Richard Sanderson

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Between the 15th and 19th of June 2025, the cycling club Randonneurs Laponia hosted the forth edition of Midnight Sun Randonnée. Written reports, photos and videos from cyclists who participated in the event will be added to this page during 2025. [Last update 2025-06-25]

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Mark Holmes

Umeå 🇸🇪 > Hattfjelldal 🇳🇴 – 470.41km / 4,882m ascent / 19hrs 8min moving time / 24hrs 42mins total time

Simply have to split this video in to two as it was such a long day! After a day of waiting around to start, at 23:03 the MSR 2025 got underway at sunset, although this far north it doesn’t get dark. The roads were rolling and going was good with checkpoints at Granö, Lycksele and a Secret Checkpoint all visited in the dry and in reasonable time. The rain hit before the fourth checkpoint at Vilhelmina and I arrived at the checkpoint there just before the heavens opened up. They would stay open in various intensities for much of the next few days.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLKt000Iv1n

Boy did it rain after Vilhelmina! Water got in everywhere and kit got soaked very quickly. My waterproof socks were so good at not letting water through that the water that had run down my skin into the sock couldn’t get out and they just filled up. We know our rain in North Yorkshire and this was proper stuff!

We had entered the Scandi Mountains proper and the views, especially into Norway, provided some motivation. Hattfjelldal and bed seemed a long way away, even after crossing the border into Norway. I don’t know what the Norwegians do with their oil money but it sure isn’t spent on road surfaces!

Reindeer made an appearance to lift spirits, along with a fox and an owl, plus some suicidal sheep (although you could argue most sheep are). A very welcome fish soup and a decent sleep at Hattfjelldal saw the end of my longest day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLKwixdI_2t

Hattfjelldal 🇳🇴 > Vuoggatjålme 🇸🇪- 286.44km / 3,669m ascent / 12hrs 52mins moving time / 15hrs 50mins total time (day) / 45hrs 14mins overall

Another day that needs splitting in two so the Arctic Circle seemed like the perfect place to do that. So, after a good sleep at Hattfjelldal I set off aiming to arrive at Mo i Rana before the cut off. Norway continued to be stunning despite more wet weather, although the road quality was again poor and the main road into Mo i Rana was heavy with traffic. That meant time trial, get-it-done mode, which was vital as I made the checkpoint exactly on closing time! A refill and short rest and it was time to start the long cold ascent to the next checkpoint at the Arctic Circle Centre. This was a bit of a drag but the scenery kept revealing more of itself and we entered the exposed and barren landscape of the Arctic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLMeMDoIjh5

North of the Arctic Circle things got a bit cold. I wasn’t expecting to see frozen lakes! A long descent tested my powers of rewarming (bib shorts and knee warmers probably the wrong choice but just about kept me from freezing!) and I was grateful for the 8% average tunnel-avoiding climb that got the blood flowing again and offered some of the best views on the route. I was very pleased to reach Vuoggatjålme with the opportunity to get some proper food in and have a bit of a rest.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLMkzXjMpYG

Vuoggatjålme 🇸🇪 > Sorsele 🇸🇪 – 197.75km / 1,337m ascent / 8hrs 19mins moving time / 13hrs 12mins total time (day) / 62hrs 7mins overall

Felt pretty rough over the first part of the day and the drag to Arjeplog. Bad guts and not really being able to eat anything in any quantity put strain on already low resources. A rest in Arjeplog and a call with @egmorrish back at home who dragged me out of a hole and a plan was hatched to get to Sorsele and have a proper rest in a guesthouse found by Emma. That ended up saving my ride really. The sun was out as I stepped out of the checkpoint to see the Finns putting suncream on which I’m certain directly resulted in 3 hours of heavy rain…
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLNUUQ4ofFo

Sorsele 🇸🇪 > Umeå 🇸🇪 – 265.19km / 1,727m ascent / 9hrs 38mins moving time / 11hrs 31mins total time (day) / 87hrs 32mins overall

After a good 7 hours sleep in Sorsele, I was rolling again at 3am to a very cool but dry morning. The illness of the previous day was gone and I was able to make some good progress. So much so I caught Andy, the Aussie I hadn’t seen since the first 10km or so of the whole ride! It was great to catch up and roll to the amazing secret checkpoint after 75km or so. Hot dogs and coffee fuelled the next leg as I left Andy to ‘enjoy the scenery’ and time-trialled towards the next checkpoint at Åmsele. For a section the road became a runway (massive, wide and seemingly never-ending) before I arrived to a roaring fire and two big portions of Palt!

With only 105km to Umeå, it was time to get it done. I was also conscious of the fact the Finns had been putting sunscreen on again, so rain was definitely imminent (even on a day where chance of rain was 0%). A little up the road I was joined by Daniel and Sara, who were riding the final 100km or so having scratched earlier in the ride. This allowed me to push the pace whilst chatting away and also having a bit of fun on the bike. Time passed quickly and before long we were within striking distance of the end. Then the rain started (remember the Finns and their sunscreen?!) and didn’t really stop. Heavy downpours followed but with only a handful of kilometres to go it was time to push the pedals hard and get it done.

And get it done I did. I rolled into Umeå and off the bike after 87 hours and 32 minutes. An incredibly tough but rewarding 3.5 days, crossing this amazing landscape twice, burning countless calories and having a lifetime of experiences in the process. A really well organised event staffed by some incredible volunteers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPDZgJsJkr

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Are Mossefinn Sandvik

As this was my first randonée, I really had no idea what to expect when entering Umeå by plane on Saturday 14 June. Seeing in retrospect, this was also my first mistake. Arriving one day earlier, would have given me more time to adjust, mostly my nerves and to rest better before the late 23:03 start on Sunday. Anyway, the hotel was super friendly and even allowed me to bring my bike to my room, giving me time and peace to assemble it and prepare. I managed a short test ride in Umeå on Sunday, before heading to Brännland for the buffet at 19:00. There, I met some of the other riders, the mood was good and relaxed. I ate well and just sat inside passing time until the start, avoiding the mosquitos in the garden.

The previous two years, I had finished the 430 km Jotunheimen rundt race in Norway in 22 and 24 hours. This gave me my benchmark for distance the first day and I had booked a room in Hattfjelldal for the first night and a cabin in Vouggatjålme for the next, meaning I had to cover about 460 and 290 kms in the two first days. I had no plans from Vuoggatjålme to Umeå, other than to see how I felt and rest when I could, given how much room I would have until the different checkpoints closed. My goal was just to finish MSR within the 91 hours given.

At the start I was put in group B, meaning we rolled out at 23:08. I had read some of the previous reports and was prepared for a brisk pace towards Granö and Lycksele and that did not disappoint. Rinding in a strong five-person group, our pace was well above 30 km/h, which suited me fine. After a quick stop at Granö, eating the really good energy ball and downing a quick cup of coffee, I headed on on my own, but was quickly caught up by a much larger group and hung on at the back. The riders took turns in the front and I got to make a couple of five-minute efforts up front. Still feeling strong, although noticing that this speed was not very sustainable for me, should I make it back to Umeå.

The weather forecast for the first 12 hours was good, with pleasant temperatures and tailwind. Sometime before or after Vilhelmina, it would switch to rain and drop to about 7-8 degrees Celsius. I live in Bergen, Norway and bike all year, and rain and 7 degrees is about my average commute, so this did not concern me too much. Most important was that the tailwind continued, at least until Kittelfjäll, according to forecast. After Lycksele, I continued on my own, and made no attempt to hang on to the riders passing me and arrived Vilhelmina at around 9 am after a long and uneventful ride through the forests. There was no bacon in the buffet at Vilhelmina, but hey, there were plenty of other protein sources, so I filled up and went on. A quick look at myself in the mirror in the washroom explained why the girl at the reception seemed to suggest I needed some rest; my eyes were completely red after riding without glasses the last leg.

I don’t remember too much of the stretch towards Kittelfjäll. Forests and lakes rolled by, I passed the volunteer after the road work stretch without stopping, recognized the gas station in Stalon from Google maps and got some chocolate and energy drink at the Coop in Dikanäs and arrived for a lovely buffet in Kittelfjäll at 16:30. Took a good break there and continued towards my hotel room in Hattfjelldal. On the last leg, I started to notice the lack of sleep and mental fatigue. Trees in the forests turned into shapes of animals and humans and at some point I am sure I heard voices from the forest close by. I arrived in Hattfjelldal at 23:00, still not noticing any headwind. A good first day.

I did, however, notice some chafing starting to occur on sensitive parts. I had a good five hours of sleep and a rather painful shower and moved on towards Mo I Rana at 06:00 on Tuesday. Both the stretch towards Hattfjelldal and further towards Mo I Rana were hilly and my speed kept going down. In Mo I Rana I rode right past the checkpoint without seeing the flags and after an extra lap in the town, I checked my map and found it. Making it in time about 20 minutes before the scheduled checkpoint closing time. The moose sausage wrap and coke were not quite enough to fill up, but I had more food in my backpack, so I moved on towards the Arctic Circle after a relatively short break.

In the long hills up the Dunderland valley I started to notice my ankles were getting sore. The speed dropped even more and because of my chafing and seat pain, I found myself standing much more than usual and pedaling on heavy gears. When I arrived the Arctic Circle checkpoint at 19:30, I checked on my ankles and Achilles’ tendon and found out they were really sore and starting to get inflammated. You know that feeling of squeezing a bag of starch? That feeling. I had some Ibuprofen which I took and also managed to source some Voltarene crème that I put directly on. I was considering the option of abandoning, but rather quickly decided against it, both at it would leave me with a lot of hassle getting back to Umeå and because I could feel the Voltaren crème doing its thing. Also it didn’t feel right to abandon just yet, as my body otherwise felt ok and I felt I needed to try all options before pulling the plug.

So on I went on the last hilly stage to Vuoggatjålme. Still, somehow, with a slight tailwind. Somwhere around the Swedish border, the fatigue issues came back. I was alone on the road and found out speaking loudly to myself kept me somewhat awake. At some point I saw a moose standing right next to the road but convinced myself it was not there, rather something my mind made up. When the moose leaped into the road right in front of me I realized it was a real moose, but did not even bother to slow down. The moose ran right in front of me for some meters and then continued into the woods on the other side. It took forever, but finally I got to Vuoggatjålme at 03:15, in time before the checkpoint closed, but not leaving me with much time for sleep, should I make it to Arjeplog in time. I ate the lovely pasta salad, got about two hours of sleep in my cabin, noticed the inflammation had gone down and moved on. About two-thirds of the way to Arjeplog my ankles again started to hurt, the inflammation was back and worse and I was almost not able to sit on my seat anymore. I took it easy, arrived in Arjeplog at 14:20, after the scheduled closing time of the checkpoint, but still got my stamp. I decided now was the time to quit; there was no way I would make it another 350 kms and I really wanted to be able to walk the rest of the summer. At this point I was no longer in doubt, and it felt like a good decision.

Luckily for me, there was a bus leaving for Umeå, via Skellefteå in just one hour, so I got to the bus station and loaded my bike up together with another rider who had abandoned.

Rolling into the Scandic Plaza after the bus ride, I was greeted with congratulations and cheer in the reception. By chance I rolled in just five minutes ahead of the trio finishing second, and they thought I was part of that group. I declined the medal and instead waited for the group actually finishing and cheered them in.

Final thoughts? I think some saddle adjustment, maybe even a new saddle and a better plan for arriving at the start well rested would give me a better chance of finishing, should I make the decision of joining again.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLHC9yAKuCN

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Bart Zwart

Though with photos absent, now with slightly over a week since finishing, and some reflection done, here is how I will always remember the 2025 MSR edition.

Having never participated before in a multi-day Ultra, I really had no idea what to expect, and was quite anxious prior the event. Now, looking back, I can only conclude that MSR is one of the, if not the most well organised cycling Ultra I have participated in. Massive compliments and thank you, especially considering the time and effort spent on a voluntary basis to arrange everything.

Then, at the checkpoints, the volunteers were all enthusiastic, friendly, kind, supportive, welcoming, they really helped raise moral when you needed it, as it got harder towards the end to mentally and physically recharge for the next stage.

Physically, it really was a challenge, especially considering the weather conditions. On the website, which is very informative, it was already recommended to bring clothing with which one would stay dry under a shower. I was skeptical, but had good shoe covers and a good rain jacket. My legs though would always have been wet, as I did not bring rain trousers. In hindsight, slightly underestimated the weather conditions that could, and during this edition were as they can be. Cold, wet, luckily not too windy. For any future participant, when considering what cycling clothing to bring: prepare for the worst, hope for the best. 🙂

What I will always remember:

• You really bond with the other riders, even if you don’t ride together, you still experience all the same.
• The volunteers, you really make it all possible, thank you!
• The scenery, especially the 2nd 3rd of the entire route, is stunningly beautiful.
• It has been a great experience, and reading the plans for future editions (travel arrangements, etc.) it might just get better still.