The Bright Midnight 2025: a personal race report

Into the Unknown

This summer (2025), I lined up in Tolga, Norway, for my first-ever ultra gravel race: The Bright Midnight. A self-supported bikepacking adventure across central Norway with 1,100 kilometers of mountains, gravel, hike-a-bike and whatever else you come across. I had trained for a year, fine-tuned as much as I could, and still felt like I was stepping into the unknown.

Traveling up to Tolga I heard someone say “you pack your fears”. I had definitely packed mine. My main fears were running out of food and not having a place for a decent sleep. So among many things I packed food, bivy, sleep kits, backup of backup repair stuff, and then some more food. When I arrived in Tolga with 4 friends (Joey, Jordy, Rick and Michele) they all made a little fun of how much I planned to carry for the ride. It made me pack a little less, but in hindsight still too much and a lot of it I didn’t use. 

The days before starting we re-built our bikes from traveling and had a nice pasta dinner. It was both comforting to prepare together, but I also felt the tension. The night before starting I was pretty restless and slept very little. I was ready for the adventure but I also realized I was going to find out how deep and how far I could go.

Day 1 — The Start from Tolga

The morning was cold, grey, but also filled with excitement. Justinas Leveika, the gravel legend and organizer behind the race, arrived early on a buzzing start scene before starting us off. A long line of riders rolled into the Norwegian wilderness. Rain came and went all day until late in the afternoon. I was happy I had tested my rain set-up and it held up. But the changing conditions made this day a test right from the start.

After lunch a GPS file error sent me and a few others through a small river and into an electric fence (yes really, it got me on the butt!) just before a brutal climb nicknamed “The Wall”. I was pretty unhappy here, but it was just something to let go and move on from. 

The entire day I was excited for this being my first day in an ultra race. The scenery on the route was absolutely beautiful and later in the afternoon the rain also stopped. By evening, I rolled into Sunndalsøra after 203 km, soaked but smiling. I met up with my friends while we had pasta and shared some laughs and stories. A solid first day in the bag.

Day 2 — The Ferry Chase

Day two had a simple mission on paper: reach the ferry at 243 km before 22:30. Miss it, and I would have to wait for the first one the next day. Riding the early morning hours brought clear skies, and for the first time, I felt truly in the race. Climbing alongside waterfalls with the sun coming up made for a beautiful first few hours of the day. Around 10:00 I stopped for coffee and smoked salmon at a mountain hut and enjoyed a great second breakfast.

The entire day everything went well. The route was a bit up and down but nothing too steep or difficult. That changed late in the afternoon when I arrived at Trollstigen Pass. A beautiful pass, but also closed near the top which meant we had to hike with the bike on a rocky steep trail up. I was on schedule to make the last ferry, but only if this hike-a-bike did not take too much time. It was honestly pretty tough and at some points tricky. But I managed to hike the final section with the bike on my back and hammered the descent down. Once I arrived down at the water I pushed the last miles through tunnels and rain to the ferry terminal. At 21:45, I rolled onboard on the second to last ferry. 

Day 3 — Halfway to Lom

By now, I had found my rhythm. The climbs came steady, and I was eble to enjoy the unreal views I passed. There were so many beautiful scenes: snow walls, rivers, forests, and gravel stretching forever. Somewhere between Stryn and Lom, I rode past the halfway point. 

Day 3 was a good day. Probably my best day in the whole race. I had strong legs pushing me up the hills and I could enjoy the descents. I was also in good company during the day. I saw my friends at various places and we rode together in some parts or had a chat and a bite when we stopped. After a long day in the saddle, in Lom, our small group celebrated with pizza and laughter. At the end of this day I remember I had this feeling: I can really do this.

Day 4 — The Weight of Mountains

Come day 4, I had a leftover pizza breakfast at 04:30. The day started smoothly in line with the previous day, but it got worse before noon. The Sognefjellet climb greeted us with fog, rain, and headwinds. The kind of day that breaks your rhythm. My stomach turned, and I really was not into it at this point. I just wanted this cold, wet and windy climb to be over. When I finally reached the summit, I was cold and frustrated. 

On the other side, a stop for waffles with Michele, helped. But mentally, I was running on fumes. In the afternoon we rode a beautiful pass at Tunnelvegen, which I still see the beauty of. But in Tyinkrysset, 789 km into the entire race, I called it a day. Sometimes, the best move is to eat, sleep and rest.

Day 5 — Coughing Blood

I woke up coughing and saw blood in the sink. I had pneumonia twice and knew this was not a good sign. Planning a visit to a doctor meant I had to stay behind from my mates. Maybe this was as far as I would go. The visit was good news: it wasn’t pneumonia this time, just exhaustion and dehydration. Relief, confusion, and a lot of thinking followed. My friends had gone ahead, and I sat alone in silence, wondering whether to quit.

A call with my wife and friends changed my mind. Their voices brought me back into a better mindset. I had lost almost a full day, but at 17:30, I was back on the bike. Later that night, Michele sent me a video. Him and Jordy also had a bad day: “We’re waiting for you with pizza and Parmigiano.” I arrived at 21:30 after only 53 km, but it meant everything. This was the day that would make me a finisher.

Day 6 — The Long Push

Another day, another plan: I really wanted to finish this day. The reality: I had pushed myself for five days already and was well into my reserves. However, starting up this morning after the tough day before I had new motivation and higher spirit. I could push myself again which I took as a good sign and gave me even more motivation. 

Truth be told, this was also one of the longest and toughest days on the bike of my life. The route went through Jotunheimen National Park which was beautiful, but I was also so occupied with making progress that I didn’t take a lot of time to see the beauty. The whole Bright Midnight route turned out so backloaded with climbs in the second half, it was just really tough and I had to give it everything. 

By evening, I was running on instinct but with Michele again. His words, yesterday you showed me you’re stronger than you think, carried me through a few more hours. Until everything was empty. We bivvied just before midnight, under a glowing Nordic sky. Pain had turned quiet. We had set ourselves for finishing early the next morning.

Day 7 — Beer for Breakfast

I woke up cold but clear. Less than 90 km to go. The finish was close enough now to know I would make it. Knowing that, the joy of the first days also returned. We laughed, shouted nonsense, and took it all in.

In Alvdal, the best gas station at the perfect time with coffee and bread gave me one last boost. The media team rode out for pictures and I joked “those pictures are only taken of finishers! And then, finally, the signs for Tolga came into view. As we rolled in we saw friends, familiar faces, and a finish arch waiting.

Justinas smiled and joked as I rolled in. “So you want beer for breakfast?”
“Sure,” I said, “why not.”