Polar Circle Marathon

Running here in late October means the tundra is a palette of gold and frost, with the first snow dusting the ice cap’s edge — a surreal, silent backdrop for a marathon. Between miles, you’ll have the rare chance to see musk oxen grazing near the moraine fields and, if the skies clear, the northern lights dancing overhead. Afterward, warm up with a bowl of musk ox stew or fresh Arctic char at the local canteen, and soak in the town’s tiny museum to understand the sled-dog culture that thrives in this starkly beautiful place.