NUTS Ylläs Pallas
NUTS Ylläs Pallas 100 km
Pallas (Pallastunturi, Muonio) → Äkäslompolo (Ylläs, Kolari)
Race guide
Updated 1 July 2026
The NUTS Ylläs Pallas 100 km is a 103-kilometre point-to-point journey through the heart of Finnish Lapland, running south from Pallastunturi (Pallas) in Muonio to Äkäslompolo at the base of Ylläs in Kolari. With 2592 m of total ascent and a high point of 808 m, the course rolls across open arctic fells, through birch and pine forest corridors and past the remote wilderness that defines northern Finland. It is not a race of single brutal climbs but rather relentless, cumulative elevation change across terrain that offers no shelter from the wind and very little shade. Seven checkpoints punctuate the route and provide crew access at five locations, but the distances between aid stations — up to 21 kilometres in places — demand careful self-sufficiency. With a final cut-off of Sunday midnight at Äkäslompolo, runners have 24 hours to cover the course, which sounds generous until the terrain, the heat and the early-section pace traps are factored in. This is a race that rewards patient, methodical running from the first kilometre.
Course & Terrain
The route begins at Pallas (441 m) and immediately places runners in open fell country. The first leg to Rauhala at 8.2 km is relatively contained, but the next long push to Pahtavuoma at 29.2 km descends to 276 m and establishes the pattern of the race: wide, exposed ridgelines giving way to boggy valley crossings before the next climb. The lowest checkpoint elevation on the course is the finish at 224 m, meaning the net direction is gently downhill, yet the 2592 m of accumulated climb ensures nothing is gifted. Between Pahtavuoma and Peurakaltio (40.4 km, 305 m) runners cover roughly 11 kilometres across terrain that alternates between reindeer tracks, soft tundra and forest paths. From Kotamaja (53.8 km) to Ylläsjärvi (63.1 km) the character shifts slightly as Ylläs itself comes into view, and the final 40 kilometres from Ylläsjärvi to the finish via Kellokas (81.8 km) require runners to manage tired legs over another 18 km of fell and forest before the last descent into Äkäslompolo.
Decisive Sections — Where the Race Is Won or Lost
The stretch from Rauhala to Pahtavuoma — 21 kilometres with a cut-off at 08:00 Saturday — is the first real test of pacing discipline. Going out too hard here, chasing early positions across inviting open fell, leaves nothing in reserve for the second half. Pahtavuoma's cut-off arrives early in the morning, meaning most runners will cover this section in night or pre-dawn conditions; navigational focus matters as much as fitness. The section from Ylläsjärvi (63.1 km, cut-off 13:00) to Kellokas (81.8 km, cut-off 19:00) spans 18.7 kilometres and must be completed within six hours of the Ylläsjärvi check — a window that sounds comfortable but closes fast if a runner has banked a large time debt earlier. Anyone arriving at Ylläsjärvi with less than two hours to spare will face a grinding race against the Kellokas cut-off with heavy legs. The final 21 kilometres from Kellokas to Äkäslompolo must be done before midnight; crew access at both points allows for a decisive kit and nutrition reset.
Pacing & Fuelling Strategy
With 103 km and 2592 m of climb to manage, the opening 30 kilometres should feel almost embarrassingly easy. The fell terrain punishes runners who mistake the gentle gradients for flat ground — walking the uphills from kilometre one, not kilometre sixty, is the correct approach. Use the first crew point at Rauhala (8.2 km) to confirm kit and fluids are right before the long, unsupported push to Pahtavuoma. Fuelling windows are spaced up to 21 km apart, so carry more than you think you need between checkpoints. Aim to eat and drink on a fixed timer rather than by hunger or thirst — in Lapland's dry, often windy conditions, dehydration develops quietly and strips cognitive sharpness before any physical warning arrives. Run a deliberate checklist at every checkpoint and regularly between them: drink, cool if needed, salt, calories. Keep a crew member or pacer who can assess you from the outside, because heat and dehydration compromise your own judgment before you notice the decline. Never assume you are fine simply because you feel fine — dry arctic wind is most dangerous precisely when it feels manageable.
Conditions to Expect
Finnish Lapland in the Ylläs-Pallas corridor presents conditions that surprise runners used to central European mountain races. Temperatures can range widely — summer editions can bring warm, dry, sunny days where fell temperatures exceed 20°C with no tree cover for shade. Wind on the open tundra above the treeline is constant and strips moisture rapidly, creating a heat-stress risk that feels counterintuitive in an arctic landscape. At night, temperatures drop sharply even in summer, so mandatory or recommended layers should be carried regardless of the evening forecast. The terrain underfoot is mixed: compacted gravel tracks near Äkäslompolo and Pallas give way to soft, uneven tundra and boggy ground in the remote middle sections. Ankle stability and waterproof footwear or at minimum well-draining trail shoes are essential. Navigation aids are advisable for the pre-dawn sections between Rauhala and Peurakaltio where trail markings may be harder to follow in low light.
Checkpoint & Crew Planning
Five of the seven checkpoints offer crew access: Pallas (start, 0 km), Rauhala (8.2 km), Peurakaltio (40.4 km), Ylläsjärvi (63.1 km), Kellokas (81.8 km) and the finish at Äkäslompolo (103 km). Crew should plan logistics around the cut-offs: Rauhala closes at 03:00 Saturday, Pahtavuoma at 08:00, Peurakaltio at 10:00, Ylläsjärvi at 13:00, Kellokas at 19:00 and the finish at midnight Sunday. The gap between Peurakaltio (40.4 km, cut-off 10:00) and Ylläsjärvi (63.1 km, cut-off 13:00) covers 22.7 km with only the no-crew Kotamaja (53.8 km) in between — a critical unsupported stretch in the middle of the day when heat is at its peak. Crew meeting a runner at Ylläsjärvi should arrive prepared to make real-time decisions: change of kit, fresh food, a clear-eyed assessment of the runner's state. That 13:00 crew point can reset a struggling race or confirm a strong one; treat it as the most important logistical moment of the day.
Race NUTS Ylläs Pallas 100 km with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-04) · official source
0 km · 441 m · Fri 23:00
8.2 km · 450 m · Sat 03:00
29.2 km · 276 m · Sat 08:00
40.4 km · 305 m · Sat 10:00
53.8 km · 284 m · Sat 13:00
63.1 km · 323 m · —
81.8 km · 291 m · Sat 19:00
89.1 km · 334 m · Sat 21:00
103 km · 224 m · Sun 00:00
More races
More in Finland
Similar distance (100 km–100 miles)
Racing NUTS Ylläs Pallas 100 km?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.