Leap Into The Unknown

Attracting the toughest triathletes in the world, Norway’s Norseman isn’t for the faint-hearted. We sent one writer on a quest to battle freezing cold and ferocious inclines to return with one of the fabled black finishers’ t-shirts.

- Richard Stabler

It’s 4:30am and I’m standing on the lower deck of a ferry in the middle of a Norwegian Fjord. Above me, a member of the boat crew is using a fire hose to spray me with freezing cold water taken straight from the water below. I feel the icy cold blast rushing through my wetsuit and start to shiver. I look to my right and hear the hollow sound of the ferry doors opening. My heart starts to beat faster, my mind’s racing as I head towards the edge of the ferry and I look down into the darkness. The legendary jump has arrived.

The Norseman Extreme triathlon is one of the hardest multisport events on the planet. Even gaining entry to the race is tough, with over 3,500 athletes attempting to claim one of the 250 places available. Started in 2003, the race has become legendary among endurance athletes, eager to tick off the point-to-point, iron distance triathlon.

TOUGH REPUTATION

The race starts in the cold but beautiful waters of Hardangerfjord with a 3.8km swim. On race day, water temperatures can vary from 10°-14°C. Inevitably, wetsuits are always required. Two hundred and fifty athletes from around the world then jump off the ferry and swim towards T1 in the town of Eidfjord.

The 180km bike ride encompasses 3,280m of climbing, reaching 1,200m above sea level. The first climb is a brutal 25km long and carves through the mountains.

The marathon is undulating for the first 25km with a further 18km of ascent reaching the summit of Mount Gaustatoppen at 1,880m above sea level. Only the first 160 athletes through are allowed to reach the summit to claim the hallowed black finisher’s t-shirt; everyone else has to take a different route to a separate finish, where a white t-shirt awaits them.