NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km - Elevation Profile, Aid Stations and Cutoffs
- Oulanka Visitor Centre, Kuusamo, Finland
- 56.3 km
- 1,494 m D+
- 2 aid stations
Map, profile and checkpoints Map · checkpoints · forecast opens May 19 Race-day forecast is live
Race-day conditions
Weather and daylight along the course and at all 4 checkpoints, set to the 18:00 start.
- Start
- 18:00
- Daylight at the start
- 02:22-23:36
- Aid stations
- 2
Course profile
Oulanka Visitor Centre, Kuusamo, FinlandRuka, Kuusamo, Finland· point-to-point
- Distance
- 56.3 kmFinishes 194 m higher than it starts
- Elevation
- +1,494 m-1,300 mAbout 27 m of climb per km
- Highest point
- 492 mValtavaara
Next editionFri 28 May 2027 · 18:00
- Start
- Winner~5h015h01 after the start
- SunsetRuka, Kuusamo, Finland5h32 after the start
- SunriseRuka, Kuusamo, Finland8h24 after the start
- Median finisher2026 median9h37 after the start
- Cutoff14h after the start
A median finisher runs 2h52 in the dark.
NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km is a 56.3 km ultra-trail with around 1,494 m of elevation gain, starting in Oulanka Visitor Centre, Kuusamo, Finland. The overall cutoff is 14 hours. The highest point on the course is Valtavaara at 492 m. That is 27 m of climbing per kilometre. NUTS Karhunkierros has 4 races, from 35.5 to 167.6 km; this one ranks 3 of 4 by distance and 2 of 4 by climbing per kilometre.
The biggest climb between checkpoints gains around 619 m from Start - Oulanka Visitor Centre (km 0) to Basecamp (km 31.5). The steepest sustained section on the elevation profile averages about 6% over roughly 2.4 km around km 50. The published checkpoint list has no crew-access points - check the official runner guide for assistance rules.
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide.
Other distances at NUTS Karhunkierros
| Race | Distance | D+ | Cutoff | Next start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUTS Karhunkierros 166 | 167.6 km | 3,752 m | 36h00 | May 28, 2027 |
| NUTS Karhunkierros 83 | 83.8 km | 1,790 m | 18h00 | May 28, 2027 |
| NUTS Karhunkierros 55 (this page) | 56.3 km | 1,494 m | 14h00 | May 28, 2027 |
| NUTS Karhunkierros 34 | 35.5 km | 1,167 m | 10h00 | May 29, 2027 |
Estimate your finish
One Strava connection reads your last 90 days and estimates your finish on this course. Free, no plan needed.
Course math
Four numbers worked out from this course's distance, elevation and checkpoints.
TrailMath effort-km
78 effort-km
About 7 h for a mid-pack finisher (index 500). Not a pacing guarantee.
Distance + gain ÷ 100 + loss ÷ 200, beside ITRA's gain-only km-effort. Model TM1.0.
How TrailMath works →UTMB Index category
50K
71 km-effort (distance + gain ÷ 100). Calculated from the course figures, not an official classification.
Estimate your UTMB Index → ITRA and UTMB indexes explainedBiggest climb section
+619 m
Oulanka Visitor Centre → Basecamp · km 0–31.5
The largest gain between two checkpoints, not one continuous climb.
Biggest descent section
−546 m
Oulanka Visitor Centre → Basecamp · km 0–31.5
The largest loss between two checkpoints. ITRA's km-effort ignores descent; TrailMath counts it: 78 km-effort.
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NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km · 2026
Finish times, 2026 edition
988 runners started. 879 came back. Half of them took longer than 9:37:00.That left the median finisher 4:23:00 inside the 14h cutoff.
Median finish
9:37:00
Half of the 879 finishers were still out there at this point.
4:23:00in hand before the 14h cutoff
The start line
89.0%
879 of 988 starters made it; 109 did not.
still moving when a cutoff closed
stopped by choice or by the medics
Organisation stops and disqualifications: 2.
Men and women
Two medians on the same scale. The bars run from the start to the cutoff, so the gap between them is the gap in time.
Men
9:15:25
median finish; average 9:21:44
511 finishers, 58% of the field
Women
10:05:13
median finish; average 10:15:56
368 finishers, 42% of the field
0:49:48 separates the two medians, across 511 men and 368 women.
Where the finishers came from
97% of the finishers came from Finland alone.
| Nation | Finishers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FinlandFI | 85296.9% | |
| EstoniaEE | 60.7% | |
| GermanyDE | 40.5% | |
| NetherlandsNL | 40.5% | |
| SwedenSE | 30.3% | |
| AustriaAT | 20.2% | |
| FranceFR | 20.2% | |
| DenmarkDK | 10.1% | |
| SpainES | 10.1% | |
| GreeceGR | 10.1% | |
| LuxembourgLU | 10.1% | |
| NorwayNO | 10.1% | |
| VietnamVN | 10.1% | |
| 3 other nations | 30.3% |
Showing 13 of 13 nations.
Bar length is against the largest nation. The smallest counts are drawn at a minimum visible width, so their bars are not to scale.
Edition by edition
Every edition we have recomputed in full, newest first. The course, the weather and the field change from year to year, so a slower edition is not a harder one.
| Edition | Distance run | Starters | Finishers | Finish rate | Median finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Latest | 56.3 km | 988 | 879 | 89.0% | 9:37:00 |
| 2025 | 56.3 km | 902 | 794 | 88.0% | 9:56:14 |
How these numbers were computed
These are times for runners who finished. They exclude everyone who started and did not, so they describe how long finishing took, not how long the race takes. Bands with only a handful of finishers move a lot from one edition to the next.
We plot the median, not the average. A handful of very quick runners drags the average well below the time half the field actually beat, so the median is the honest number to plan against.
Nationality here shows who travels to this race, not who runs it best. That alone is why a host nation tops almost every list.
Computed from the full official results, verifiedNovember 2, 2026 - Official results
Ask the course
Ask NUTS Karhunkierros 55 anything about climbs, pacing, crew or cutoffs.
Answers come from this course's data, your plan and your training.
Which climb should I respect most?
Oulanka Visitor Centre to Basecamp: +619 m over 31.5 km, straight from the gun. Hike the steep sections at an effort you could hold for hours - the race is decided after this climb, not on it.
Where can my crew meet me?
Basecamp, km 31.5 - your first checkpoint, and no crew can meet you there or further on: the organiser lists no crew access on NUTS Karhunkierros 55. Carry your own warm layers: the course tops out at 492 m, through the night, in May.
Is 9h a realistic finish for me?
9h would put you in the faster half of 2026 finishers - the median was 9:37:00. It means holding 9:35/km overall.
The assistant answers that once it can see your training.
Build your NUTS Karhunkierros 55 plan and your question is the first thing waiting in the TrailMath Assistant.
Build my NUTS Karhunkierros 55 planYearly has a 7-day free trial for eligible customers, or take a Race Pass for this race.
To answer this for you, the Course Assistant uses your training and your race plan.
Example answer
Your long runs peak at 15 km, so the plan builds to 4-hour long runs, two of them at night.
Yearly has a 7-day free trial for eligible customers, or take a Race Pass for this race.
Try asking NUTS Karhunkierros 55
Ask anything - we'll open your NUTS Karhunkierros 55 plan with your question ready.
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See your training shape
Pick your weekly volume and training days to preview the plan structure - no account needed.
~30 weeks · peak ~8 h/week · 5 run + 2 strength days
For a 56.3 km race, aim for about 8 h/week at peak. Set your availability to 9 h/week in the app for the headroom to build there gradually.
Typical structure for your volume - your live plan adjusts sessions inside each week.
Make this your plan
Create your account to see the full week-by-week plan, then choose how to unlock it.
Aid stations and checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Km | Cumulative gain (m) | Cumulative loss (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start - Oulanka Visitor Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Basecamp | 31.5 | 619 | 546 |
| Konttainen | 49.1 | 1,074 | 907 |
| Finish - Ruka | 56.3 | 1,494 | 1,300 |
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide. Source: official race guide, verifiedNovember 2, 2026 - Official race website
FAQ
How much elevation gain does NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km have?
NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km has around 1,494 m of cumulative elevation gain and 1,300 m of loss over 56.3 km.
What is the cutoff time for NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km?
The overall NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km cutoff is 14 hours, with intermediate time barriers at major checkpoints. Winning times are typically around 5 hours.
How long is NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km?
NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km covers approximately 56.3 km, starting in Oulanka Visitor Centre, Kuusamo, Finland.
What is the highest point of NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km?
The highest point of NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km is Valtavaara at 492 m.
How many aid stations does NUTS Karhunkierros - 55 km have and which allow crew?
The checkpoint table lists 2 major aid points between the start and the finish. Personal crew assistance is not part of the published checkpoint data - check the official runner guide.
Training for this race?
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