KIA Fjällmarathon 2020 – Race report

Race report

I normally don’t write race reports, partly I guess because I haven’t had a blog before, partly because I normally don’t take races as a race. Races for me is more a new experience of an adventure. Adventure that I most likely wouldn’t have done without the reason of a race. So I guess this more of that. My Adventure report of KIA Fjällmarathon 2020. Because it was a new experience.

A new trail running experience

Having run multiple races on that distance and longer distances before, most flatter but also with more elevation I didn’t think this would be much of a problem, just a great day out. And to be honest, a bit of a spoiler alert on the below, I didn’t have any major problem, and I did have a great day out. But, boy… does elevation and muddy Swedish mountains make a difference on how tough a race is. Other than the “green wall” in Verbier, this was the toughest race that I have done. Mostly due to the elevation.

Running in the Swedish mountains was amazing. This was the first time I did a Swedish mountain race. The closest to this before in Sweden must have been Höga Kusten 43 and the winter version of Höga Kusten 35/50 but it can’t really compare. Other than a few views on the trails of Höga Kusten, KIA Fjällmarathon is both more scenic and gives a feeling of vast open space in the mountains. Höga Kusten is more of a tough forest trail run. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great and tough race, but perhaps not as scenic as KIA Fjällmarathon.

Standing out on the Swedish mountains, without much clouds and little wind. Without much people around me truly gives a feeling of how vast the Swedish mountain rage is, and at a same time, a feeling of here and now. I am finally doing this, running in the Swedish mountains at KIA Fjällmarathon. 

It was as fantastic to run Fjällmarathon, as most I’ve spoken to before said it was. Majestic, free, beautiful and varied landscapes. We ran on everything from tarmac ( 😱 not much lucky enough), dirt roads, single track trails to free running on the mountains. I will definitely come back and run this race again. Perhaps the 100K next year. I wouldn’t have mind to spend a few more hours out here. I can say that as I know I felt good when I completed the race. Perhaps it took slightly longer time than what I thought it would, ending up on 7 hours but my body didn’t hurt and with the correct mindset I could have continued.

Mindset to continue

Regardless the distance of all the races I have run, I’m exhausted at the end. When my body comes closer to the finishing line, the signals from the mind to say, “You’re done mate..” are so strong that it become impossible to continue. But if I would have started the 100K, I’m fairly sure I would have completed that one this year as well. Thats how good I felt after. This mindset game is something I haven’t conquered yet and given up with it every time. I would need to improve on the mindset, in order to do better on my backyard ultra attempts.

I struggle upp hills

My true achilles on this race was the elevation. It’s clear that I need to train more elevation. The trainings I’ve done on my treadmill at home are great, and they have for sure given effect, but I need to train much more, and also try to increase speed here. Most people walked passed me. We were all walking, but I’m walking too slowly. The race started with a 7K climb of 600m elevation. If I would have read up more on that before the race, I believed I would have walked more in the start. Maybe about 3K in, I say in the video, so we are soon up on this first mountain. That was wrong.  😂

Fly down the hill

Down hill, what a dream. The last downhill to Trillevallen was amazing. Long easy trail that really allowed me to run. This last down hill is where I had my highest pulse, fastest split and most fun on the whole race. What a great end of KIA Fjällmarathon. This last down hill made my want to run again. Down hill I do manage to pass some people that hiked and run faster than me on the flatter parts and in the hills. Lean forward, increase cadence and just let go… Freedom.

Fjällmarathon and Corona 

KIA Fjällmarathon 2020, is one o the few races that actually happened during 2020. When most races have had to cancel due to corona / covid-19, KIA Fjällmarathon managed to get approval for the races thanks to great organisation. With structured but open starts there where no big crowds anywhere, but the feeling out on the race was similar to other races I’ve done. I was both passed by fellow runners, and manage to pass some giving it that “normal” race feeling when you see some people multiple times and start to chat about the experience together. Thanks KIA Fjällmarathon making this possible during this strange time.

A feeling of belonging

Thanks to the names and flags on the start numbers, it was fun to chat with the fellow runners. I shared and gain experience with others both in regards the feeling of fatigue (shared some salt to a fellow runner that was struggling), the experience of running in Altra with someone else, and how to best train with someone else. Being out on the trails together, immediate gives a feeling of belonging and friendship.

Thats what trail running do, and that’s also what Team Nordic Trail does. When running in my TNT clothes, I was “air fived” when passed by fellow club members and cheered on both on the course and when I came to finishing line where Angelica and Molle was working. Team Nordic Trail gives that feeling of belonging and friendship where ever I go 😍

Talking about shoes…

Altra Lone Peak 4.5 took me there

I had decided to run in my Altra Lone Peak 4.5 and it was definitely the right choice. With breeze they handled the terrain and outside of getting stuck and loosing them 4 times in the mud, I had no problem at all with the shoes or my feet. Loosing them in the mud is easy to fix for next time. Just tie them harder to my foot. This was the last race with the these Altra Lone Peak 4.5. They have unfortunately already given up. Bought just now in March, they have already passed their best.

But what does loosing one pair of shoes does… when I’ve gained this great experience.

My Coros APEX gave me 1,810 m of elevation and a total time of 7.01.12.

A big thank you to my vacation “gang” who dropped me off, and picked me up after KIA Fjällmarathon.

Thanks for reading this far. I know I rarely do. If you have any comments or questions on the race or my experience, please ask and I will be happy to share more… /Marcus

Video, race report of KIA Fjällmarathon 2020

Read more about the race on: https://fjallmaraton.se