Running in Trondheim on a Business Trip: The Best Hour of the Day
Tor-Inge | The Iver TeamOctober 22, 20265 min read
This week I was in Trondheim for a leadership programme: long days at Hotel Britannia working through what it takes to lead companies and people. Good, demanding sessions. But by the end of the day, what most of us needed wasn't another coffee. It was air.
So I booked the Trondheim Waterfront & Old Town Run on Iver, and a couple of my fellow participants, classmates for the week, came along. Our hosts, Nikolai and Nikan, are two students at NTNU. They met us at the hotel and took us out for a run, and the meeting room was soon a long way behind us.
After a day of learning to lead, an hour of being led
There was a small irony in it that I enjoyed. We had spent the whole day talking about leadership: setting direction, reading the room, getting people to move together. Then we handed all of it over to two students who knew exactly where they were taking us.
They did what good leaders do, without a slide in sight. They set a pace that worked for everyone, kept the group together, and knew when to stop so we could look at what we were running past. Nobody needed a briefing. You just follow the people who live there.
The route: the river, Solsiden and Bakklandet
Trondheim's centre is compact, and this loop is a smart way to take it in. It's about 6.7 km and mostly flat, on paved paths and streets with a few cobbled stretches. You don't need to call yourself a runner to enjoy it.
The loop follows the Nidelva river and the waterfront, takes in Solsiden, and runs through the wooden streets of Bakklandet and over the Old Town Bridge. Along the way you see the city's postcard views: the colourful wharves standing on stilts along the river, and the green spire of Nidaros Cathedral rising behind them.
The best part was what it did for our sense of the place. Before the run, Trondheim was a hotel, a meeting room and a restaurant. Afterwards it was a map in our heads: the river curling around the centre, the old wharves, the cathedral, Solsiden on one side of the water and Bakklandet on the other. Once you've run a city, it stops being a list of addresses and becomes a place you know your way around.
Why a run is the best way to see a city on a work trip
Business travel tends to shrink a city to three addresses: hotel, venue, restaurant. If you only have one free hour, a run with a local is the best way to spend it.
- You get your bearings fast. In about an hour at running pace you cover what would take a whole afternoon on foot, and a local host links the highlights together in the right order.
- It clears your head. After a day of slides and discussion, fresh air and movement do more for you than the hotel gym or the bar.
- Colleagues talk differently side by side. Running shoulder to shoulder, conversation flows in a way it rarely does across a meeting-room table.
- There's nothing to organise. Your host picks the route and sets the pace, and you get the meeting point when you book. The run is private to your group (up to five runners on this one), so it doubles as a small team activity.
- It fits the gap. The hour between the last session and dinner usually disappears into email. This is a better use of it.
Run Trondheim with Nikolai
Trondheim Waterfront & Old Town Run
A scenic loop of about 6.7 km around Trondheim's city centre. It follows the Nidelva river and the waterfront, takes in Solsiden, and goes through the wooden streets of Bakklandet and over the Old Town Bridge. It's mostly flat, on paved paths and streets with some cobbled sections, at a comfortable pace with time for conversation, views and photos. Private for your booking party, up to five runners, hosted in Norwegian or English.
Book the Trondheim run →The idea behind Iver, on a weekday
This is exactly why we built Iver: the best way to get to know a place is to run it with someone who lives there. That's just as true on a work trip as on holiday, maybe more so, because a work trip gives you so little time to see anything. If it's your first time, here's what to expect on a run with a local. And wherever work takes you next, check who hosts runs there and pack your running shoes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book a running tour in Trondheim?
Yes. Nikolai, an economics student at NTNU, hosts the Trondheim Waterfront & Old Town Run on Iver: a 6.7 km loop along the Nidelva and the waterfront, through Solsiden and Bakklandet and over the Old Town Bridge. It's private for your booking party and hosted in Norwegian or English.
Do I need to be a fast runner?
No. The run is beginner-level and mostly flat, on paved paths and streets with a few cobbled stretches. The pace is comfortable and conversational, with stops for views and photos.
Can I bring colleagues?
Yes. Each booking is private, with room for up to five runners in total, so it works well for a few colleagues or a small team at an offsite or conference.
Where does the run start?
Your host shares the exact meeting point once you've booked. Trondheim's centre is compact, and the loop runs right around it.
When's the best time to fit a run into a work trip?
Usually the gap between the last session and dinner, or before the first session in the morning. The tour page shows the start times available on your dates.
In Trondheim for work?
Book the Trondheim Waterfront & Old Town Run, the same 6.7 km loop along the river, Solsiden and Bakklandet. It's private for you and up to four colleagues.
Book the Trondheim run →