About Nordic Exercise
Nordic Exercise is an independent guide to the races and challenges of the Nordic countries and to the Nordic way of training. We don’t organise anything and we don’t sell anything.
Who we are
Nordic Exercise is made by Upper Eight AB, a small Swedish company in Malmö that builds websites and digital tools. The site exists because the races that define Nordic outdoor life, the 90 km ski classics, the swimruns through the archipelago, the fell runs above the tree line and the winter swims, are documented in a dozen languages on a hundred organiser sites, and almost never in one place with an honest answer to the only question that matters: how hard is it, and can I do it?
How the race pages are made
Every race page starts as research against the organiser’s own site, the official results, the rules and the national federation, with every page read on a named date and listed under Sources at the bottom. The figures that matter most, the mid-pack finishing time, the cut-offs, the fees and the entry process, are taken from the latest edition and dated.
The four toughness meters, duration, terrain, cold and cut-offs, follow a published method and never the race’s reputation. A researcher proposes the scores with the evidence, an editor sets the final score against the scale, and the basis is printed on the page so you can disagree with it. The ranking is built from those scores alone.
Organisers change dates, fees and courses. We re-check pages oldest first, and the date of the last check is on every page. Before you enter anything, confirm it on the official site.
Ambassadors
What a researched page cannot give you is the person who stood on the start line. Our ambassadors do: people who have done a race write a dated report with their own photos, and we publish it under that race with a link back to them. We edit lightly, never pay, and say so plainly.
Advertising and independence
Right now no organiser, shop or travel company pays to be on Nordic Exercise, and none of our links earn us a commission. Every race is included on the same terms, and the ratings are not for sale.
If we ever show paid placements, affiliate links or partner listings, they will be clearly marked as Sponsored next to the item, and a sponsored item will never change a toughness score.
The training guide
The training guide is written to be practical and conservative. It describes how people in the Nordics actually train and keeps away from health claims. Where it cites research it names the institution and the finding in plain words. It is not medical advice: anyone with a medical condition should talk to a doctor before starting a programme or going into cold water.
Corrections and suggestions
Has a race changed its date, course or fee? Is a Nordic race missing? Have we got a score wrong? Tell us through the contact form and we’ll look at it.