Tickets for the Oslo marathon this weekend have been snapped up and even running star Jakob Ingebrigtsen has jumped on the marathon wave. Pål Heldaas (54) has been running ever since he suffered a back injury in 2015. Now he notices that more and more people are jumping on the marathon bandwagon. – I notice that these race events are getting bigger and bigger. There is also increasing activity in social media and in my group of friends. It’s right up my alley, of course. It took Heldaas two years from when he was told by the doctor that his back injury was due to him being too poorly trained until he ran his first marathon. – I stumbled into a new hobby, and now I travel several times a year with friends to run, says Heldaas. Norwegian runners compete for gold in many different disciplines, news’s athletics expert Jann Post believes this “contagion” to the rest of the population. Jann Post has closely followed the development of running in Norway and sees a clear increase in interest in running in recent years, especially among younger runners. Photo: Karwan Noradin Ali / news – It’s cooler to run now Post says there has been a big development in the running environment in the last 20 years. – Running has really taken off in recent years. It is both time-efficient and accessible. You can run anytime, anywhere, says the athletics expert. Post points to three things in particular when he tries to explain why running has become more popular. Namely that running has brought people from other activities, more running profiles and the pandemic. Oslo Marathon attracts thousands of participants every year. Interest in running has increased sharply in recent years. Photo: Oslo Marathon – Triathlon was very popular, mountain biking and other cycling too, but it takes longer. We also have big profiles that make running cool, especially among younger people. Jakob Ingebrigtsen in particular is a bit contagious, says Post. – Listen to your body During the Bergen City marathon in April, a man collapsed at the finish line and had to have life-saving first aid. During the same event two years ago, a 33-year-old man collapsed and died. Øyvind Senstad Andersen is a specialist in heart diseases and internal medicine at Aleris. He is positive that people exercise and emphasizes that it is basically healthier for the vast majority of people to exercise than not to. HEART EXPERT: Øyvind Senstad Andersen emphasizes the importance of listening to the body’s signals during running to avoid health risks. Photo: Aleris – On the day of the competition, as usual, you have to listen to the signals your body gives, and rather not run or break the race if you feel unwell. – In people over 35, the most common cause of cardiac arrest is narrow blood vessels to the heart. This can lead to chest pain during hard physical activity and, in the worst case, a heart attack, says Andersen. The most important thing is running For Pål Heldaas, running is not about setting records or competing against others. The most important thing is to find joy in the activity, regardless of level. Pål Heldaas has made running an important part of his life and believes that everyone can find their own way of enjoying running. Photo: Karwan Noradin Ali / news – Everyone who runs wants as many people as possible to find their way to do it. You must not run a marathon or half marathon, or compete at all, says Heldaas. He encourages taking things gradually and listening to the body, rather than pushing yourself too hard. – The most important thing is to enjoy running. If you get it right, you have a healthy activity that can give you both profit and a clear conscience. Published 20.09.2024, at 20.01
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Pål (54) “stumbled” into a new hobby – now he runs marathons several times a year – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
