I tried the unusual ‘midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths

The Sun

4 days ago

THE sun beams down on me as I run along the path.
It's a beautiful running track, a little stream gurgles to my left, purple flowers and gorgeous greenery standing out against the bright blue sky as I sweat it out along with 2,500 other runners.
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I look down at my watch to check my pace and notice the time – 10.30pm.
Hang on. My bedtime is 10pm, what am I doing?
I should explain. I'm in Iceland, where in the summer, there is almost 24 hours of sunlight every day.
As a keen runner, I signed up to the Suzuki Midnight run to take on the summer solstice challenge and I'm in good company with more than 2,600 fellow runners.
I meet a self-described 'little old lady' from Canada who wanted to explore Iceland for her 70th birthday and take on the run, an Aussie couple lining up for their race photo and a gaggle of Irish women who are raising cash for a pal with cancer.
I've elected to do the 10km but you can sign up to the 5km or even push yourself to complete the 21km.
And while I'm normally a morning runner, there's something fun about taking on this midnight challenge.
As the race gun goes off, I soak up the sunshine and the gorgeous views.
Afterwards, I'm met with an electrolyte drink and medal, and I'm swept up in the crowd of locals heading straight to the thermal pools to soak their tired muscles.
Iceland also has plenty of other activities for any non-runners, thanks to its jaw-dropping nature.
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The afternoon before the race, I spent two hours whale watching, spotting humpbacks and minkes.
Gearing up in a thick red suit and strapping on a life vest, I jump onto the RIB. Soon, we're heading out on to the open Atlantic.
Suddenly, our boat veers to the left – our skipper has spotted something.
The boat's engine is cut and the air is still with anticipation.
'Fwissshhhhhh'.
Everyone jumps at the sound and turns to the right – there a massive humpback whale has breached out of the water, rolling its body along the surface.
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It circles the boat, breaking the surface of the water several times until, with a final flick of its tail, it disappears into the depths.
We spend two hours out on the water, spotting half a dozen humpbacks and even an elusive minke on the trip.
We are also delighted to spot hundreds of puffins flying around a small island off the coast of Iceland's capital.
It's a world away from the UK, despite being just a three-hour flight from London with Play Airlines.
Later that night, as I finally drift off to sleep in my hotel room, the sky outside is still bright.
My muscles might be a little sore, and my internal clock utterly confused, but it was definitely an adventure worth staying up past my bedtime.