How it all started

In the summer of 1997, a handful of outdoor enthusiasts intrigued by human endurance and inspired by nature gathered in the mountain town of Åre, in Northern Sweden. At the height of the long Nordic summer, when the sky never darkens, they followed a multisport trail that still exists today:

A downstream paddle on a crystal-clear river that snakes down a long valley …
A steep mountain run up and over the region’s highest peak …
A demanding mountain bike ride on narrow trails with exhilarating descents …

Fast-forward two decades and the race has grown from a handful of committed endurance junkies to an event that attracts a variety of participants: tourists wanting to explore Clean Green Scandinavia; weekend warriors escaping from urban centers in Stockholm, Trondheim, and Copenhagen; locals who enjoy the mountain lifestyle; and the world’s elite multisport looking to make a living on prize money.

In the New Zealand multisport tradition, competitors celebrate at the finish line in the picturesque Scandinavian village with a cold beer.

Race directors through the years at Åre Extreme Challenge

2017 -

Henrik Weile and Scott Cole (Martin Rask starting in 2019)

2010 - 2016

Mats Skott and Natasha Skott

2006 - 2009

Magnus Åkerblad

2006

Micke Raittila and Magnus Åkerblad

2004 - 2005

Micke Raittila, Henrik Nyström, Tommy Lundgren

2000 - 2003

Henrik Nyström and Oscar Bondfeldt (formerly Östling)

1999

Erik Ahlström

1997-1998

Erik Ahlström and James Venimore