Prepare for a very long and restless night before the race. The atmosphere in Eidfjord is electric. Registration is in the morning between 3.00 and 3.45 am only. Both you and your support team will be marked with a marking pen on your arms and legs! You will not leave your bike in the transition zone the evening before, but after you have registered in the morning. The boat leaves with the competitors at 4.00 am. Don't be late. You will not be allowed to enter the boat without your Norseman swim cap and a wetsuit on.

You will get the opportunity to warm up at the starting line for 10 minutes before the race starts at 5 am. The start signal is the ship`s horn.

The swim is a 3.8 kilometer straight line from the boat and into Eidfjord. You will be accompanied by boats and kayaks. The people in the boats and kayaks will force you to follow a straight line, to avoid that the swimmers are spread over a large area. This is very important for security reasons. Please follow the instructions from these people. You could consider them as the shepherds and yourself as the sheep. If you get any kind of problems, just signal to the people in the kayaks and boats by waving your arms. You can NOT stand on your feet, because the fjord is 400 meters deep. The water is green, not very salty, and there could be a rather strong current forcing you either into or out of Eidfjord. The effect of the current could mean plus or minus 10 minutes for the average swimmer. Once in Eidfjord, in T1, you will experience a few minutes of great atmosphere, as the onlookers cheer you on.

Don't push too hard during the first 40 kilometers up to Dyranut. The first hill takes you from zero to 1.250 meters above sea level. The average competitor will use about 2 hours up to Dyranut. You will bike through a very scenic valley on small tourist roads and through old style tunnels. You will enjoy the company of the other competitors as you are allowed to bike side by side during the climbs. At Dyranut, you will probably want to receive a wind jacket from your support team.

The 50 kilometers from Dyranut to Geilo goes through the Hardanger mountain plateau. This is the fast part of the leg, unless the wind is unfavorable. The view is beautiful, but keep focused on the road. It might be rather cold during this part of the race.

After Geilo there are 45 kilometers with a few steep climbs and descents, before you enter the last climb up the “Imingfjell” mountain, peaking at 1.200 meters above sea level. This is the steepest part of the bike leg. And this is where you are most likely to ruin your marathon leg. If you push too hard here, you are going to have trouble later. From the top of the mountain you have about 10 kilometers of “flat” road, before you start on the 30 kilometer descent down to the transition zone in Austbygde. Make sure your support team gives you food and drink once at the top, so you can eat on your way down. Then send your support team down to T2, to prepare for your transition.

The T2 in Austbygde is idyllic, located by the lake “Tinnsjøen”. The first 20 kilometers of the run is not very exciting, but after 20 kilometers you will see the mountain and the finish line straight in front of you. It will make a great or even overwhelming impression on you.

After 25 kilometers you will turn left and start on the steep hills. Now you have a 17 kilometer climb ahead of you. Hardly anyone is able to run up these hills. It's a good plan to walk fast, eat and drink well and just celebrate the day with your support team.

The cut off point is at the 32,5 km mark.

After 37.5 kilometers you will enter the mountain checkpoint. You should send your support team up to the check point in advance to prepare your check in. The medical crew will check your health condition to make sure that it is safe for you to enter the mountain.

The mountain is not really a mountain, but more of a pile of rocks. It looks beautiful from a distance. This final rocky path up to the finish line will be a difficult walk up as there is an uneven path of different sized rocks. The path is marked with red “T”'s painted on the rocks every few meters. You will not be allowed to walk this part alone. You will see the radio mast (tower) on top of the mountain through the entire walk. The average competitor will use about 1 hour and 20 minutes up to the finish line. Finally, at the finish line on top, you will be well taken care of. You will have the best view point in northern Europe! There is a cabin and cafeteria on top as well. Don't forget warm clothes, camera and money. The lift will transport the competitors down through the mountain, starting at 6 pm, and will go every 15 minutes. There will be a queue and your support team will have to walk down. Sorry!

It is 3 kilometers from the parking lot at Stavsro to the entry of the lift in the mountain. And it is a 10 kilometer drive to the hotel “Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell”. This is the place you want to stay after the race. It is the perfect place to celebrate your victory. There will be a buffet available in the evening. Do not attempt to drive far after the race, as your support team will be just as tired as you are. We speak from experience.

The winner's ceremony is in “Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell” the next morning, and the finisher t-shirts will be awarded here. During this morning you will have lots of new friends, and you will take photos of yourself standing proud in front of the mountain with your finisher t-shirt on. You will shock yourself by using the expression “next year”.

Please be friendly to the Norseman crew. They have worked hard to give you an experience of a lifetime. The only pay they get is to see your enthusiasm.

Please be friendly to the race officials that took care of your security. You are most likely to meet these people up in the hills from Rjukan to Stavsro during the climbing part of the marathon. They have to take you out of the race if you are not able to eat and drink. This is a race like no other and you are doing it at your own risk, but we want to avoid casualties.

Please be friendly to the locals. They are totally amazed that you came here and they believe that you are crazy to do the competition. You are. They will support you in the best way they can.

Our photographers will take photos and video of you, even when you are exhausted. You might not like it then, but the photos will be cool. You don't need to acknowledge the photographers; just let them do their job. They will not follow you into the changing tents.

Please keep your start number visible throughout the entire day and do not fold it as we need our sponsors visible. This makes things so much easier for the organization. Our photos are much better if your start number is visible.