– It’s probably one of the best races I’ve done, quite simply. When news calls, the 46-year-old is still in Greece, soon ready to celebrate the race with a dinner at the local mayor’s house. With an insane 22 hours, 17 minutes and 17 seconds, Holvik set a new Nordic record in one of the world’s most prestigious ultra races: Spartathlon in Greece. The tenth best time of all time. – He has come up in the class where you can say that he is the best male ultra runner Norway has had, says news’s commentator Jann Post. But the record did not come without enormous toil. Blood, sweat and tears – and shit. – My stomach started bubbling NORDMENN: Five Norwegians took part in the ultra race. From left: Eiolf Eivindsen, Line Caliskaner, Janne Kvisvik, Holvik and Jeanette Vika. Photo: Privat Second place, behind the Greek winner Fotis Zisimopoulos, required enormous work both physically and mentally. The Spartathlon starts in the Acropolis in Athens and stretches over 246 kilometers, before finishing in Sparta. The race is very hilly, and is run on asphalt, gravel roads, cobblestones and in both boiling heat and bitter cold. As if that was not enough in itself, Holvik also had a rather unpleasant, physical challenge relatively early in the race. – What it meant was simply that it started bubbling in the stomach quite early on. I then sat down on the side of the road after 50 kilometers and “quickly and happily” just simply turned. And that’s how it went, throughout the race. A number of times. It’s a bit disturbing when you’re trying to perform, Holvik tells news. – You always run with toilet paper and Antibac. But that’s the way it is … as the hours go by, eventually you don’t even bother to sit in a bush, you just sit down. CITY AND MOUNTAINS: The ultra race took Holvik from the city centre, to mountain peaks and desolate landscapes. Photo: Privat Post says that the endurance in the muscles and the mental strength must be extremely good to cope with what Holvik did. – If you have diarrhoea, you’d rather just lie on the sofa. Here you will continue to run in the heat, up and down, back and forth. Then you have to be extremely hard-headed. You can say that ultra running is a little physical, a lot mental and then an eating competition, with a competition in the absorption of nutrition, says Post. – The dog thinks you are a danger Beyond the stomach problem, there were plenty of external challenges. In addition to rough terrain, stray dogs – and guard dogs – are a problem that must be dealt with on the road. – You always run alone, or I do. And then you run in pitch darkness. And then there is Greece, through a bit of the countryside. There you have those dogs that can just jump up at any time, you never know when they will come forward, says Holvik. But for him it wasn’t the stray dogs that were the worst. HELP ON THE WAY: Every three to five kilometers there were stations with water, food and other things the runners needed. Photo: Private – It is the landlords who have guard dogs in the tenement, who may have forgotten to close a gate. When you run past, the dog thinks you are a danger. It’s a bit of fun for them to come up behind, and then you’re very tired. – It’s not like you faint, but you’re not quite ready at the top. You hear those dogs all the way, so there is a kind of fear too. Facts about the Spartathlon Ultramarathon organized in Greece since 1983 The race runs from Athens to Sparta and is 246 kilometers long Participants have a deadline of 36 hours to complete the race Course records: The Greek Fotis Zisimopoulos has won the men’s class for the last three years, set a new course record in 2023 with time 19.55.09 American Camille Herron won the women’s class in this year’s race and came third overall, she also set a new course record on the women’s side with 22.35.31 Norwegian record: Simen Holvik stands for the Norwegian and Nordic record with a time of 22.17.17 from this year’s race Line Caliskaner holds the record on the women’s side with a time of 32.22.26 Intravenous Despite all this, as well as a bit of vomiting towards the end, Holvik managed to make it to the finish line. And in record time. But just after the finish line, there wasn’t much energy left. As he himself says: “almost everyone ends up in the infirmary”. – Did you do that too? – Yes, I received intravenously. They asked about it, so I said yes, thank you, says Holvik. Even it was not the muscularity that characterized him immediately afterwards. It was worst for the inside. Because along the way, he had to have a full two grams of salt an hour, to keep the liquid. – This means that the body’s cleansing mechanism in the kidneys then works and works like crazy in high gear. It pushes the body to the maximum. That’s what I notice now afterwards, that I’m so tired inside. A little in the liver and a little in the kidney. That is where it sits, he says. A LITTLE WEAR: Although he noticed it mostly on the inside, it was naturally tired legs that got to the finish line. Photo: Private Has taken a step that few can manage But even if he took the stiffness in retrospect, he can enjoy the crazy time. And Holvik’s record run impresses news’s commentator. – It is a very, very good achievement, says Post. – What impresses the most is that he manages it with all the problems along the way. It shows how high a basic level he has, that he has taken a step very few manage. Holvik himself expected a time of around 22 hours and was satisfied with the result. THE PROOF: Holvik shows the proof that he has completed the prestigious race. Photo: Private – I was going to start hard and then I was just going to leave it at that. I was actually pretty clear about that. In that sense, I delivered on the expectations I set myself and thought were realistic, says Holvik. About how he experienced the last hundred metres, he says the following: – I am extremely grateful. That I reach the finish line, that it went well. This is so incredibly important to me, I have fought so hard for it. It’s almost a bit of justice, you’ve gotten back for all the hours you’ve fought, he says. – I was perhaps more moved when I ran two years ago, then it was like I almost cried. Now I was just so damn stubborn, that “damn, now I got it done”. It will stand for many, many years. It is so incredibly important for the environment, both in Norway and the Nordics. Hovland with hole-in-one – photos courtesy of Viaplay 01:16 Watch cup match from own roof 00:45 Harviken breaks down in tears after being “scapegoated” 00:58 Jessica (28) is the first woman to test drive Formula 1- car for five years 01:00 Show more
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Struggled with stomach trouble for almost 200 kilometers – set a record in a prestigious race – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
