Robustløpet, Jæren delivers!
Rogaland is a county where we are lucky enough to have good running conditions most of the year. This winter has been a bit more challenging than we’re used to, and it’s great when weather and conditions cooperate when the outdoor season starts 🙂
We received a lot of happy feedback from satisfied GTIers and asked the organizer if they could summarize the event for us.
The Robust race was held for the fourth time this past weekend, with record participation and Bryne bathed in sunshine.
All distances were eventually sold out and the number of participants was just around 1600. From the very youngest in children’s races, to 5 and 10 kilometers, half marathons and relays. The Robust race, which aims to reach everyone from top runners to public health initiatives, was a running party of dimensions. The weather gods delivered from the top shelf, with sunshine from a cloudless sky and virtually no wind. It set the stage for the joy of running, mastery experiences and personal records.
Many were in action. From Team Ingebrigtsen on a relay to first-time travelers and cancer rehabilitation groups. The circular trail at Bryne makes the event audience-friendly. With contributions from sponsors and running groups, Bryne was reminiscent of New York. Good punch from the speaker in a lift above the ground, from well-known podcast hosts in Lavterskel.
The Robust race is a collaboration, where the main organizer Robust Trening og Fysioterapi gets good help from Undheim IL. Next year, the organizer will boast further development at all stages, international approval and optimization of the route.
PS. Results can be extracted from EQ timing. Many good times, course records etc. https://live. eqtiming.com/67870#dashboard
"Age is just a number" NM Veteran Stange 27-28 January 2024
Registration for Holmenkollstafetten on May 4.
"Spring's most beautiful adventure" on May 4 in Oslo is a sporting and social highlight for the club. We are aiming for at least 3 teams. Information about test races will follow later, but it is recommended to participate in shorter distances at speed training events.
Fill out the form and return to post@gti-friidrett.no soon to secure your place.
We can't wait!!!!
Expectant greetings from SU.
Autumn 2023 Throwing gang
Janice A. Flaathe has summarized the autumn for herself and the cast
Summary from the fall 2023 casters
An absolute highlight among the throwers in the fall of 2023 must be when Herman Henriksen in the mv 85-89 class managed to win an international championship gold in discus at the European Championships in Pescara, Italy. He also tops Norway's statistics in his class in this event
Otherwise, as far as I can see, it's a season characterized by many injuries among us as throwers.
For this reason, there have been few veteran throwing events during the fall.
On September 1, there was a throwing competition in Stavanger
Marius participated in sledgehammer.
Tore Drange and Jarle Bøe completed a throwing pentathlon with scores of 2688 and 2531 respectively.
The exercise that scored the most points was cool for both of them. Tore scored 727 points and Jarle 612.
Tore Drange is number 3 on the statistics in Norway in throwing pentathlon, and number 2 in discus and javelin
When you consider that in 2023 a new points table has been introduced that shows that you now get fewer points for the same result than you did in 2022.
Kate was the only athlete to participate in the NM throwing pentathlon this season.
Personally, it's been a season with little competition. Worked my way through the NM winter throw and a few competitions until the end of May. It was all about moving slowly. I'm well underway with my training, and I'm finally allowed to throw with more intensity and speed.
The plan is to be back in full force next season.
Still, I have to say I'm pleased with the spear result with only one step. Then it was 23.75m.
Greetings Janice
Below is an article from Stavanger Aftenblad. Published 31.10.2023,
written by Stefan Merenyi
"86-year-old European champion
Athletics: At the age of 86, Herman Kristoffer Henriksen became European champion in discus in his M85 class in Italian Pescara at the Stadio Adriatica recently.
Stefan Merenyi
- "I threw 25.86, and that was enough for the European Championships as the next man on the list, the German Scheuer, only managed 22.84," says Herman as we chat at Sandnes Stadium.
He and his wife Judith came from Dirdal so that we could do a short interview.
- There were eight participants in the class, but one German could not compete due to an injury in the warm-up, so only seven were approved. It was close behind me when the German on 3. place got 22.18," says Herman Henriksen.
He has been involved in athletics all his life with long and triple jump and has won many medals. But when he suffered from neuropathy and had problems with his feet and balance, it was all discus.
- "I have around 200 medals from the Nordic, European and World Championships, and a bronze from the World Championships is strong," says Henriksen, who has competed in Spain (2), Finland, Italy, (2), Hungary, Poland, (2) France, Sweden and Denmark.
The last championships I had my wife, Judith, with me as I needed as much help as possible in many areas. Otherwise, I have good training opportunities in the fields in Dirdal," says Herman Henriksen. He adds that in March next year he will be 87, and he is looking forward to the European Championships in Poland, the World Championships in Gothenburg and the Norwegian Championships in Stjørdal and Winter Throw in Lyngdal.
In his private life, he was a teacher at Dirdal children's and youth school and retired in 2003."
Autumn 2023 Joint tour - "the fast track"
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The fast track
København halvmaraton. Det var der alt skulle skje i år. Torsdagen før, dro jeg innom på Løplabbet her i Stavanger og kjøpte raske sokker. De raske skoene hadde jeg kjøpt tidligere. Sånne ting er helt nødvendig, tenkte jeg. For nå er det København og der er den raske løypa.
På løpsdagen snørte jeg på meg skoene, trakk GTI-trøya over hodet og løp fra leiligheten og bort til startområdet. Her var bagasjeinnleveringen organisert helt fantastisk. Det var telt på telt og hyggelige ekspeditører som satte bagasjeposene på bakken etter nummer. Nå kunne jeg småjogge bort for å finne starten.
Mens jeg lette etter pulja mi dukket ballongen for 1.35 opp. Strengt tatt hadde 1.40 ballongen vært like greit, men om jeg bare holdt meg et stykke bak 1.35 ballongen så burde målet mitt være oppnåelig, nemlig 1.38.
Startstkuddet gikk av med et smell, da var de beste sendt av gårde. Pulja vår kunne flytte seg ett hakk fram og nå sikret jeg meg en plass helt fremst i pulja for 1.30 – 1.40. Riktignok så jeg ingenting til 1.30 ballongen, men startnummeret mitt stemte med fargen på pulja.
Etter fem minutter begynte gruppa mi å løpe, nå var vi i gang. Perfekt vær, nesten vindstille, tusenvis av løpere og haugevis av publikum, verden fineste løpedag.
Men etter fem hundre meter løp jeg rett inn i den gjengen som hadde startet i pulja før meg, de som skulle løpe raskere enn 1.30. De løp i et vanvittig somletempo og jeg måtte se på klokka mi. Merkelig, jeg løp jo på skjemaet mitt til 1.38, men alle foran meg sneglet av sted. Eneste løsningen ble å løpe zikzak mellom folkene, og de var det rikelig av. Det ble som å ha hastverk på 17.mai.
Publikum stod tett i tett og over hodene på alle så jeg skiltet som Kari holdt. Heia Bjørn Arild stod det, hun var der med mine svigerbarn og heiet. Etter noen kilometere passerte jeg et fantastisk trommeorkester som spilte som besatt. Det var så utrolig fint, og det koret som sang, så vakkert det var, over gata dalte konfettien, og oppi ei trapp stod det en mann med en plakat hvor det stod noe om at jeg ikke kunne gi deg. Dette med å gi meg var egentlig en tanke som hadde slått meg like før. For nå begynte jeg å slite, hele tiden var det folk jeg måtte løpe forbi. Klokka begynte å tulle. Pip, sa den og så måtte jeg løpe lenger og lenger fra pipet og bort til kilometermerket.
Jeg var skikkelig gåen da jeg løp gjennom det bygget hvor Redbull hadde stilt seg opp. Der helte jeg nedpå et glass med supersøtt sukkervann og fortsatt mot et eller annet jeg håpte var mål. Nei der var det ei bro! En oppoverbakke ingen hadde snakket om, skulle vi opp dit? Tar dette løpet aldri slutt?
Heldigvis gjorde det det. Jeg kom meg over målstrekene, og ti meter senere hang noen ei medalje rundt nakken min, den kjentes som et ti-kilos lodd. Det stod en pall med drikkevann litt lenger borte, ei kasse med bananer, eneribarer, mer bananer, mer drikke, mer av alt og enda lenger borte stod en gjeng med blå trøyer. De stod rake i ryggen og snakket om løpet og hvor fint det var. Jeg hang bøyd over meg selv og stirret på de raske skoene og de raske sokkene og lurte på hvor jeg kunne dra for å finne den raske løypa."
2023 harvest ... Ultratrail Marjo and Tom-Erik
Two of our national team athletes participated in Nice by UTMB at the end of September. For a little insight into what such a race entails, we've got a report from both of them.
Marjo Nice by UTMB
I was very happy to be able to compete in the 115km ultra race in Nice as the last dance of the season. The previous 2 months had been plagued with falls and knee problems, so there was uncertainty about the shape and body, but the head was in place, and that's the most important thing in ultra running, they say...? I traveled with a nice group with Silje Skorve Skarpeid from GTI and Bjarte and Tore, and in addition we got to hang out a lot with 2 fine GTI gentlemen John and Tom Erik :)
The days before the race, croissants and coffee were on the program. Early on Saturday morning, the bus took us up to the mountains behind Nice in Roubion. I was tired and didn't feel particularly good at the start when everyone was pushing hard in the first few kilometers. I thought that this was not my day right then. I stayed in 8-10th place, but decided to just keep running and enjoy the ride.
The trail had some big and easy trails/roads (that I had driven a car on back home in Finland!), it was a bit boring. But then we had long stretches of fantastic single track on the mountainsides! It was a bit technical too, with lots of loose gravel and long downhills where you had to focus to avoid falling on the rocks. The weather was almost too nice, between 25-30 degrees and blazing sun. But to turn it into something positive - this time I got to see the beautiful, beautiful peaks of Merchantour natural park!
Even though the heat got to me a bit, and I was careful not to push too much during the hottest time, I was able to pass a couple of women between 20-50km. Okay, this might actually go a little better, I thought, and just focused on working, working, working. Eat, drink, run. After the dropbag at 70km I passed a man who said that the lady in second place was not far ahead. I thought he was messing with me, and when I passed that lady on the next uphill, I didn't dare ask which seat we were in!
Last 15km and we got an incredibly nice sunset over Nice. I had wanted to get a message from home if someone was just ahead or behind me at the end, and was quite relieved when it said: "50min ahead, 40min behind, don't fall and you'll take second place!" Shit, second place! That was huge. I ran with a man who congratulated me on the Western States golden ticket already (2 best women and men each got one), and got a little chill when we ran towards the finish on the seafront in Nice. Being able to run with real flow after almost 15 hours of running, feeling so strong on a day that at first seemed to be bad, that's why I love ultra running. Anything can happen during those many hours in the mountains, it can go to hell... or it can turn around for you! Most often there is a little bit of both on every race ;) and if you manage to dig, work, take the next step further, the feeling of getting second place as payment... it's crazy nice!
| Follow on IG: marjomarli and ultrapsyko |
Tom Erik Nice Cote dázur by UTMB 100 miles
A few weeks have passed and you finally have the time and the necessary distance to be able to absorb and process your second 100 mile race. A real mountain race of the tough variety... This race was planned relatively late in the season, after I felt I had underperformed on the last edition of Xreid in Trollheimen at the end of June this year. There was a burgeoning need to get my potential out on a long and very demanding race with factors such as high altitude, many cumulative positive and negative altitude meters, 11-12 hours with a headlamp and also strong heat. After quick planning over the summer, the airfare, ticket to the race and apartment were booked via Airbnb. About a month before the race, I also got the go-ahead from our coach John that he was ready to support me during the race. YES!!! I thought. John and I have done very good races together before, including the World Championship Ultra Trail in 2018. Nice by UTMB is a relatively new race in the UTMB world series where tickets are handed out for the main race in Chamonix, which takes place at the end of August every year. In total, about 3300 people participate in the 4 distances; 100 miles, 100k, 50k and 20k. To be among the top 3 in the 100 miles and thus get direct qualification was also the goal for u.t. On the start line this year at the second longest distance, 100 km, was none other than Jim Walmsley - perhaps the world's best off-road ultramarathon runner and this year's winner of the main race UTMB finals. "On the start line I felt very strong and well prepared. I have trained as well as I have felt I could since the decision to run was made in June. The most important and crucial training week with 300km/15000hm through Jotunheimen on the tourist association's trails with friends had gone beyond all expectations. It was warm and sunny at 1700 m above sea level in Auron, where the race started. From there we had 167 km and 9300 hm upwards/11000hm downwards over the mountain ranges down to Nice. Due to a wasp's nest on the path out from the start that had to be removed, the start was postponed 10 minutes:) By pure coincidence, I then got to know the hard-working youth Gvideo from Latvia. We chatted a little further out from the start, including how fast we thought it was going at the front and gradually agreed to share the path for the first few miles. The race hadn't even started yet. It felt like it went nicely and neatly until the first food station after 8 km with about 100 hm up and maybe 300 hm down. I took some quick drinks with me and gave a high five to my Latvian fellow runner before we pulled up the poles and began the 1300 hm long climb towards the highest point of the trail and the next food station. The weather was fine even though the heat was fine even at 2600-2700 meters altitude. I was a little worried that the lack of acclimatization would make it difficult to run up here, but so far it went smoothly. We were now around 16th-17th place, which we both thought was a reasonable opening. Down towards Isola and the 3rd food station we would now descend 1700 hm in 6 km!! on unmarked trail parts of the course, before we would run the last flat 6 km on asphalt towards the station. The downhills went smoothly, but you could already feel that this was starting to materialize in your thighs. After talking a little with John (who I now met for the first time in the race) and eating and drinking a little, Bjarte Wetteland from DFL surprisingly came into the checkpoint. This stressed me out a bit as I thought it meant that I might have opened a little too slowly. I tried to convince myself that it was Bjarte who instead ran well or maybe had opened a little too much. We climbed some new mountains and still worked well together, me and Gvideo. I think it was me who launched the idea of trying to work together a little longer and maybe into the night. If one of us felt a bit stronger than the other, we should just say so and it was okay to run away. We chose to stick together and when dusk came on we were on our way to the first big checkpoint where you could pick up drop bags. The headlamps were on and now more than 10 hours of running through the night awaited us.
Already on the first climb from here, the full moon became our companion. The higher we got, the less we needed the lantern. Magical!!! I still felt good both in terms of breathing and muscular strain. The fact that we had a good trend in the race was confirmed by the fact that we were steadily picking up new runners. At the next major food station at 116 km, we had had a nice and fast climb up about 400 hm. At the station, John rubbed Vaseline on my legs for the second time and I was ready for the last 50 km. John confirmed that we ran fast and were now only 5-15 min behind #5-9. On the way out of here, we ran a little wrong and Gvideo complained that he hadn't eaten enough food at the station. On this climb where we were going up 1000 new altitude meters, we probably also started to lose ground to those in front. Down from this mountain we were again at gradients of about 30. This really started to hurt my thighs and there was a lot of walking down hills where I would normally have "opened up" my legs and given gas. Gvideo introduced me to the term "shuffle" about off-road ultra runners who are done and can't lift their legs properly anymore due to muscular fatigue. This was now us :( We made good time at the last food station where we saw John about 21 km before the finish. The heat had now become quite intense and it was becoming urgent to get to Nice. The finish was beautiful, but anything but easy going. The satisfaction of finally crossing the finish line after just over 25 hours on the trail was therefore great. Even though the ambition for top 3 was not achieved, the race was still a great experience and an important experience towards new races. Running/being with another human being for over 24 hours while working hard physically is an experience I wouldn't have missed, and Gvideo is already a good friend because we shared and mastered this experience together. That said, running a race with someone in this way will probably always make you a little less competitive along the way. It's quite possible I could have run a few minutes faster if I had given it my all and run the last few miles alone, but the benefits of running together, especially at night, probably outweigh the disadvantages of this race for me in my opinion. In retrospect, you might also wonder if you should have run harder on the uphills with a higher heart rate for a better end result? In the end, it was the muscular strain of the downhill run that slowed down the speed, so a slightly higher speed upwards might not have affected this.
Hopefully I will have the opportunity to run the UTMB final in Chamonix next year despite not making the top 3. In the training work leading up to the race, priority will be given to hardening the legs for downhill running. Finally, I would like to thank John and GTI-Friidrett for their physical and financial support for this great race. It is highly recommended to other GTI'ers whether they want to run 167, 115.65 or 20 km. If anyone wants more information about practical things regarding the race, just ask :)
