Ísafjörður · 14–17 April 2027
Fossavatnsgangan 2027 — dates, distances, and where to stay
Fossavatnsgangan 2027 is held in Ísafjörður over four days in April, and the main races — 12.5, 25 and 50 km — are on Saturday 17 April 2027. Registration for 2027 opened on 1 August 2026. It is Iceland’s oldest and largest ski marathon and a Ski Classics Challenger event, so the field is genuinely international: the 2026 50 km was won by Norway’s Andreas Nygaard in 2:22:34.8. The hard part is not entering — it is finding a bed. Ísafjörður is the venue and it sells out first; Bolungarvík is 15 minutes away through the tunnel.
The 2027 race programme
Four days, four different races. Dates and distances are the organiser’s own, from fossavatn.is:
Wednesday 14 April 2027
NæturFossavatnið — night race, 35 and 70 km
The long-distance night event that opens the week. Skiing under the April light of the Westfjords is the reason a good number of people come at all.
Thursday 15 April 2027
Fossavatnsskautið — skate race, 25 km
The freestyle/skate race, held mid-week before the classic-technique main day.
Thursday 15 April 2027
Family and children’s races, 1 and 5 km
Short courses for children and families alongside the skate race — which is why plenty of entrants arrive as a household and want a whole apartment rather than a room.
Saturday 17 April 2027
Fossavatnsgangan — main races, 12.5, 25 and 50 km
The classic-technique main day, and the reason the fjord fills up. The 50 km is the Ski Classics Challenger distance.
Registration is already open. Entry for 2027 opened on 1 August 2026 through the organiser. Enter first and sort the bed after — but do not leave the bed long, because the two are not equally available. Register at fossavatn.is →
Why the bed is the hard part
Bolungarvík and Ísafjörður are the only towns of any size in the northern Westfjords, and between them they hold a few thousand people. There is no reserve of hotels to absorb an international race weekend — when Fossavatnsgangan comes, the fjord is simply full. Ísafjörður itself goes first and goes early. Staying 15 minutes out is not a compromise; for a lot of entrants it is the difference between coming and not coming.
What actually matters when you are racing
A self-catering apartment suits a race weekend better than a hotel room, and not for the obvious reason:
- Somewhere to dry your kit — wet base layers and race gear four days running. There is a washer/dryer, which a hotel room does not give you.
- A full kitchen: race-morning breakfast at your hour, and your own food the night before, rather than a restaurant’s opening times.
- 24-hour self check-in by door code — an early start or a late Tuesday arrival needs nobody at a desk.
- Room for a household. Four private apartments, so a family entering the 1 and 5 km races is not split across two hotel rooms.
- Free parking at the door, with space to wax and somewhere to leave skis.
Getting there
Ísafjörður has an airport with flights from Reykjavík, and the drive from Bolungarvík to the race is 15 minutes through the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel — paved and serviced year-round. April in the Westfjords is still winter: check road.is before you drive, and safetravel.is for conditions.
Common questions
When is Fossavatnsgangan 2027?
The main races — 12.5, 25 and 50 km — are on Saturday 17 April 2027 in Ísafjörður. The week also includes NæturFossavatnið, the 35 and 70 km night race, on Wednesday 14 April, and Fossavatnsskautið, the 25 km skate race, on Thursday 15 April, with 1 and 5 km family and children’s races alongside it.
When did registration for 2027 open?
Registration opened on 1 August 2026 through the organiser at fossavatn.is. Entering is the easy half — accommodation in the fjord is the part that runs out.
What distances can you race?
On the main Saturday: 12.5, 25 or 50 km, classic technique. Earlier in the week there is the 35 or 70 km night race, a 25 km skate race, and 1 and 5 km family and children’s courses.
Where do people stay for Fossavatnsgangan?
In and around Ísafjörður, where the race is held — and once that sells out, in Bolungarvík, 15 minutes away through the tunnel, or in Suðureyri and Flateyri. Dúfan Apartments has four self-catering apartments in Bolungarvík with full kitchens, laundry and 24-hour self check-in.
How far ahead should you book accommodation?
Months. Fossavatnsgangan and Easter are the two weekends of the year when the northern Westfjords genuinely run out of beds. If your dates are fixed, book as soon as you have entered.
Is Fossavatnsgangan an international race?
Yes. It is a Ski Classics Challenger event and draws a European field — the 2026 50 km was won by the Norwegian skier Andreas Nygaard in 2:22:34.8.
More on planning a Westfjords trip: the full Westfjords events calendar → · where to stay in the Westfjords →
Sources: fossavatn.is, road.is, safetravel.is. Confirm the final programme with the organiser before you travel.
A bed 15 minutes from the start line
Four self-catering apartments in Bolungarvík — kitchens, laundry, 24-hour check-in. Book direct for our lowest price.
Book direct securely — availability and payment are handled by our booking system, and your confirmation arrives by email.