Fitness Training
Teamwork and race strategy: this is what it takes to run 681 km in 24 hours
The first-ever Red Bull 24 Hours just went down in Göteborg, Sweden. Check out race winners, pictures and much more.
Two teams, two treadmills, 24 hours. How far can you run? Red Bull 24 Hours is a simple yet grueling concept where teams of ten, plus a team captain each, try to outrun each other on a treadmill for an entire day and night. 246 meters above the city of Göteborg, locked in on the 69th floor of Karlatornet, this is exactly what happened as team members took turns running as fast and as far as they could in a relay-style format this past weekend.
After 24 hours, the teams had collected a combined distance of 681 km. Team Elin managing to cover 336 km whilst Team Fanny took the win by punching out an astonishing 345 km.
The people crazy enough to take on the challenge
© Richard Ström
The event started at 15:00 on the Saturday and finished 15:00 on the Sunday
© Richard Ström
“It was way more immersive than I had prepared for, and honestly, I can’t tell if I’ve been part of a running competition or a running party. The stoke has been so consistent throughout every single hour of the race, and the sheer stoke from everyone was amazing to witness,” says Fanny Ahlfors, the team captain of the winning party.
01
Crazy enough to take on the challenge
From seasoned runners with ultramarathons under their belts to newly converted running enthusiasts, it was a mixed bag of runners who embarked on the endurance mission on Saturday afternoon, finishing a full day later on Sunday afternoon.
The first team was coached by TV profile and fitness creator Elin Härkönen, a personal trainer with a background in both gymnastics and running, and no stranger to pushing herself to the limit. The second team was under the guidance of fitness creator Fanny Ahlfors, a running coach who also competes in running and swimrun and has a past career in boxing and kickboxing.
The fog lifted and gave the runners a decent view for the late night shift
© Richard Ström
Tired much?
© Richard Ström
Göteborg's own Gentlemen's Coach gave the runners some extra support
© Richard Ström
02
Race strategies played a vital role
With extremely even teams, it came down to race strategy to get the maximal distance out of everyone. Event winner Fanny had it thought through with a very detailed Excel sheet, whilst team captain Elin tried to have everyone run equal amounts of time:
“I think that our mistake was that we tried to let everyone run just for as long a time as everyone else, to share the experience evenly. I think reality is that some people are short sprinters, and some are long-distance lovers, and it would’ve been favourable to recognise that. However, I’m really happy that we managed to stick together as a team and push on through the night to keep up,” says Elin.
Defeated by a mere 9 km - that is 375 meters per hour - Elin says the experience was unforgettable: “It has been completely crazy, unfathomable, amazing. In short, I’d say… I don’t know, there really is no way to describe it if you haven’t witnessed it.”
Elin pulling the sunrise shift
© Richard Ström
I’m really happy that we managed to stick together as a team and push on through the night to keep up.
Fanny’s main goal was to beat 270 km, the distance of last year’s winning team in Brazil, and then to keep pushing for the big 300. She explains her winning strategy: “The goal was first and foremost to beat Brazil, but secondly we wanted to preserve our energy levels throughout the race to be able to ramp up the further we go instead of running out of energy early on. My Excel sheet gave me a calculated estimate of 351 km, so we came quite close to the plan. I stayed awake and made sure to adapt the plan to make sure everyone got their needs met throughout the night.”
Team Fanny takes the win by 9 km, totalling 345 km
© Richard Ström
My Excel sheet gave me a calculated estimate of 351 km, so we came quite close to the plan.
03
Living on the highs and breaking the lows
Music was pumping and energy levels remained surprisingly high for the entirety of the event. The toughest hours were those between 02:00 and 04:00 when many of the runners succumbed to some heavy napping.
Elias Lundberg fell victim to the tiredness as he, in a moment of fatigue, tried to maintain conversations while staying on the treadmill, resulting in a miss-step proceeded by falling of the treadmill (don't worry, he's all good!).
Another happening worth mentioning is the unwavering support Helen Wikmar provided her teammates with – she was a one-person mega cheer squad for the entire race. She never sat down, she never slept, she did not leave the side of the treadmill.
Everyone needs a Helen Wikmar in their life!
© Richard Ström
Simon Frääs feeling that mid-night shift run
© Richard Ström
When you hit 12 hours, but have another 12 to go
© Richard Ström
Last but not least, the biggest feat for both teams was breaking the big 300 km mark, showing just how powerful and fast both Swedish teams were this past weekend.
Simon Frääs summing up the event nicely: “The best thing about the event was that I got to meet to so many amazing and wonderful people. Taking the win was just the cherry on top. The hardest thing was when the body wanted to sleep but you had to run instead. It’s true what they say, you can do so much more than you think you can!”.
Check out the full image gallery from Red Bull 24 hours:
"Only" 9 hours to go!
© Richard Ström
Fanny deep into her excel document
© Richard Ström
The venue was pretty neat
© Richard Ström
Just keep running, just keep running
© Richard Ström
Check out all of the team members here.