Early morning. The sun is about to rise. I put on my running shoes and jog to the park where I meet up with my friend for a morning run around the island of Kungsholmen. This is the beginning of an unforgettable day where I challenged my body but most of all – had great fun! Follow us on this marvelous adventure in the beautiful city of Stockholm. 47.4 kilometres (29.5 miles) of running five of the most spectacular and scenic places in Stockholm.

Inspiration
When all the races were cancelled due to the pandemic, we had to be creative. All the virtual races that have been arranged during this time are good examples of creativity and one of them is the virtual race Sthlm Five. It consists of five running paths in the city of Stockholm (yes, in the city, not in the suburbs). The challenge is to complete them all and if you do it during the period of June 15 to October 31, you win bronze. If you do all five within a week, you win silver. Finally, if you do it within one day, you win gold.

Preparations
The longest distance that I’d run in a day was a marathon (42.2 km/26.6 miles) so now it was time for ultra-running. My friend Ingrid is an ultra-runner and I was happy to experience this day with her. I am a structured person and one of my strengths is to plan everything to the smallest detail. To be on the run (no pun intended) for a whole day requires some preparations in order to make everything go smoothly. The weather is crucial; you need to be prepared – and to trust the forecasts. The backpack and the bike were ready – and hopefully Stockholm was ready for us as well.

Route #1: Kungsholmen
King’s Island. With the green park of Rålambshov, the Fredhäll’s cliffs, and the canal of Karlberg, this is one of the most beautiful places of the city. The planned route for this race was 9 k (5,6 miles) and we started at 6:45 am. During daytime, this island is usually crowded. People want to enjoy the view and the nature and it’s great that people move outside in these times. However, at this hour, it was quite deserted – to our delight, easier to run – and it is always a special feeling when you run with the rise of the sun and the city waking up. And with great company, time went fast. Now it was time for breakfast and we went home to each our place.

Route #2: Brunnsviken
A well in a bay (brunn = well, vik = bay). However, Brunnsviken is a lake but maybe the one who named it thought of it as a lake, a well, with several bays. This route is possibly the most beautiful of the five since the nature varies from rocks, cliffs, and forests to small paths and gravel paths. This surrounds the water with an extraordinary view.
After a nice breakfast and shower, Ingrid and I met up on bike and parked near the starting area. Another friend from our running club joined us around the lake. It was a nice social run and before I could blink we had finished another 11.5 k (7.1 miles).

Route #3: Djurgården
Animals’ park (or “The Royal Game Park” according to Wikipedia). On this island, there are many tourist attractions (an amusement park, museums, restaurants) but it is also a favorite place among runners. It is mostly flat and you run close to the water.
After a nice coffee break with blueberry pie at a cozy cafe on Karlavägen, Ingrid and I felt refreshed with new energy. The weather was splendid – sunny, no wind, and a perfect temperature for running. People were now awake and there were quite a few taking a stroll at Djurgården. This, however, did not hinder us of having a great race and now we actually ran the 8.7 k (5.4 miles) pretty fast.

Route #4: Södermalm
Söder means ‘south’and ‘malm’ was in the old days a suburb. This island used to be a suburb of Stockholm but is now a part of the city.
At 2 pm, it was time for lunch. We found a nice sushi place and ordered each a poke bowl with salmon. Delicious! However, this was a big meal…
We went by bike to Tantolunden and took a coffee break on a cliff near the water. Amazing! It felt like summer and we truly enjoyed the moment. Nevertheless, we were a little eager to run so we started on this flat tour of 10.7 k (6.6 miles) around the island. My legs felt a little stiff in the beginning but after a while, it felt better. But after half the route, my stomach started to complain. I made the tour but luckily there were toilets right after the finish line. You learn all the time and the lecture to me here was that next time: less food or a longer break.

Route #5: Årstaviken
Årsta is the name of the area south of Södermalm and this ‘vik’ is more like a bay since the water is connected to the sea. The last route of this race day; the hilliest one but also the shortest one with only 7.5 k (4.7 miles). It is really a matter of attitude: We said to each other “only 7.5 k, that’s nothing” and psychologically, it felt good to have the shortest route last.
My legs were at first really stiff but after just a short while, it felt quite all right. It was like my body was accepting just another challenge. So, we ran both up and down the hills and we felt strong. The only time we walked was up the stairs to the bridge Liljeholmsbron. With approximately 2 k left, my body was pretty tired. I recognized the feeling that I usually have at the end of a marathon. Ingrid was strong, however, and thanks to her, I didn’t slow down. I just continued with my head strong and with perseverance. When we reached the finish line, it felt unreal. I was ‘high’ and relieved! I did it! We did it! Wow!

Conclusion
We finished the last route just before sunset and in total we had been ‘on the run’ for approximately 12 hours. Spending a day like this – running, talking, having coffee and food breaks – well, that’s definitely a marvelous way of living in the present and completely enjoying the moment. I am truly grateful that I had this opportunity to participate in this virtual race and I felt lucky to share the experience with Ingrid. My hamstrings were sore at the beginning but the more I ran the better my legs felt. This might sound strange but I think it just shows that the body is stronger and can endure more than you think.

Thank you #sthlmfive for your creativity and for making this possible. Thank you, Ingrid, for being such a great company and for encouraging me during the routes!