Grefillinn

Grefillinn is the Icelandic word for a pickaxe, a nod to the gravel that weather and glaciers have carved out of the highlands, and also a mild curse riders tend to mutter somewhere out on the course.

The race is set in Borgarfjörður in West Iceland: farm valleys full of grass fields, salmon rivers and sheep, river fords that guarantee wet feet on the longer courses, and on some editions the climb over Uxahryggir to the desolate Kaldidalur highland road beneath the Eiríksjökull glacier. Surfaces run from fast compacted gravel to rough, slower stretches, and the Icelandic weather makes every edition different.

It is hosted by the cycling division of Breiðablik, a sports club from Kópavogur in the capital region, with the Krauma geothermal baths at Deildartunguhver as its partner, so the day ends with a soak, a beer and a burger. Returning riders describe a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and a race they come back to every year.