After the Skagen Marathon: Grenen

The Route: Skagen → Grenen → Skagen Logistics: The sand spit at Grenen is a 2 to 3 km walk from the car park, or a short ride on the Sandormen tractor-bus. Day trip. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Skagen ──(taxi, bike or bus to the Grenen car park)──> Grenen car park
Grenen car park ──(2-3 km on foot, or Sandormen)──> Grenen tip
Grenen tip ──(same way back)──> Skagen

The marathon course turns within about 400 m of Grenen, so your legs may already know the road to the car park. The walk out onto the sand is a different matter. Grenen is the northernmost point of Denmark, and it is the place where the Kattegat meets the Skagerrak. On a windy day you can watch the two seas push against each other in a line of broken water.

The walk from the car park to the tip is 2 to 3 km each way over soft sand, which is slow going on tired legs. The Sandormen, a tractor-pulled bus, covers the distance for those who would rather save the effort. It takes cash only. The first run is at 10:00, and the service runs from Easter until about week 43, which falls in the second half of October. Check the operator's dates before you go, because a marathon weekend sits close to the end of the season.

The day

Give Grenen the morning. Wind is the main variable. Take a windproof layer and a hat that fastens, and wear shoes you do not mind filling with sand.

If you want a second stop, two sights lie south of the town. The Buried Church is a 14th-century church that was overtaken by drifting sand. The Råbjerg Mile is a migrating dune that moves about 15 m a year. Both need a car, a taxi or a long bike ride.

In town, Skagen lighthouse (1858, 46 m) has limited opening hours, and the water tower (1934, 34 m) has 120 steps. Neither is a kind thing to ask of the day after a marathon, so choose with your quads in mind.

Getting home

This is a day trip from Skagen. For a flight out, see the Aalborg article for the route to Aalborg Airport (AAL), or take the train to Frederikshavn for the ferry.