TL;DR — RACE WEEKEND GAME PLAN
- 1.Stay in the Arenastaden precinct if the budget allows. The 3 minute walk to the start is worth more in December than in any other month.
- 2.Fly into Arlanda and take the direct commuter train to Solna station. Ignore the Arlanda Express, it goes the wrong way for this venue.
- 3.Buy a 72-hour SL travelcard on arrival, or at minimum an SL single including the 152 SEK Arlanda passage fare.
- 4.Shop at ICA Kvantum on Evenemangsgatan the day before your race. Nothing in the mall opens before 10:00.
- 5.Shakeout at Råstasjön in daylight, which in December means 09:00 to 14:30. Head torch outside that window.
- 6.Arrive at registration at the start of your 90 minute window with physical photo ID in hand.
- 7.Warm up longer than usual. A cool stadium in December punishes anyone who strips down early.
- 8.Recover in a hotel sauna the same evening, or book Hagastrand Spa ahead for the day after.
- 9.Avoid driving, arriving without physical ID, and assuming a metro station exists at the arena. It opens in 2028.
QUICK TAKE — IS THIS A GOOD DESTINATION?
VERDICT: YES
A rare low-logistics race weekend. You can sleep, eat, shop, get a physio appointment and race without going outdoors for more than a few minutes: the arena, two hotels, a shopping centre, a supermarket and a pharmacy sit in one connected complex. It suits first-timers, nervous travellers and Doubles or Relay groups that need one meeting point.
⚠️ Caveat: Cost level is high and Arenastaden hotel pricing rises hard on event weekends. The one real trap is assuming a metro exists at the arena - Arenastaden station is not due to open until 2028. Take the direct commuter train from Arlanda to Solna station, then walk 16 minutes.
The venue complex removes almost every normal race-morning variable. The three points come from December weather, the 16 minute station walk in the dark, and a four-day schedule that spreads athlete services thin.
Cold outside air is irrelevant once you are indoors, and a large arena bowl usually means cool ambient temperature and a wide run track - the opposite of the overheated small-hall problem that kills most PB attempts. Marked down only because the layout and lap count are unpublished.
FAST COURSE?
Depends. Strawberry Arena is a large indoor stadium and hosted the 2026 PUMA HYROX World Championships, which suggests a well-built course. Until HYROX publishes the lap count and hall layout, treat it as unconfirmed.
CITY VIBE — WHAT ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW
Stockholm is clean, organized, and easy to move around if you respect the geography. The inner city is walkable, but the race venue is in Solna/Arenastaden, just outside the core. That is good news for HYROX: you can either stay race-adjacent and keep stress low, or stay central and still get in by commuter rail quickly. Safety and walkability are generally strong.
TYPICAL WEEKEND COSTS
Currency: SEK (Swedish krona). Stockholm is heavily card-first / cash-light, and Strawberry Arena itself is cash-free. Tipping is not expected; rounding up for solid service is normal.
BEST BASE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Arenastaden / Solna
Best for: Lowest race stress, venue walkability, spectator convenience. This is the pro move.
Norrmalm / Central Station
Best for: Airport logistics, short rail hop to Solna, mixed budgets.
Vasastan / Odenplan
Best for: Calmer stay, good cafés, quick commuter access. Odenplan to Solna by commuter rail is about 4 minutes before the walk.
Östermalm
Best for: Premium stay, quieter feel, nicer recovery weekend.
VENUE & LOCATION ANALYSIS
Strawberry Arena
Råsta Strandväg 1, 169 79 Solna
Strawberry Arena sits in Arenastaden, a purpose-built district on the north side of Solna, roughly 8 km north of central Stockholm. It is not a city-centre venue and does not pretend to be: Westfield Mall of Scandinavia is 400 m away, two large hotels attach to the same podium, and Råstasjön lake is an 11 minute walk in the other direction.
NEAREST STATIONS
- Solna station — SL commuter train + Tvärbanan tram 30 — 1.3 km, 16 min walk
- Arenan bus stop — Buses — 260 m, 3 min walk
- Solna Centrum — Blue line metro — 21 min walk
- Näckrosen — Blue line metro — 20 min walk
WALKABILITY
9/10 inside the precinct, and mostly weather-protected. The Quality Hotel connects directly to the arena and the Comfort Hotel has a second-floor exit onto the same podium. In December that matters more than it sounds.
WHAT'S OPEN EARLY
- ICA Kvantum, Evenemangsgatan — opens 07:00 daily, 7 min walk. This is your race-morning option.
- Pressbyrån at Solna station — 06:00 Mon-Fri, 08:00 Sat, 09:00 Sun, 11 min walk.
- Hotel breakfast: Quality Hotel runs 06:30-09:30 weekdays but only 07:00-11:00 weekends, too late for an 08:00 weekend wave.
- Westfield Mall of Scandinavia opens at 10:00 every day, so every café inside it is useless for an early wave.
🏃 RACE MORNING PLAN
Registration opens 90 minutes before the first wave of your division, so an 08:00 division opens check-in at 06:30. Bring physical photo ID — digital copies are not accepted and you cannot check in for anyone else. Staying in the precinct: leave your room 75 minutes before your wave. Staying elsewhere in Stockholm: leave 2 hours before, because you are travelling in full darkness.
⚠️ MISTAKES TO AVOID
- Assuming a metro serves the arena. Arenastaden station opens in 2028, not 2026.
- Taking the Arlanda Express. It is fast to Stockholm Central and then you backtrack north — the direct commuter train to Solna is better.
- Relying on the mall for race-morning food. Nothing there opens before 10:00.
- Arriving without physical photo ID, or driving into a four-day event plus December Christmas shopping traffic.
TRANSPORT LINKS
BEST AIRPORT: STOCKHOLM ARLANDA AIRPORT (ARN)
It has the direct rail link to Solna and takes essentially all international traffic. Bromma (BMA) handled only about 25,000 passengers in all of 2025 — do not plan a race trip around it.
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
Direct SL commuter train (pendeltåg) to Solna station in about 30 min, no changes and no city-centre detour.
Time to venue: ~30 min train + 16 min walk
ARN Airport → Strawberry Arena, Solna
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TIPS
- SL runs the metro, buses, trams and commuter trains on one ticket. A single is around 42-43 SEK, valid 75 minutes with free transfers.
- Contactless bank cards work directly at the gates for single fares.
- 24-hour travelcard is roughly 165-180 SEK, 72-hour around 330-415 SEK. Confirm on sl.se before you buy.
- For a Thursday-to-Sunday trip with a shakeout and a supermarket run, the 72-hour travelcard is the sane default.
- From central Stockholm: commuter train from Stockholm City or Odenplan to Solna station, then walk.
- Alternatives: blue line metro to Solna Centrum (21 min walk) or Näckrosen (20 min walk), or Tvärbanan tram 30 to Solna station.
- Buses stop at Arenan, 3 minutes from the door.
🚕 Taxi / Ride-hail
Taxis from Arlanda commonly run 600-750 SEK to Solna. Swedish taxis are not price-regulated, so agree the fare or book a fixed-price private car — worth it for teams of three or four splitting the cost after a night flight.
🚗 Driving + Parking
There is parking in Arenastaden and under Mall of Scandinavia, but a four-day event plus December Christmas traffic is a poor combination, and the arena perimeter is closed during events. Take the train.
WHERE TO STAY
Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena
Near venueHigh on race weekend, mid-range midweek
Best for: Wiping out the commute entirely.
Gym, two saunas, free organic breakfast buffet and a 25th-floor restaurant. Tradeoff: it is a 650-room event hotel and behaves like one — small rooms, tired fittings, inconsistent front desk, check-in from 15:00. Weekend breakfast starts at 07:00, too late for an 08:00 wave, so eat your own supplies those days.
2Home Hotel Apartments
BudgetLow to low-mid
Best for: Self-catering, longer stays and controlling your own pre-race food.
Every unit has a private kitchen with fridge and microwave, plus an on-site gym, sauna and buffet breakfast. Tradeoff: it is a genuine walk away and less appealing in December darkness. Reception is 07:00-20:00 weekdays and 08:00-15:00 weekends, so arrange late arrivals in advance.
Comfort Hotel Solna Arenastaden
Mid-rangeMid
Best for: The best balance of price, position and athlete-useful facilities.
24-hour fitness centre, some rooms with a kitchen (fridge and oven), opened 2021 so fittings are current. Tradeoff: heavily self-service by design, and the area empties out once the mall closes. Filter for a kitchen room if that is why you are booking.
High
Best for: Combining accommodation with a serious recovery facility.
Large spa with multiple saunas, steam room, cold room, heated pool and sauna rituals, plus a fitness centre and restaurant. Opened 2025. Tradeoff: you trade proximity for recovery — on race morning you take a bus or taxi while everyone else takes a lift. Best as a post-race night.
🏨 Looking to book? Compare prices on your preferred booking platform.
WHERE TO EAT
Basilica, Mall of Scandinavia
Athlete PickStraightforward Swedish and Italian plates including meatballs and pasta, open until 22:00, 3 min walk. Reliable rather than exciting, which is what you want the night before. Restaurang Drama on Stjärnvägen is a similar distance and also closes 22:00 (23:00 Fri and Sat).
Farsi and El Birria, Mall of Scandinavia
Athlete PickPersian grill with rice and protein (open to 21:30) and Mexican (to 21:00). Both hit the volume-of-food requirement a few minutes from the finish line.
La Botanica, Mall of Scandinavia
Athlete PickLarge buffet open to midnight midweek and 01:00 Friday and Saturday — the only option in the precinct that survives a late Doubles or Relay finish.
ICA Kvantum, Evenemangsgatan
Athlete Pick540 m, 7 min walk, open 07:00-22:00 every day. Nothing in the mall opens before 10:00, so this is your realistic early option. Pressbyrån at Solna station opens 06:00 on weekdays; Stråket on Råsundavägen from 07:30 weekdays for a proper rest-day coffee.
THINGS TO DO
Hagaparken walk
Pre-RaceCalm, green, good for legs without turning into accidental mileage.
Råstasjön loop / partial loop
Pre-RaceEasy local movement near the arena zone.
Mall of Scandinavia reset lap
Pre-RaceUseful for kit problems, groceries, coffee, and staying out of the weather.
The Social Bar & Bistro post-race meal
Post-RaceEasiest no-brain meal in the adjacent hotel.
Central Stockholm dinner
Post-Race"We did Worlds" feeling. Short rail move back into town.
Sauna / recovery session
Post-RaceBetter post-race choice than fake sightseeing.
RACE STRATEGY
VENUE
Strawberry Arena is a major event venue. Official course flow for Stockholm Worlds has not been published yet, so nobody should pretend to know the exact fastest line. Big arenas usually reward athletes who stay calm early and do not get baited by noise, lights, and adrenaline.
COURSE FLOW
Likely indoor event flooring or arena-concourse style race surface. Queues and congestion more relevant for warm-up, entry, and station rhythm than for the city itself.
RUN SURFACE
Likely indoor event flooring or arena-concourse style race surface, but unconfirmed.
HEAT
Outside is near freezing. Inside, a full arena with the heating on gets warm and sticky quickly. The swing between the two is what to manage, not the outdoor cold itself.
ELEVATION
Effectively flat inside, though venue approaches and concourse ramps can still nibble at legs before/after the race.
⚠️ WHERE PEOPLE BLOW UP
Run 1-2: going out like it is a 60-minute fitness test. Sled push: overgearing early and torching legs. Burpee broad jumps into row/ski pace: too much ego. Lunges / wall balls: racing the crowd instead of your own breathing. Fix: start 1-2% easier than your ego wants, treat the first sled as a limit on damage, keep run cadence smooth if the course gets turny.
HISTORICAL DATA
TBD
Athletes (Stockholm December 2026)
Unknown
Average Finish Time
TBD
Time Cutoff
Not proven. The venue profile suggests potential and it hosted the 2026 World Championships, but that was a different course build and a different field. No floor plan for this edition has been published.
EVENT CONTEXT
Source: First Stockholm Worlds — no event-specific historical data
RECOVERY SPOTS
ICE BATHS / COLD PLUNGE
HAGASTRAND SPA, FRÖSUNDAVIKS ALLÉ 15
Multiple saunas, steam room, cold room, heated pool and guided sauna rituals. Open 10:00-22:00 daily. The most complete recovery facility within reach of the venue — book ahead, it is popular.
Best use: Full contrast recovery session, ideally the day after racing.
SAUNAS & SPAS
NORDIC SALT & STEAM, SOLNAVÄGEN 29K
Small private salt and steam rooms plus infrared sauna. Opens 12:00 weekdays and 10:00 weekends. 1.8 km, 23 min walk.
Best use: A private post-race session rather than a big facility.
HOTEL SAUNAS
Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena has two saunas; Comfort Hotel and 2Home both have gym and sauna access. If you are staying in the precinct this is the zero-effort option.
Best use: Same-evening decompression with no travel.
SPORTS MASSAGE
- Joylife Naprapati, Dalvägen 24 — 450 m, 6 min walk. Chiropractic, naprapathy and massage, open 09:00-16:00 both weekend days, which makes it the only nearby option available on race Sunday. Weekend slots go early, so book before you travel.
PHYSIOS NEAR VENUE
Agilokliniken Arenastaden, Evenemangsgatan 29
330 m, 4 min walk. Chiropractic and physio, opens 07:20, closed weekends. Best for a Thursday or Friday pre-race niggle.
Limbra Arenastaden, Evenemangsgatan 17
420 m, 5 min walk. Physio, open to 19:00 weekdays and 10:00-15:00 Saturday, closed Sunday.
WEATHER STRATEGY
JUNE CONDITIONS
Long-term averages put Stockholm at about 1 to 3°C by day and -2 to -3°C at night in December, with snow or sleet on a meaningful share of days and high humidity. It is not brutally cold, it is persistently cold and dark: sunrise 08:33-08:37, sunset 14:46.
- Normal indoor race kit for the race itself.
- Full warm travel layer plus hat and gloves for the walk in.
- A second dry base layer for straight after the finish.
- Reflective item and a head torch for dark morning walks.
💧 Hydration
Cold weather blunts thirst and you will under-drink. Set a fluid target the day before and hit it.
🏟️ Indoor vs Outdoor
Outside: cold, dark, often icy underfoot. Inside a stadium this size: cool and well ventilated, especially early. Dress for the walk, not for the race.
SHAKEOUT RUN ROUTES
RÅSTASJÖN LOOP (~5KM)
The lake is an 11 minute walk from the arena and a lap is roughly 2 to 2.5 km on a maintained compacted path, so two laps plus the approach gives you about 5 km. No toilet or water point on the loop, so use the hotel or the mall first.
HAGAPARKEN
Flat, scenic park running on Brunnsviken, about 4 km south-east of the arena. Calmer than the lake and better lit in places.
🏃 Parkrun
Haga parkrun — Hagaparken, every Saturday at 09:30, free. Genuinely useful as a Saturday shakeout if you race Sunday. Register and print your barcode before you travel, and check their page on the Friday: it has cancelled in past winters due to ice.
🏟️ Track Access
Stockholm Olympic Stadium is open to the public most days for jogging, but check for event conflicts before you make the trip.
December warning: sunrise is 08:33-08:37 and sunset 14:46, about six hours of usable light. A shakeout before 08:30 is a night run on a dark path that can be icy or muddy. Take a head torch, wear something reflective, and accept that pace is irrelevant.
GYMS NEAR VENUE
CROSSFIT / FUNCTIONAL
CROSSFIT TEGEN, SOLNA TORG 1
2.0 km, 25 min walk. Well-reviewed box, classes in English as well as Swedish, drop-ins around 250 SEK. Best for a proper session two or three days out.
COMMERCIAL GYMS
STC Solna Frösunda Park, Gustav III:s Boulevard 54
1.1 km, 14 min walk
Open 05:00-23:00. The closest full gym to the venue that is not inside a hotel.
Fitness24Seven Solna, Kruthusbacken 70
1.5 km, 19 min walk
Open 24 hours, basic but adequate for a movement prep session.
Day-pass and class policies vary; direct booking is the safe play, especially on a race weekend this close to Christmas.
ESSENTIALS — RACE WEEKEND OPS
SUPERMARKETS
ICA Kvantum
Evenemangsgatan 6, Arenastaden
540 m, 7 min walk. Opens 07:00 daily — the only realistic race-morning food option.
Hemköp Solna Centrum
Solna Centrum
22 min walk. Hot buffet and salad bar sold by weight, useful for a carb load without cooking.
ICA Maxi Solna
Solna Business Park
Biggest of the three, 32 min walk, opens 06:00 daily.
PHARMACIES
Apoteket Mall of Scandinavia
Arenastaden, Solna
250 m, 3 min walk. Opens 09:00 weekdays, 10:00 weekends — nothing is open for an 08:00 wave, so pack your own kit.
Apotek Hjärtat Mall of Scandinavia
Arenastaden, Solna
Second pharmacy in the mall, 460 m. Same opening pattern.
SPORTS SHOPS
Stadium, Evenemangsgatan 14C
300 m, 4 min walk. Opens 10:00 daily. Naturkompaniet and JD Sports are also in the mall.
MM Sports, Mall of Scandinavia
Supplement store, 410 m, 5 min walk. Opens 10:00 daily.
🆘 "OH NO" KIT CHECKLIST
VENUE DAY TIMELINE
SPECTATOR GUIDE
BEST VIEWING ZONES
- Watch Sled Push / Sled Pull for carnage.
- Watch Burpee Broad Jumps for pacing collapse.
- Watch Wall Balls for finish-line drama.
- Pick one station + one run crossover instead of chasing everything.
FAMILY LOGISTICS
- Strawberry Arena has baby-changing facilities and accessible toilets.
- The venue is cash-free.
- Outside food/drink is generally not allowed.
- Strollers are generally allowed if they do not block exits.
- Mall of Scandinavia next door is the easiest overflow plan for toilets, food, and reset time.
📍 MEET-UP PLAN
Use a dead-simple landmark like the hotel lobby at Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena or a fixed point in Mall of Scandinavia. 'I'll find you outside somewhere' is how phones die and tempers rise.
BUDGET CALCULATOR
| Line item | Low (SEK) | Mid (SEK) | High (SEK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (per night) | ~1,100 | ~1,900 | ~3,500+ |
| Local transport (per day) | ~50 | ~120 | ~300 |
| Food (per day) | ~250 | ~500 | ~1,000 |
| Race extras / misc | ~100 | ~250 | ~500 |
| Recovery | ~0 | ~300 | ~900+ |
ESTIMATED TOTALS
PACKING CHECKLIST
RACE KIT
- Race shoes
- Spare laces
- Race socks + backup pair
- Shorts / singlet / sports bra / top
- HR strap / watch
- Cap or visor optional
- Small towel
- Post-race dry tee
WARM UP
- Light shell
- Joggers / warm-up bottoms
- Throwaway layer or easy carry layer
- Mini band
- Mobility ball or compact massage tool
RECOVERY
- Flip-flops
- Compression socks optional
- Electrolytes
- Protein / recovery snack
- Anti-chafe
- Blister plasters
- Tape
- Pain-relief basics
NUTRITION
- Breakfast-safe carbs
- Pre-race snack
- Coffee option / caffeine plan
- Water bottle
- Sodium / electrolyte tabs
TRAVEL
- Passport / ID
- Race confirmation
- Payment card
- Chargers / power bank
- Headphones
- Reusable tote for race-day clutter
- Basic meds
- Copies of hotel and transport bookings
SAMPLE RACE WEEKEND ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVAL & PREP
- Arlanda to Solna station on the direct SL commuter train, then 16 min walk (or bus to Arenan)
- ICA Kvantum on Evenemangsgatan for race-morning food and recovery snacks
- Easy Råstasjön lap in daylight, before 14:30
- Carb dinner at Basilica or Restaurang Drama, kit laid out, early night
DAY 2: RACE DAY
- 05:45 wake, 06:00 breakfast from your own supplies — hotel buffets start too late
- 06:30 leave the room; registration opens 90 min before your division's first wave
- 06:55 bag drop, 07:05 extended warm-up, 07:40 into the corral with a top on
- 08:00 race. Dry layer on immediately at the finish
- 10:00 Mall of Scandinavia opens: coffee, food, physio if booked
- 19:00 recovery meal in the precinct — La Botanica runs latest
DAY 3: RECOVERY & EXPLORE
- Sleep in, hotel breakfast
- Booked slot at Hagastrand Spa, or Nordic Salt & Steam for something smaller
- Hagaparken walk or a Christmas market in Gamla Stan — before sunset at 14:46
- Celebratory dinner, depart or extend the trip
LOCAL RULES & EMERGENCY INFO
Tipping
Not expected; rounding up is enough.
Cash vs card
Stockholm is largely cashless, and Strawberry Arena is cash-free.
Daylight impact
Roughly 6 hours of usable light, sunrise near 08:40 and sunset near 14:50. Any sightseeing has to fit inside that window or be indoors. Supporters should plan around it.
EMERGENCY INFO
112
Emergency
1177
Medical advice
Hospital: Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Eugeniavägen 3, Solna.
Pharmacy: Apoteket, Mall of Scandinavia — 3 min walk, from 09:00 weekdays and 10:00 weekends.