Åre Extreme Challenge, live.

Paddle in, over the mountain, ride home

A one-day race in Åre that starts on the river, crosses Åreskutan on foot and comes back to the square in the village on a mountain bike.

The organiser calls it Sweden’s oldest multisport race, and the classic course dates from 1997. In 2026 it is held on Saturday 27 June in three classes. River is the original: 07:00 from Tännforsen, 21.5 km of paddling down Indalsälven, with a class 2 rapid and two marked portages, and across Åresjön; 14.3 km of running over Åreskutan; and 31.9 km on the mountain bike, Åre Bike Park included, to the finish on Åre torg — 69.7 km and 1,985 metres of climbing. Lake starts at 07:30 from Forsa forsen in Duved with a 9 km paddle and the same run and ride, 55.2 km in all. Run n’ Bike leaves the boat out.

Each class is raced solo, as a pair or as a three-person relay. The two official transitions are Åre strand, where the boats come in, and Huså on the far side of the mountain, where the bikes wait; support and hand-overs are allowed only there. On the run every athlete carries a windproof jacket, map, compass and whistle, and for 2026 the old running line past Tott is back.

The day is defined by the long middle leg, where the athlete is out of sight between Åre and Huså. On Livebib the athlete shares a link to their own broadcast; family open it in a browser, with no account and no app, and see the position on the course line, the distance covered and an estimate for the next transition and the finish on Åre torg that updates as the day goes. Where the phone loses signal on the mountain, the position is carried forward along the course and marked as estimated.