– What I think is cool about ultra is that the distance is seemingly infinite. There is no limit to how long an ultra race can be, says Mia Walsøe Lehn. The 21-year-old from Trondheim shares his interest in running to over 70,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. – The cool thing about being able to share it here is that I hope it can inspire others. Photo: Fredrik Saltbones / news Photo: Fredrik Saltbones / news Photo: Fredrik Saltbones / news She is not alone in taking her followers on the running journey. – It didn’t really go around Synne Myhre, also known as “synneruns”, has become a running profile on TikTok and Instagram. Myhre and Lehn are among those at the forefront of a new type of influencer, with tens of thousands of followers on social media, where more or less everything is about running. The same trend lines are also evident outside Norway. The subject tag “ultra running”, for example, has 2.6 million posts on Instagram, and ultra runner Natalie Long has passed one million followers on TikTok. Seeing others share about the topic inspired Myhre to start running long distances herself. news met Lehn and Walsøe in connection with what for many is the highlight of the year in the ultra environment: Bislett24. – We are talking about quite wild distances. What gives you motivation? – That triggers me a bit, then. Before, I didn’t even know it was a thing. But there was something in me that said I also want to be one of them and a spark was lit. I think it’s kind of cool to be one of those people who do what people think is sick, sort of. – I run to push myself. I don’t have anything I’m running from, explains Myhre. Ultrarunning has had a positive effect on her psyche, says Myhre. She describes that it clears the mind and gives a nice break in everyday life. The training sessions take place without anything on the ear. – There is little time for other things. I have realized a lot that I have been overwhelmed at times. – You have both work, ultra running and social media. It’s a lot at once. She recently started her job as a teacher, but has already dropped from a full to 80 percent position. It has helped a lot. – It didn’t really go around. Then I had to let go of either Instagram or run less. Photo: Fredrik Saltbones / news Myhre is still ready: – It gives me a lot. That’s partly why I chose to decrease the employment percentage rather than drop it. The followers cheer for me a lot and I cheer for many of those I follow. Quadruple the amount of training As a student, Lehn can manage more of the timetable himself. A year and a half ago, the 21-year-old trained barely five hours a week. Now the average is 20 hours, an increase equivalent to two full working days. The training is widely shared on social media. – There are a lot of people who follow you. Do you feel under pressure to perform? – I might think so, although I haven’t given it much thought. But it is much easier to go on a race without so many eyes on you. – At the same time, I feel that I have those cheering me on. And that when they have faith, that also helps. Could you do ultra running? Easy! You’ll see me on Bislett24 next year😎 Well.. Could have run a mile or two🤷 Absolutely not – that’s crazy😲 Show result On TikTok, Lehn shares his longest and most demanding runs. Among the sessions is the race “Soria Moria to the End of the World”, a race that stretches from Oslo to Tjøme in less than 24 hours. LOGGING: Everything is recorded on Strava. Photo: Screenshot Strava – Not the best trained They run far and long. But medical professor Jan Helgerud is still not impressed. – It’s just a matter of lowering the intensity. After all, most people manage to stay awake for 24 hours. There will be many with relatively moderate capacity who will be able to complete such a race. There is no doubt about that. Helgerud is a professor at NTNU. He has done a lot of research on the 4×4 training method over the past twenty years. – There are quite a few top runners who run anything particularly longer than a marathon. Ultra running is an arena to be able to show off when you can’t run fast enough on the shorter distances. PROFESSOR: Jan Helgerud. Photo: NTNU – I probably think that the race itself may not be so healthy, but I think training in general and everything around it is healthy, says Lehn. Helgerud agrees with the 21-year-old. He specifies that running is good for physical health, but: – Those who do it could only use a fraction of the time to achieve the same physical health benefits. – These are obviously people who have no problem with time constraints. It is good that they set goals and are motivated to train, even if the race is probably not very healthy. Big fight for the starting places It is not just Myhre and Lehn who have been bitten by the running bug in recent years. Bjørn Johannessen has been responsible for the schedule list for the running magazine Kondis for almost 20 years. They have seen a growing interest in recent years. – There have been approximately 7,600 ultra race starters this year. This is approximately 35 percent more compared to last year. – Are we in a running wave in the country now? – Absolutely! If you only look back briefly in time, it can appear at first glance that interest in running has exploded in the last three years, says Johannessen. Events Manager in the Norwegian Athletics Federation, Magnus Næss Trosdahl, shows news the association’s own figures for street and ultra races. After a major decline during the corona pandemic, the arrows have pointed strongly upwards again in recent years. – On a general basis, the activity figures for running are back at a peak level similar to 2019, and perhaps even a little higher, he says, adding that many of the ultra races are not part of the association’s specific schedule. This year, Bislett24 was organized for the 17th time. The starting places were sold out in 13 minutes, which was historically fast according to the organizer. Over 160 participants got ready to run round and round inside Bislett Stadium for 24 hours. It was the first time Lehn participated in Bislett24. A race that is often referred to as “the world’s longest Christmas party”. – First of all, I’m looking forward to it, but it’s definitely the race here that I dread the most, said Lehn before the competition. Hour 23 has passed, several had given up and some stayed rolled out in a wheelchair. Lehn continued to walk. She recorded 163 kilometers, the equivalent of four marathons, and won her class. Photo: Caroline Mitchell Larød / news A result she had not imagined a couple of years ago. The 21-year-old had never run a marathon until last summer she ran 100 km in twelve hours. What will be next? Now the Trønder’s plan is to run Oslo – Bergen. The influencers’ three tips for ultra running Mia: Don’t be afraid – you just have to start somewhere, no matter what pace or distance you run. Increase the amount of training gradually – don’t start too hard. Have fun! Synne: Build yourself up and build a good base and a good foundation, so that your body can actually withstand it. Getting hurt is boring. Be prepared for it to be hard and painful. Practice standing in it a little. Find something that triggers and motivates you, a spark, because otherwise you will never be able to stick with it. Published 14.12.2024, at 07.45
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