The Reykjavík International Games are held to increase the competitiveness of Icelandic athletes while reducing their travel costs by creating a unique international event in the city of Reykjavík that attracts strong foreign competitors.
The idea behind holding an elite sports tournament for various sports over the same weekend is based the initiative of the Icelandic Athletic Federation and the Swim Club Aegir who had held an international tournament in January for two decades. However, the same idea came into being when Reykjavik Sports Union held a successful International Children´s Games in Laugardalur 2007. Same year the plan implemented and preparations began for the first Reykjavik International Games which were held 2008, lead by the initiative of Þrainn Hafsteinsson athletic coach of IAF and Gustaf Adolf Hjaltason chairman of the Swim Club Aegir.
For the first few years, the games took place on one weekend and the number of tournaments were 8-12. In 2013, the games were divided into two weekends and the number of tournaments have since then been around 16-20. In the beginning foreign visitors were around 200, but in recent years the number of foreign visitors has been around 600.
The city of Reykjavík welcomes sports participants to a multi sport
competition in Laugardalur for the twelfth time in January 2019.
It's the Reykjavík Sports Union in cooperation with the national sports associations and the sport clubs in Reykjavik that organize the games.
Reykjavik International Games is a big sports feast where there will be competition in about 18 individual sports. Most of the sessions are in Laugardalur and nearby districts. The competition divides on two weekends and a conference is also part of the program.
