Denmark doesn’t have any mountains, but in June it certainly feels like it does. With brows glistening with sweat, aching limbs and big smiles, thousands of runners take part in the annual mountain marathon 'Bjergmarathon' in Aabenraa.
The marathon has acquired its name because Aabenraa is situated at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by hills. The route follows the outline of a star, whereby the runners run up a hill and then back down again, before passing through the town centre and on to a new road up a new hill. Depending on how far you’ve chosen to run, it’s almost like running in the mountains.
There’s a special atmosphere at the race in which both local runners and visiting runners test themselves on either the long marathon route or one of the shorter distances. And because the race has a star-shaped route, the runners keep returning to the town centre, where the cheers and support provided by the spectators add to the experience.
