.
13:50 Thorsmark to Fimmvorduhals Hut - miles 33-41
After a mile or so along the river you climb over 3000 feet in 7 miles. It does level off in parts but overall this climb is very steep. Around mile 38 you reach an especially steep section with chains to help you climb up, this is where I felt my calves cramp for the first time. This is followed by another steep section with loose gravel until it levels off just before mile 39. I was so glad to reach the top and was ready to make up lost time on some runnable terrain. As soon as I tried to run both of my calves locked up. After being fully stretched on this climb they refused to go back into normal running position. I tried massaging them, stretching them, and forcing them to do what I wanted but it wasn't working. I was able to walk but had to be careful. I figured that I must be dehydrated and or low on sugar so decided to drink and eat everything I had left in a last ditch effort to salvage the run. The next hut was only a couple of miles away and I could run the last 8 downhill with just water. I was now thinking I would be lucky to beat my previous time of 10:08 if I could crawl my way down at all. After hobbling along for the next 20 minutes my legs started to come around. I could jog a bit without cramping but would occasionally have to back off. By the time I made it to the hut I was feeling pretty good again and thought I might actually still be able to make 9:30. Then I got to the hut and was informed that they only had water for overnight guests, this was a disappointment.
16:05 Fimmvorduhals Hut to Skogafoss - miles 41-48.9
For the moment I was relatively good so I took off running. I knew that the cramps were likely to kick back in but for now my stomach still felt pretty full so I thought I might have some reserves in there. On my first attempt I had gotten turned around multiple times and as a result I wasn't sure exactly how long this route would end up being. I had been doing all of my math based on the 51 miles that I ran the first time just to be safe. When I saw a sign that said 9.8k to Skogar I got very excited. With about 3 miles left the cramping started to find its way beck into my stride. We all know the feeling of tiptoeing around rocks and down stairs being extra careful not to cause any extra impact that might lock your legs up for good. I hobbled my way towards Skogafoss and as the top of the waterfall came into view I was overwhelmed with happiness. The thought of sitting down, the fact that a hamburger wasn't far away, the fact that my wife was waiting to give me a hug... when you have to struggle to get there the little things become everything.
18:30 Skogafoss parking lot - mile 48.9
09:15:10