About us

About the MSM Foundation

The Midnight Sun Marathon (MSM) foundation was established in 1989 and organized the first Midnight Sun Marathon in 1990. MSM has since developed into an organization that markets and arranges various sports and cultural events in Tromsø. The purpose of MSM is also to contribute financially to sports and charitable causes.

The purpose of the foundation is to organize races and similar sports events, as well as coordinate associated events with broad local, national and international participation under the brand name MSM. The foundation will also seek to market Midnight Sun Marathon and other events in such a way that the event, Tromsø and the region become an attractive destination. The Foundation shall initially be self-financing, but shall work to ensure that the event generates the greatest possible financial surplus for distribution to sports and humanitarian purposes.

Grants are awarded to teams and associations that volunteer at our events. In addition, the foundation has in recent years given MSM sports scholarships to young North Norwegian sports talents. We at the foundation Midnight Sun Marathon want to help spread the joy of running to everyone, regardless of physical fitness, age and personal goals.

Our regular annual events are: PolarNight Marathon in January, Sami week in February, the Arctic Snowshoe Race in March, Midnight Sun Marathon in June and Tromsø Mountain Challenge in August. PolarNight Marathon and Midnight Sun Marathon are street races. Tromsø Mountain Challenge is a weekend of cross-country and downhill races. Arctic Snowshoe Race is a snowshoe race. Sami week is a cultural week in February with Norwegian Championships in lasso throwing and reindeer racing on the weekend.

MSM Sports Scholarship

The foundation Midnight Sun Marathon awarded the first MSM sports scholarship for young athletes in 2015, and has since awarded a total of 26 sports scholarships.

In 2023, we awarded a total of NOK 125,000 in five sports scholarships of NOK 25,000 each to talented young athletes from Northern Norway who have excelled in their respective sports. The scholarship is awarded to younger athletes in the establishment phase and who are at the top of their sporting discipline. The athlete must be able to demonstrate regional and/or national rankings in their sport. Candidates are nominated by the public, their team and their circuit. A jury selects those who are awarded a scholarship from among the nominees. Whether MSM awards scholarships depends on the finances of the foundation.

We give back to sport

Every year, we pay contributions to teams and voluntary organizations that provide officials for our events. In this way, MSM contributes financially to many different sports teams and associations. Each year, MSM contributes around NOK 1 million to sporting and humanitarian causes. The business community in the region also benefits greatly from the events. Calculations from Innovation Norway show that our two events, PolarNight Marathon and Midnight Sun Marathon , contributed in 2019 to an increased value creation in the region of NOK 55.7 million.

Our skilled and welcoming officials help to create good and positive experiences for participants. Many of the visitors greatly appreciate the contact with the officials. Every year, thousands of people make the trip to Tromsø to take part in our events. For many, this is their first encounter with the Arctic and Northern Norway.

In 2023, we have provided support to

Active against cancer

The Norwegian Cancer Society

The Ukrainian Association in Tromsø

4 Sports scholarships of NOK 25,000 each

Sustainability and environment

We work every day to improve the environment and climate, and the Midnight Sun Marathon foundation is now working towards certification as an eco-lighthouse.

As an approved Eco-Lighthouse, we will take steps to become even greener in our events. This will affect much of what we do on a day-to-day basis, including increased source sorting and a focus on more sustainable products. We are more aware of the areas in which we can contribute.

Climate accounting

We continue to prioritize a conscious approach to sustainable procurement. We will prioritize cooperation with environmentally certified companies and purchase eco-labeled and organic products to the extent that it is financially justifiable.

Employees