KOMIA Flow
KOMIA Ilkan Polku
Ilmajoki (Varpahaiskyläntie 300, Kurikka/Ilmajoki border) → Seinäjoki (Luontokeskus Käpälikkö, Kyrkösjärvi)
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
KOMIA Ilkan Polku is a 42 km point-to-point trail run through the flatlands of Southern Ostrobothnia, starting at Varpahaiskylantie in Ilmajoki, on the Kurikka/Ilmajoki border, and finishing at the Luontokeskus Kapalikko nature centre by Kyrkosjarvi in Seinajoki. With only 238 m of climbing and a high point of just 158 m, it is one of the flattest events you will find carrying a marathon-length label, and its character comes from steady, rollable ground rather than mountains. That makes it a very different proposition to the alpine ultras: this is a runner's course where honest pacing and consistent fuelling matter far more than climbing legs. It is also built to be shared, with three relay exchange points splitting the route into legs, so it works equally well as a solo 42 km or as a team relay for runners who want a taste of the distance without covering all of it alone.
The course and terrain
The route runs one way from Varpahaiskylantie 300 in Ilmajoki (135 m) to Luontokeskus Kapalikko on the shore of Kyrkosjarvi in Seinajoki (100 m), a net downhill of a few dozen metres spread across 42 km. In practice the elevation profile is close to flat: the checkpoints sit at 135 m, 81 m, 74 m and 75 m before the finish at 100 m, so you are never far from the same low band of ground the whole way. With 238 m D+ total, there is no sustained climb anywhere on the course. This is Ostrobothnian terrain, the low, open landscape of Finland's flattest region, and the path threads past Santavuori before the final relay exchange at 30.2 km. Expect a mix of trail and easy running surfaces rather than technical mountain singletrack. The lack of vertical means your legs never get the natural rest that climbing and descending forces on you elsewhere, so the ground stays consistently runnable from gun to finish.
Where the race is decided
On a course this flat, the race is not won on a climb but in the discipline to keep running when nothing external is forcing you to slow down. The one named rise, Santavuori, comes shortly before the third relay exchange at 30.2 km, but even here the elevation figures show only a gentle bump rather than a genuine climb, with checkpoints on either side sitting in the mid-70s of metres. The decisive stretch for most solo runners will be the final section from the last exchange at 30.2 km to the finish at 42 km. This is where a flat course quietly punishes anyone who went out too hard: with no downhills to freewheel and no climbs to walk, tired legs simply grind. Runners who bank an even effort through the first 30 km and still have turnover left for the last 12 km to Kyrkosjarvi are the ones who finish strong.
How to pace and fuel it
The route is served by drink stations at each of the three relay exchanges, at 12.9 km, 20.9 km and 30.2 km. That leaves gaps of roughly 13, 8, 12 and 12 km between support, so carry enough fluid and calories to bridge the longest of those, particularly the opening leg to 12.9 km and the closing leg from 30.2 km to the finish. A small handheld or vest with your own gels or bars covers the spacing comfortably. Because the terrain removes the natural walk breaks that hills provide, pace management has to be deliberate. Pick a sustainable effort you could hold for the full 42 km and resist the temptation to chase early splits on the fast opening ground. If you are running the relay, treat your individual leg as a harder, shorter effort and hand over at the exchange rather than rationing yourself across the whole distance. Solo runners should think in terms of steady fuelling every 30 to 45 minutes, using each drink station to top up rather than relying on it as your only source.
Conditions to expect
This is a Finnish, low-country event, and the open Ostrobothnian landscape offers little in the way of shelter, so wind and exposure across the flat sections can be a bigger factor than any hill. There is no altitude to contend with, the high point being only 158 m, and no long technical descents, which keeps the demands squarely on aerobic pacing rather than mountain skills. Run the tangents and stay mentally engaged: flat, evenly graded routes can feel monotonous, and the finish by Kyrkosjarvi at the Kapalikko nature centre is earned through sustained rhythm rather than dramatic terrain. Come prepared for the conditions of the day, keep your fuelling and hydration on schedule between the three drink stations, and let the fast, forgiving ground work in your favour over the full 42 km.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
⚠ Auto-researched from public sources — aid stations and cut-offs may be incomplete. Confirm against the official roadbook before race day.
0 km · 135 m · —
12.9 km · 81 m · —
20.9 km · 74 m · —
30.2 km · 75 m · —
42 km · 100 m · —
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Course data researched from public sources — verify against the official roadbook.