The Norseman

As endurance challenges go, the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon has developed a well earned reputation as one of the classics of the genre.  It is generally accepted as the most difficult Iron man of its kind in the world.  It is not just experienced triathletes who find the prospect of this challenge irresistible; it seems to appeal to a wide variety of adventurous souls who are looking for something, just that little bit different.

It is certainly different, the course has been designed to take in some of the most spectacular and brutal terrain in Norway and in a country with such an abundance of this type of landscape, that is quite an achievement. 

For many, it is the linear nature of the Norseman course that makes it so attractive; it really is an amazing journey from start to finish.  From the fabled beauty of the Hardangerfjord, to the traverse of Europe’s largest mountain plateau, the Hardangervidda, to the now infamous final stage of the marathon that tops out on the summit Gaustatoppen, the highest peak in the Telemark region.

Taking on the Norseman is a special experience, it is not just the event that is memorable, it is the remarkably beautiful place you travel to, the genuine warmth and enthusiasm of the Norwegian hosts, combined with the special camaraderie generated by the participants and support crews that make it truly a trip of a life time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support Service

In order to take care of one of the most challenging aspects of the Norseman, (organising the support you will need during the event) Endurancelife now offers a unique service. 

The special support service we offer is designed to be a quality, all inclusive package that takes care of everything, from getting you and your equipment to Norway and supporting you through the event, to providing comfortable accommodation, quality meals and a great experience in a relaxed but professional manner.

We know from experience how expensive and time consuming it can be to organise everything independently, it is less expensive, more efficient, more interesting and much more fun to travel with an experienced team who will be working as hard as they can to ensure you do as well as you can.

In 2007 we took out 8 potential Norseman and returned with 8 actual Norseman, it was an amazing trip and a proper cultural experience too. Not only do you get to take on the Norseman itself, but you get to see some of the best mountain, lake and fjord scenery in the world.  

Please have a look at the video clip from this year’s trip at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFUyUUe8o0
There are also great photos and interesting race reports from the trips in 2004 & 2006 on our partner's web site www.accelerace.co.uk

The 2008 Norseman starts at 5am on the 9th of August, our trip will leave the UK on Thursday 7th and return on Monday the 11th, this provides just the right amount of time before and after the event to relax a little bit and enjoy the place.  The trip is all inclusive, and includes;

The support provided to you during the event will be from people who have either done the Norseman before themselves, or were part of the 2007 support team.  This experience is invaluable and will give you the best possible chance of reaching the summit of Gaustatoppen and earning the fabled 'black tee-shirt'.

For 2008 we also have some exciting side trips on offer including a trip to the Norsk Hydro plant, the scene of famous hero's of Telemark raid during WWII and if time permits the capital city Oslo offers a wealth of architectural and cultural delights including the world’s most expensive cappuccino! And the Kon Tiki museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booking

The total, all inclusive price for the special support package in 2008 is £1150.00. 

To reserve your place, an initial deposit of £250.00 is required by cheque, payable to Endurancelife.  

A 2nd payment of £250.00 will be required by the 8th of March 2008.

A final installment of £650.00 is due by the 10th of May 2008. 

The entry fee is refundable (minus the initial deposit) until June 7th 2008.  After that date, 75% of the fee is refundable (minus the initial deposit) until 12th July, 50% until 26th July and 25% after that.

Please send deposit cheques to;

Endurancelife
6D South Hams Business Park
Churchstow
Kingsbridge
Devon
TQ7 1LS

Please Note: The inclusive flights will be from a major hub airport like Heathrow into Oslo, from where we will pick you up and take care of everything else. If you would prefer to organise you own flights from a regional airport, that is no problem.

Free Marathon Place:  The Norseman package also includes a complementary place in any one of the Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series marathons.  These events will be excellent for improving your running fitness and will also give everyone the chance to meet each other before heading off to Norway.  For more information on the Coastal Trail Series please follow the links from the home page, if you would like to take part in a trail marathon, please just let us know.

Terms & Conditions:

Insurance:

We recommend that every competitor has comprehensive travel, personal injury, equipment and event cancellation cover. It is entirely up to the individual to organise this. We recommend Sports Cover Direct – www.sportscoverdirect.com please use the reference ‘endurancelife’ when communicating with them.

The Race:

As the name states, the NXTRI is an extreme event. The course is Iron man distance and has been specifically designed to provide the greatest possible challenge. The weather is unpredictable and the temperature of the fjord not always consistent. The race is therefore incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally.  Preparation is crucial and we advise all interested triathletes to adopt a regular training regime at an early stage. You should be confident in your own ability and fitness level before attempting this race.

Please note that Endurancelife does not accept responsibility for participants who fail to reach the finish, and no refunds can be offered.  We will however, do everything we can to help you do as well as possible and give you the best possible opportunity to get to the finish.

Endurancelife accepts no responsibility for changes made to the event by the race organisers. For all official rules and course information please visit www.nxtri.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itinerary

Using our knowledge and experience gained from previous trips to Norway to either take part in or support the NXTRI, we have put together the following support plan to ensure that all you have to do is concentrate on your race.
Two days before you fly out to Norway we will collect all your race gear from you. This includes your bike, wetsuit, technical gear, tools, food and anything else you might require.  We supply you with a 64 liter transition box into which all your kit must fit, and then carefully load your bike and gear into our vans.
The support team take you kit over to Norway via ferry and you will be reacquainted with your kit once you get to our tri camp in Eidfjord.  This means you don’t have to dismantle your bike, struggle with it through the airports and risk it getting damaged, plus you can travel light and only need to bring casual clothes and personal effects on the flight.
The team flight will leave on Thursday the 7th of August from Heathrow, once in Norway you will be met by Endurancelife staff and we will take care of everything from there.
First off is the beautiful drive from Oslo to Eidfjord, it takes between 4 and 5 hours which includes a lunch stop.  If time permits it will also be possible to drive a section of the Norseman course so that you can check out what’s in store.
We will have two nights accommodation organized in Eidfjord, it is a beautiful place and very relaxing, there will be the opportunity to stroll around town, go for a kayak or just kick back by the fjord.  There will also be ample time to get your kit organized for the race.
On Friday we will take you to race base in the morning for registration, after which there will be the opportunity to go for a short spin on the bikes before lunch.  At some point during the day we will get together and discuss the race day format.
 In the afternoon there is a special Norseman welcome gathering at the main tri camp that is not to be missed.
All meals will be arranged for you. Please notify us in advance of any special dietary requirements, must haves, dislikes or allergies.  We will always have a huge stock of energy foods, snacks and fruit and will prepare good hearty carbo based meals during the trip.
The evening before the race we will get together and go through the plan of action for race day, get all the kit and equipment ready to roll and settle down for a few hours rest.
We will provide full support to you through the whole event - collect all your transition gear at T1, provide you with food and drink on both the bike and run, collect all your T2 gear, meet you at the mountain checkpoint and prepare you for the final push to the summit.
Once it is all over we will collect you from the finish and take you to the mountain hotel. There will be food available those who want it; otherwise you can go for a well earned hot shower and rest.  All accommodation here will be pre-booked for you. In the morning the hotel lays on an excellent breakfast, and if the weather is good you can sit out on the balcony and enjoy a stunning a view of the mountain you climbed the evening before.
After breakfast all competitors assemble for the official presentation of finisher T shirts and photos.  This is always an excellent occasion and a fitting way to finish off the Norseman experience.
After a spot of lunch, there will be the opportunity to visit the excellent Norsk Hydro museum at Rjukan, the scene of the heroic efforts of the Telemark Heroes in WWII, even after the Norseman, It is a sobering experience.
With a final afternoon and night to enjoy in Norway, we move on to our suitably Scandinavian loggings and celebrate the trip by generally chilling out with a BBQ and a few beers around the camp fire; it is a great way to finish the trip.
After a final breakfast, the vans will be packed up; and you will be taken to the airport, if time allows there might be a chance for a little bit of sight seeing in Oslo.
Your bikes and gear will be returned to you in the UK once the support team gets back.

Norseman Facts

Things it is interesting to know before taking the plunge!

The swim is 3.8km (2.4 miles), the cycle is 180km (112 miles) and the run is 42 km (26 miles)

The total height gain over the whole course is over 16,000ft, or 5,000 meters. That's the equivalent of cycling and running to the top of Mont Blanc (plus a bit), from sea level.

The finish (on the summit of the highest mountain in Telemark) is at 1,850 meters, Ben Nevis is 1,344 meters!

The fastest winning time is 10 hrs, 30 minutes and 9 seconds (10:30:09)

The slowest finishing time is 21 hrs, 12 minutes and 24 seconds (21:12:24)

The fjord is over 400 meters deep and can be between 12 and 20 degrees centigrade

The first hill on the bike course is over 20 miles long & takes average competitors an average of 2 hours to reach the top.

In 2005 only 1 person was fast enough to reach the top. The rest were all diverted to a different finish line because it had begun to snow on the mountain.

Until the 2007 event only 23 Black finisher t-shirts had been handed out to Brits (we have five of them :) After the 2007 race this has increased to 46.

Norseman FAQ's

Q: Do I have to have done a triathlon before to take part in the Norseman?
A: Amazingly, for the majority of the team we took to Norway in 2007 it was the 1st triathlon of any description any of them had ever done!  Whist it would undoubtedly be useful to have taken part in a triathlon previously, it has been shown time and time again that having not done so is no barrier to finishing an Iron man.  It is much more important to train hard and to be confident in your ability to keep going when things get tough.

Q: Are there many bike shops close to the start?
A: No, and even if there were the price of bike spares and imported goods is staggering, we will have comprehensive tool kits and spares with us and will be able to fix anything.

Q: Is the fjord cold?
A: It can be, the temperature can range between 14 & 20 degrees centigrade.  It depends on the Spring & Summer weather, it is likely to be warmer than you might think, if the summer has been good the water becomes very balmy, having said that, this year the organizers had to move the start to a patch of water warm enough to permit the race to start!  Unless you are used to Mediterranean luxury, taking the plunge shouldn't be too much of a shock.

Q: Is Norway really that expensive?
A: Yes. Even the simplest things hit the wallet hard. Food especially mounts up quickly. Absolutely make sure that your bike is in good working order. The cost of it getting fixed out there is horrendous.

Q: What is the atmosphere like?
A: The atmosphere and camaraderie are one of the reasons this event is so enjoyable. The Norwegians are excellent hosts and there is a real buzz around the whole weekend. This starts with the Eidfjord mini-triathlon the day before.

Q: How will we prepare on the day before?
A: In the past we have taken a dip in the fjord, gone kayaking, taken the bikes for a spin up the first part of the course and watched the mini-triathlon. It is up to you. We will get together to discuss the race day logistics at some point, but if you want to spend the day simply relaxing and asking us questions that is fine.

Q: How many women enter the race?
A: In 2006, 8 women started and 8 collected a black finishers T shirt. Until 2007 no British women had competed in the race.  We are proud to have helped Sharon Daw from Cornwall to become the 1st British lady to finish the race and earn a black t shirt with an incredible come back after a tough swim leg.  In 2007 a total of 13 women took part, all of them earning a black t shirt.