The challenge
The Blue Lagoon challenge is a 60 km race through the spectacular, volcanic scenery at Reykjanes. From the town of Hafnarfjörður to the iconic Blue Lagoon
The track
The meeting point is by Ásvallalaug. From there the bikers will ride roughly 3 kilometers out of town, with police escort, to the starting point.
Shortly after the race is started the riders turn right onto Hvaleyrarvatnsvegur (smooth gravel road). From Hvaleyrarvatnsvegur, the race turns left onto Krísuvíkurvegur (paved road), which extends to approximately 8km, where riders turn right onto Djúpavatnsleið (approx 25 km).
Djúpavatnsleið is a narrow gravel road, with varied composition from loose sand to rather rocky and bumpy surface. In heavy rain this part of the race gets muddy. At the end of Djúpavatnsleið there is a feeding zone.
The riders then turn onto old Suðurstrandavegur, a hard packed wide gravel road (often very bumpy) (approx 5km), and then switch to the new Suðurstrandavegur (paved road) all the way through Grindavík (town in the south part of Reykjanes). Shortly after Grindavík there is a coarse gravel path that takes the riders to a section of paved road leading to the finish line.
Most of the elevation is gained on low to medium gradient slopes on paved roads, but there are some sharp but short climbs on the gravel roads, in particular on Djúpavatnsvegur.
The total elevation gain during the race is about 600m, and the difference between the highest and lowest elevation is about 230m.
Registration
Practical information
Priority at the start line of the Blue Lagoon Challenge
Due to safety reasons stronger riders have priority to the start line of the Challenge. The race committee has put forward a list of 100 males and 20 females that will have a special color scheme on their race number to indicate a priority position at the start line.
Categories
In addition to competing as individuals, participants in the Blue Lagoon Challenge can register in the team-competition or firm-competition.
Competitors must be 16 years or older.
Rules
General rules of the UCI apply (part 4 Mountain bike). If riders are in non-compliance to the rules they may be disqualified. The purpose of the rules is first and foremost to ensure the safety of riders.
- Participants are at their own risk in the race.
- The race shall be completed on the same bike frame, but components (including tires, wheels, fork, shifters, brakes, handlebars etc.) can be repaired or replaced in case of mechanical failures. External assistance is not allowed in such repairs.
- All participants must wear a bicycle helmet during the race.
- TT bars, long handle bar ends and comparable equipment is not allowed. Short handle bar ends, are allowed.
- Any type of regular bicycle (not including recumbents) are allowed in the race. Participants are requested to ensure that any unnecessary attachment to the bikes are either removed or secured properly, in order for these to not pose risks to other riders.
- The bike must be human powered, by a single rider. Any mechanical or electrical assistance is prohibited.
- The race number must be fixed to the bike frame, the timing chip should be on top of the shoe aligned as flat as possible.
- The race track is partially on open roads, and competitors must obey traffic rules at all times during the race.
- Littering, of any trash, such as food containers, gel packets, or wrappings, tubes, etc. is strictly prohibited, and will result in either time penalty or disqualification.