Running the Swedish Riviera
"This thing was a monster, a slayer of strong men and women."
North Shore is the shortest race in the Kullamannen by UTMB® weekend, and a good taste of the full 100 mile course. The full course has a ~50% DNF and starts on All Saints eve. North Shore is 22km of trails, starting from Skansen beach in Båstad. The ocean is to your left as you start, and you'll run through a mix of beachside paths and forests before looping back. It's flat enough to move fast (96m of gain), but varied enough to keep you entertained.
Below is everything you need to plan your trip, from flights to a mile-by-mile course breakdown. I've also linked the official 2025 Runner's Guide.
SAS redeye from JFK. Landed ~7:00 Friday morning.
Lovely 1 hour 45 minute drive from Copenhagen, crossing the Øresund Bridge into Sweden. You can alternatively take a pre-booked ferry
Hotel Riviera Strand.
Cute, family-friendly hotel with included dinner and breakfast. I overslept and missed breakfast — don't be me.
Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport.
Drove straight to CPH and stayed overnight after the race, Saturday. Literally right across the street from the airport for my Sunday morning flight to JFK, which was perfect.
- Båstad church open with free fika and cookies — lovely surprise. Reflect on All Saints day, pray if you're running the 100 miler and grab a coffee.
- Didriksons ~70% off end-of-season sale — Picked up a raincoat, vest and fleece for ~$140.
- Parking is easy/plentiful and requires a free card — you'll need one of these cards to use the honor based parking system. Your hotel will have them.
- Tempo Gamlegarden grocery store is walking distance from the expo — easy to grab supplies without moving the car.
- Awesome gear. The included tee is sick, and the for-purchase sweater has "class" names on the back.
- Burger bar right outside the expo — clutch for pre-race or post-race. I ate at least 3 burgers that weekend.
- Fast expo. Not much. Fast line with few vendors.
- Mandatory whistle
- Free NYRR running cap
- Icebreaker navy neck gaiter — bomb proof.
- Arcteryx layering gloves — bomb proof.
- Girlfriend Collective crop tank
- Janji trail running tights — pockets deep enough for water bottles. No vest needed.
- Soar Running merino base layer — bomb proof.
- Peak Performance insulated vest — bomb proof.
- Black Diamond waterproof jacket — tucked into my pockets, never used.
- Injinji toe socks — say no to blisters, y'all.
- Adidas Terrex trail shoes
- Garmin fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar — love this thing.
- 2× HydraPak soft flasks — 600ml each, one with an LMNT.
- Maurten gels — 1 caf, 1 non caf.
Super chill. Get there 5 minutes before and you're golden. No corrals — arrange yourself by estimated speed.
Run right by the water. Gorgeous views, flat terrain, ocean to your left heading north.
Forest trails, muddy post-rain. Bottlenecks on the steep bits where the path narrows, so plan accordingly
Out of the woods onto residential roads. Good spot to pass people.
Back into the forest with ~5 rolling hills.
Grab what you need. I had enough hydration so just skipped it.
Head back towards the coast. Beautiful but extremely narrow path for the first mile, which causes jams. There are few pass areas.
Sandy section that's not easy to run on. It's short.
I saw this and literally said "hail"! The only bathroom on course.
Making your way back to start. Road sections really open up, and you can pass people.
