The athletes who have taken on – what will probably be one of their greatest challenges and achievements – are now only hours away from jumping off our ferry.
Dear athletes and support teams of the 21st edition of Zalaris Norseman:
It is good to be nervous now. It is natural to feel stressed. If you did not feel it, you would probably be in trouble. Most of you will have a great day on Saturday, August 3. Most of you will be very proud of yourself on Sunday. And if that does not happen, you had bad luck or came unprepared because it was not your day. Then, that is ok. It is in the nature of the challenge you have accepted. That you might not succeed if it were easy. You wouldn’t be here. If you knew you were going to make it, you wouldn’t be here. We love to feel that insecurity. It is a very powerful resource of energy.
Hårek Stranheim – Founder of Norseman
See the start list here.
Norseman Live
We will have a live broadcast on race day here on www.nxtri.com. There will be live teams out in the course and a studio at the finish area. The live coverage starts at 05:00 CEST on race day.
About Zalaris Norseman
The first edition of Norseman was held in 2003. The distances equal the traditional full distance distance – however, steep climbs, rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions make this event very different.
Distances:
- Swim: 3.8 km in the Hardangerfjord, Eidfjord
- Bike: 180 km through rugged terrain and steep climbs
- Run: 42.2 km, including a final ascent to Mount Gaustatoppen
Race Details:
- Start: Eidfjord, Norway
- Finish: Gausta, Norway
- Number of athletes: 250 athletes on the start
- Swim course: Athletes jump from a ferry into the fjord, swimming to shore in Eidfjord
- Bike course: Scenic but gruelling route with more than 3,000 meters of climbing
- Run course: The first 25 km is alongside Lake Tinnsjøen, and the last 17k includes a demanding climb from Rjukan to Mount Gaustatoppen, also referred to as “Zombie Hill” among athletes.
- Finishers: The 160 first athletes to reach 37k at Stavsro can finish at Mount Gaustatoppen and receive a black t-shirt. Other athletes can finish on a lower course but the same distance, earning a white t-shirt.
