A second morning session takes place in Rovaniemi city center that sees Mustafa “Musse” Mohamed lead a group through 10 x 1k with 30 seconds rest. The Swedish marathon record holder is paced by the Finnish 50k national record holder, Ossi Peltoniemi. Others from camp join for the first half of each interval and help to keep the pace honest. After they bask in the gained fitness knowing despite differing nationalities running brings us together.
Karhu and YMR Track Club used a long lost race poster from 1983 as the inspiration for the Sun Run. The original route ran from Sweden into Finland over the Tornio River and many top athletes from both nations came to compete for top level prizes.
As a symbol of respect, the group brings back the spirit of the original event, but this time in the opposite direction. Starting at Keisarinmaja (Imperial Lodge) atop the Aavasaksa scenic path, the runners descend the mountain and make their way to the border of Finland and Sweden. The display of camaraderie and joy is in full display as runners cross the bridge.
