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The events of Tartu Ski Marathon take place in South-Estonia. Race center is located in Tartu, and the children’s races will also take place here. The start venues are in Otepää (63 km) and Arula (31 km & Relay Race). All distances finish at the Tartumaa Tervisespordikeskus near Elva.
On marathon day, official shuttle buses run between Tartu, Otepää, Arula and Elva. You can use them to get to the start and, after finishing, return to Tartu or to the start locations in Otepää and Arula.
How to get to the event from abroad?
Tartu is easy to reach from across Europe and beyond. Here you’ll find all the main options for getting to the race – by plane, bus, train or car.
By plane:
Tallinn Airport, located 185 km from Tartu, is the most common destination for international flights.
Riga Airport is also a usual choice as driving to Tartu takes only 3,5 hours.
Tartu Airport, located 10 km from the town center, has 12 connections per week with Helsinki (operated by Finnair).
By bus:
Travelling from Tallinn to Tartu is a short journey, taking just 2.5 hours by bus. Some buses go directly to Otepää. Buses form Tallinn city center and airport leave every 30 minutes. You can easily check schedules and purchase tickets through Tpilet or directly from the Lux Express website.
There are bus connections between Tartu-Otepää-Elva. See more at Tpilet.
If you're coming from Riga, Latvia, you can also board a Lux Express bus and enjoy a direct route to Tartu. Buses available both from city center and Riga airport.
By train:
Several times a day between Tallinn and Tartu. See more.
By car:
Race centre (bib pick up location) situates in Tartu and it is well approachable by car. In the race day there are traffic jams at the start and finish areas, so please arrive early to avoid stress. Finish area parking is paid.
By ferry:
You can also travel by ferry from Helsinki or Stockholm to Tallinn, and take a train or bus from there to Tartu.
Distances:
Tallinn – Tartu 186 km
Riga – Tartu 244 km
Tartu – Otepää 43 km
Tartu – Arula 47 km
Tartu – Elva 25 km
Otepää – Elva 22 km
Otepää – Arula 14 km
Arula – Elva 23 km
Parking in the parking lots of Tehvandi stadium is free. Parking in the 31 km start (Arula) and service points is free. Follow the directions of traffic officers.
To park in the finish parking lots (Elva) a parking permit must be bought. The parking fee is €7*, and the parking zone is marked EP500.
The parking fee must be paid before entering the car park or immediately after parking.
*An activated parking session is valid for 72 hours and will end automatically. If you need parking on multiple event days, do not end the parking session manually.
If you end the session and start a new one on the following day, an additional parking fee of €7 will apply.
Payment options for parking:
When parking via SMS or using the pargi.ee app, a Telia service fee of €0.49 will apply.
When parking via a QR code, a Spinnistart service fee of €0.45 will apply.
Free parking with Subaru!
Subaru gives you free parking at Tartu Maraton. Subaru car park
Location of the parking lots in Google Maps
Tartu Maraton track is 63km long and covered with natural snow. The course is maintained throughout the winter. Both classic skiing and free style are possible. The track of Tartu Maraton is one of the most popular ski courses in South-Estonia for practising and recreational skiing. The course is open for public use throughout the season for free. However, there is one exception: the marathon weekend on 27.-28.02.2027, where the whole course is closed for the participants of Tartu Maraton.
There are also many other ski tracks in the region, with various length and level of difficulty.
An up-to-date overview of Tartu Maraton track as well as other ski tracks in the region can be found on the map of terviserajad.ee. In addition to the location, there is also information about services provided in each place (equipment rental, washing and dressing facilities, track lightning, etc.).
