Simpanen chases his own record – NUTS Karhunkierros grows into a giant
This coming weekend, records will most likely be broken at NUTS Karhunkierros even before the first runner crosses the finish line.
More than 4,100 participants have registered in advance, which strongly suggests that last year’s participation record of 3,412 runners will be shattered. The only real question is whether the new record figure will begin with a three or a four.
The spotlight will be on the 166-kilometer race, where Juuso Simpanen aims to break his own course record from 2021 (17:29:45). Around 370 runners have signed up for the premier distance — a number that would have seemed unimaginable just a decade ago, when the same race attracted only around fifty brave souls.
– At least my fitness feels good right now, and I’ve stayed healthy throughout the spring. I just hope I can avoid the illness currently spreading through the family, Simpanen said during race week.
– The course record is definitely in my sights, and that’s what I’m going after.
Simpanen knows exactly what the demanding Karhunkierros route requires. Ten years ago, he had to abandon the race at the 140-kilometer mark in Juuma after blisters, energy depletion, and finally a sprained ankle became too much to handle.
– The following year I already knew how to prepare much better for the demands of a hundred-miler. The biggest lesson was that you have to be ready for everything and be able to solve problems quickly even when exhausted, before they start piling up, Simpanen recalled about 2017, the year he earned his first victory in the hundred-mile race.
Everything also clicked perfectly in 2021. Training had gone well, conditions were favorable, and the result was a blistering course record that Simpanen is now chasing once again.
In total, Simpanen has won the 166-kilometer race in Kuusamo three times. He also holds victories in the 34 km and 83 km events.
Will Kunnari once again be seen sitting on a tree stump?
Simpanen is not the only runner with ambitious goals. Frequent podium finisher Juho Kunnari returns to the 166-kilometer Karhunkierros after a one-year break, aiming to break the 20-hour barrier.
– I skipped last year because I ran the hundred-mile race at Trail Alsace by UTMB in France at the same time. That race left a bad taste because I was still recovering from the flu during race week. It’s always great to come run in the Oulanka scenery, Kunnari said.
The route has become familiar to Kunnari over the years, although the final month before the race has been challenging.
– Mustavuori Uphill Challenge was my season opener. Recovery took longer than expected. I’ve also had to treat something resembling inflammation in the sole of my foot, said Kunnari, who dominated the eight-hour race at Mustavuori.
Despite the setbacks, his mindset remains strong, and the scenery matters when fatigue starts to hit.
– It’s always nice to see Valtavaara on the return leg. You know there isn’t much left. The ridge sections along Oulanka and the rapids with their waterfalls are also stunning parts of the route.
Kunnari also revealed his unusual habit when exhaustion takes over.
– When I run out of energy, I look for a suitable tree stump or log to sit on for a moment and reflect on life. I think I’ve done that in every hundred-mile race without exception. I’ll probably do it again even if things are going well, just so the streak doesn’t break. In tough races, it just happens more often.
The Karhunkierros ultra also serves as the opening event of the Ultra Trail Tour Finland (UTTF). The other races in the series are NUTS Ylläs Pallas (160 km) and Vaarojen Maraton (134 km). Kunnari, a two-time UTTF champion, will not compete in the full series this year.
– Again this year I’m skipping the full UTTF tour. In August I’ll race Pogosta 300. It’s exciting to get new routes in Finland, and now I’m heading into somewhat unknown territory since the race distance doubles.
In the women’s hundred-mile race, likely contenders include Nea Heilala (fourth last year), Suvi Pitkänen (sixth), and Heli Luoma (eighth). No other women from last year’s top ten are returning.
Mai Helske has performed strongly in the TTF series, finishing second overall in 2025, and placed fourth in the 100 km race at NUTS Ylläs Pallas last year. Saila Koikkalainen also owns strong results from long-distance races.
Raunio seeks maximum points once again
The 55-kilometer race is one of Karhunkierros’ most popular distances. It also serves as the second event of the Trail Tour Finland (TTF) season. TTF consists of eight races, with the four best results counting toward the final standings.
The women’s race features a strong duo. Tuuli Raunio recently won the 21-kilometer race at Bodom Trail, the opening event of the TTF season, and even threatened the course record.
– Recovery from Bodom Trail has gone as expected. I’ve still been training almost normally this week, and now I’m starting to taper toward Karhunkierros, Raunio said.
Trail running has quickly captivated the former competitive cross-country skier. Last spring, she made her trail running debut at Karhunkierros in the 83-kilometer race and finished eighth.
– It was quite a learning experience, but it sparked my interest in longer distances. I also ran the 65 km at Vaarojen Maraton last autumn. That race actually felt like it ended too quickly, so I don’t think 55 km will cause problems because of its length, Raunio estimated.
The 55-kilometer race is one of Karhunkierros’ most popular distances. It also serves as the second event of the Trail Tour Finland (TTF) season. TTF consists of eight races, with the four best results counting toward the final standings.
The women’s race features a strong duo. Tuuli Raunio recently won the 21-kilometer race at Bodom Trail, the opening event of the TTF season, and even threatened the course record.
– Recovery from Bodom Trail has gone as expected. I’ve still been training almost normally this week, and now I’m starting to taper toward Karhunkierros, Raunio said.
Trail running has quickly captivated the former competitive cross-country skier. Last spring, she made her trail running debut at Karhunkierros in the 83-kilometer race and finished eighth.
– It was quite a learning experience, but it sparked my interest in longer distances. I also ran the 65 km at Vaarojen Maraton last autumn. That race actually felt like it ended too quickly, so I don’t think 55 km will cause problems because of its length, Raunio estimated.
Another strong contender in the women’s race is Kaisa Pirkonen, who represented Finland at last autumn’s World Championships and won the 66-kilometer race at NUTS Ylläs Pallas last year. However, her path to Karhunkierros has been rocky.
– I had another ankle surgery at the beginning of December. The screws and plate were removed. The ankle itself is now good, but its limited mobility had already caused an injury to the hamstring and glute on the opposite leg. Running has been quite challenging this winter.
– I really haven’t been able to do threshold workouts while running until the past month. Things are finally looking a bit brighter now
Pirkonen has never raced at Karhunkierros before, and her starting spot came somewhat unexpectedly.
– My spouse had a place in the race this year but can’t participate, so the spot transferred to me. Even though I’m not in quite the shape I’d hoped for, I’m really excited to start, she said.
She refuses to set a time goal but has no shortage of motivation.
– My child instructed me to run 55 kilometers as hard as I possibly can. That’s quite a goal in itself. I’m especially looking forward to the stunning scenery, the amazing atmosphere, and the flow state brought on by physical exertion.
Sorvisto’s training data commands respect
There is no clear favorite in the men’s 55-kilometer race. One particularly interesting name is Eetu Nordman, who skipped the lucrative Pärnävaara trail event to focus entirely on Karhunkierros.
–Just a minor piriformis-type issue, and doing both Pärnävaara and Karhunkierros within eight days started to feel impossible, Nordman explained
Kilpailu tulee olemaan kova, sillä lähtölistoilla näkyy vahvoja nimiä.
– There are at least a few really strong guys with skiing backgrounds, like Elias Valikainen and Benjamin Holmgren, and of course endurance all-rounder Juha Sorvisto, who according to reports from Lahti’s Radiomäki is apparently in 4050-meter Cooper test shape, Nordman joked.
Juha Sorvisto, the 2020 TTF champion, is indeed in top form. According to his Strava training data, he has recently completed two-kilometer trail intervals at around 3:35 min/km pace.
Sorvisto has never raced at Karhunkierros before, although the route is familiar from nearly twenty years ago
– I thought now might be the right moment to check this challenge off the list. I’m also curious to see the hype surrounding this event with my own eyes, especially from the perspective of organizing Tiirismaa Trail. Is there really something special about Karhunkierros? That’s partly what I’m here to find out.
– At some point the goal became breaking ten hours, because when we started climbing Valtavaara, about 9 hours and 15 minutes had already passed. In the end, almost gritting our teeth, we reached Ruka village in 9:58. It’s still the longest run of my life. We’ll see if faded memories return during the hardest final section of the course.
Now the 55 km race serves as preparation for his first-ever 100-kilometer race from Pallas to Ylläs in July.
– My goal on these new routes is to find exactly the right race pace that I can sustain sensibly all the way to the finish. I haven’t even looked at the start lists once. I’ve mostly focused in training on figuring out what kind of intensity I can realistically hold for over 55 kilometers. I’m not planning to hold back.
Width nervous about the night race
Last year, Kristiane Width won the 55-kilometer race in the darkening evening of Ruka. This year she returns to familiar terrain for the 83-kilometer event.
Her life has changed dramatically since last year. In early autumn she packed up her home in Espoo and drove 840 kilometers north to Rovaniemi, where she now studies Arctic World Politics at the University of Lapland and coaches 11-year-old girls in football.
– This past winter and training in Lapland have been a perfect and unique combination. Historically, Lapland experienced its coldest winter in 40 years. I skied every single day when possible — even in minus 35 degrees Celsius, Width laughed.
The 83-kilometer distance — and especially racing through the night — makes her nervous.
– I have to admit I’m more nervous than usual because I’m not an evening or night person. Deep down I’m basically a grandma who would rather already be asleep by 9 p.m. So running through the entire night will really test me.
– My goal is to reach the finish with both legs intact, preferably with my arms still attached to my body and my head somehow still functioning. The night will be long and exhausting, so above all I’m going into the race looking for patience.
Width also has major goals ahead later this summer. She has been selected for Finland’s European Championship team and will compete in Slovenia in both the short trail and uphill events in June.
– I’ve been there once hiking with my best friend, and wow — the scenery is unbelievable. It’s a beautiful place, so I’m incredibly grateful and excited to create new memories in the Slovenian mountains.
Before that, however, Width and thousands of fellow runners will create new memories in the rugged scenery of Oulanka National Park.
TEXT: Marko Krapu