Skiers resting on a snowy fell

Sweden · Multisport and adventure

Åre Extreme Challenge

Tännforsen to Åre, Jämtland (start at the waterfall, finish on Åre beach)

Åre Extreme Challenge is a multisport race that has run since 1997: paddle from below the Tännforsen waterfall, run over the Åreskutan fell, then ride a mountain bike back to Åre. The River class is the original, about 70 km with whitewater and two portages; the Lake, Run n' Bike and team classes make the same course reachable without river experience. The organiser's own site still carries 2022 text in places, so check dates and rules on the entry page before you plan.

Official siteNo. 10 of 41 in the toughness ranking

The race in brief

Distance
69.7 km
Climb
1,985 m
Format
River Solo: about 21.5 km paddling (kayak or surfski, Indalsälven class 2 rapids plus flat water on Åre lake), 14.6 km running over Åreskutan, 33 km mountain biking, non-stop; also Duo and Relay. Lake classes (Solo, Duo, Relay, Team, 63 km) and Run n' Bike (48 km, no paddling) share the run and the bike
When
Saturday at the end of June (27 June 2026); the 2027 date is not yet published
Mid-pack time
About 6 h 30 min (median of the 32 River Solo finishers with a time, 2021); the organiser expects the winner in about 5 h and the slowest in about 11 h
Cut-off
No cut-off times are published on the pages read; the organiser gives an expected slowest time of 11 h for River and 10 h for Lake, and a medal time of 6 h (men) and 7 h 25 min (women) for River
Field
About 125 entries on the 2021 results list (56 River Solo, 37 Lake Solo, 18 Lake Duo, 14 Lake Team); later results were not found
First held
1997
Other distances
River Solo 69.7 km · River Duo and Relay · Lake Solo, Duo, Relay and Team 63 km · Run n' Bike 48 km · Kids Event
Organiser
Åre Extreme (NIAR AB), part of Åre Extreme Week

Next edition: 2026-06-27 · Held on 27 June 2026 with seven classes on RaceID (River Solo, Duo and Relay; Lake Solo, Duo and Relay; Run n' Bike Solo); entries are now closed and 2027 dates are not announced · Entries

Checked 2026-10-15

How tough is it?

Four meters, each 1 to 5, rated by our published method. The basis under each one shows the figures behind the score. How we rate.

DurationVery long

Median of the 32 River Solo finishers with a recorded time in the 2021 results on the organiser's site: about 6 h 30 min (winners about 5 h 15 min). Later years' results were not found. Organiser's expected range for the 2026 River class: 5 h (fast) to 11 h (slow). As of 2021-08.

TerrainExtreme

River class: class 2 whitewater on the Indalsälven, two mandatory kayak portages, then a 14.6 km fell run over Åreskutan and a 33 km singletrack and gravel MTB leg; about +1,985 m and -1,978 m in all (areextreme.se, 2026). Paddling experience must be certified. Lake classes drop the rapids: borderline 4. As of 2026-06.

ColdCool

Late-June mountain race, so cool mornings and rain are likely, with wind on the fell run; no temperatures were sourced. Mandatory kit includes a windbreaker, hat or buff, a life jacket and a whistle (areextreme.se River page, 2026). Water in the rapids is cold, but this is not a cold-season race. As of 2026-06.

Cut-offsWatch them

No cut-off times found on the organiser's pages, but River class entry needs proof of river-paddling skill, kayaks need tow handles at both ends, and support is banned on the course. The 2021 list shows a time for 32 of 56 River Solo entries, but it does not say why the rest have none, so we do not count it as a DNF rate. Entry is on RaceID; whether it sells out is not stated. Scored 3, borderline 4. As of 2026-06.

The course

River class starts at 07:00 below the Tännforsen waterfall. You paddle the Indalsälven, class 2 whitewater in places, and carry the kayak past two rapids that cannot be paddled; the portages are marked with flags. Further down the river opens into flat water and you paddle on Åre lake to the transition at Åre beach, roughly 21.5 km in all.

The run is about 14.6 km over Åreskutan, from the lake up onto the fell and down the far side to Huså, where the bike waits. The organiser lists the whole River course at about +1,985 m of climb. Support is only allowed at the two transition areas, Åre strand and Huså, and handing out food elsewhere gets you disqualified.

The last leg is about 33 km on a mountain bike from Huså back to Åre, through Åre Bike Park trails where you must ring a bell to pass. The finish is at Åre beach by Holiday Club Åre. The organiser expects the first men in around 12:15 and the first women around 12:45 on the River course.

How to enter

Entry is online through RaceID. For the River class you must have paddled a normal kayak, surfski or sea kayak before (not a whitewater kayak) and be able to certify your river-paddling skills; the organiser's site explains what is expected in the rapids. Lake and Run n' Bike classes need no paddling qualification, and the Lake classes have no portage.

Fees were not visible on the pages read, and the 2027 entry has not opened yet. Kayaks can be hired at registration (K1 750 kr, K2 850 kr, surfski 900 kr in the 2022 price list; check the current list). Every participant agrees to the organiser's anti-doping rule, which can lead to suspension from multisport.

How to train for it

Practise the portage and the swim-out

The two portages mean carrying your boat over rock between rapids. Rehearse lifting and carrying a loaded kayak or surfski, and falling in and getting back on, before you meet the rapids.

Train the run as a fell run

The run is 14.6 km over Åreskutan, not a trail 10 km. Include long climbs and steep, technical descents, and run on tired legs straight after hard paddling.

Do bricks from boat to bike

Paddle hard, then run, then ride singletrack, in one session. The race is non-stop, so the muscles you use change three times with no rest.

Ride Åre Bike Park style terrain

The bike leg has steep gravel climbs and, in past years, sections where riders had to push. Practise loose, rooty singletrack and climbing at a steady effort after a long run.

Choose Lake or Run n' Bike if rapids are new

The organiser built Lake and Run n' Bike for people who want the course without the river. Do one of them first and step up to River later.

What you need

  • Kayak or surfski with towing handles at the bow and stern and your race number on the boat (River).
  • Helmet, life jacket and whistle for the paddle; the same helmet is needed for the bike.
  • Windbreaker, hat or buff, compass, map and whistle for the run.
  • Mountain bike with a bell and a number plate; helmet.
  • A first-aid compress for each discipline.
  • Your own food and drink: only fika is sold at the start, and support is banned between transitions.

Getting there and staying

Åre is about 610 km from Stockholm, 80 km from Östersund Airport and 130 km from Trondheim Værnes Airport. Holiday Club Åre is the official race hotel and sits at the finish; the organiser's info page lists ferries, flights and car travel.

Registration and race gear pick-up are on the Friday afternoon (14:00 to 19:00 in 2026) at Holiday Club Åre, followed by a race meeting. Race day is Saturday, with a banquet and prize-giving in the evening. Late June is high season in Åre, so book rooms early.

History

The organiser calls the River class the classic course from 1997 and describes the event as Europe's oldest and most prestigious multisport race. It has grown into Åre Extreme Week, which adds shorter, team and no-paddling classes (areextreme.se, 2026).

Where to find out more

Questions about Åre Extreme Challenge

Do I need kayak experience?

For the River class, yes: you must have paddled a regular kayak, surfski or sea kayak and be able to certify river paddling skills (areextreme.se, 2026). The Lake and Run n' Bike classes need no paddling qualification.

What is the difference between River and Lake?

River starts at Tännforsen, runs class 2 rapids with two portages, and is 69.7 km. Lake starts and finishes at Åre beach, paddles 15 km of flat water and is 63.2 km. The run and the bike are the same (areextreme.se, 2026).

Can I race without paddling?

Yes. Run n' Bike starts at Åre square, runs 14.6 km over Åreskutan and rides about 33 km back to Åre, with solo and duo entries (areextreme.se, 2026).

Can my friends hand me food on the course?

No. Support is allowed only at the transition areas at Åre strand and Huså; support anywhere else means disqualification (areextreme.se River rules, 2026).

When is the 2027 race?

It is not published on the pages read. The 2026 race was on Saturday 27 June, and Åre Sweden's calendar listed 2026 as returning with new classes (Åre Sweden, 2026-05).

Sources

Figures and rules on this page come from these pages, read on the dates given. Organisers change dates, fees and rules: check the official site before you enter.