Stockholm Half-Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 20; 11th Edition 
144.3 miles run in 2026 races
Race: Stockholm Half-Marathon
Place: Stockholm, Sweden
Miles from home: 4250 miles
Weather: 64 degrees; 90% humidity 

There were three difference between these half-marathons I ran in Helsinki and Stockholm a week apart:

1. While the temp and humidity were nearly identical, the humidity in Stockholm came in the form of constant rain.

2. Stockholm, while hardly climbing Kebnekaise (the tallest mountain in Sweden; you're welcome for learning something today), has much more hills than Helsinki.

3. The starting time for Stockholm was at 3:30 p.m. 

I was glad that I would not be nearly as warm as I was in Helsinki but I really wasn't looking forward to the hills in Stockholm. However, I very much enjoyed the later day start, even if it was a tad difficult to figure out how to fuel for the day and the race.

Similar to last week, I was fortunate enough to book my lodging about half of a mile away from the start/finish of the race. This meant that I could saunter down at my earliest convenience, which I did even though the race website extolled runners to be in their corral no less than 30 minutes before the start of the race.

Yeah, no. The fact I showed up even 15 minutes before the race was only because I felt they might be a stickler and I would not be able to get into the first corral for which I was seeded. But once there, I wished I had waited even longer. 

 I did get to use one of those unbelievable disconcerting open-air urinals! Fellas, if you haven't had a chance to use one of these yet, let me tell you that is is not unlike just peeing in the woods but with 10,000 people just chilling behind you.


They fired the color bomb cannons on the Strömbron (Steam Bridge) and we were off.

 

First Three Miles:

I was almost certain I would be slower that the surprisingly fast half-marathon new knee PR I set a week ago but I was holding out hope for a surprise.  I knew I would have legions of runners around me as this was one of the largest half-marathons I had ever run.  Considering I would be 20 minutes slower than half-marathon PR, I knew many of those runners would be around me, something I am not used to and do not like one bit.

I carefully picked my way along the streets of Stockholm, dodging puddles, other runners and a plethora of fans. Unlike Helsinki last week there were thousands of fans out. I wouldn't say cheering as they were quite quiet but they were at least there. 

My first mile, which already contained my first uphill, went by in 7:25. It felt solid.  I didn't feel like I was overreaching but I really wished it had been a 7:15. I decided I would slow it down a touch more for the next mile. There were a few undulations before we went up an on-ramp to cross over a bridge that we had just run under. I was a bit taken aback at the 7:51 mile it produced but I hate and do poorly on uphills even on my best day.

With the nice little downhill we had right as we crossed the three mile mark, I saw I had once again achieved a 7:25 minute mile. That put me just 10 seconds off my overall time goal for the race which was to JUST beat my new PR.  I felt that maybe I had a chance. 

To the 10k:

From studying the map I thought I had a flat mile and a half before a small rise leading into a downhill.  So when a larger rise than the one I knew about appeared before we even hit the fourth mile I was a bit disappointed.  I ran a 8:08 mile which definitely took a little wind out of my sails. 

The next mile, however, which did have the hill I knew about allowed me to run a somehow faster 7:59. Maybe I was back in the game. I was close to the halfway point and while I had let hundreds of people pass me, I was staying with a core group of people whose singlets and ponytails and shorts I was getting to know quite well.

Along the flattest, straightest part of the course I ran. I was feeling good and began to pick off a few runners myself here and there.  In most races of any distance I have run I have often said I don't judge how I feel until the 6th mile. I was fully expecting a 7:30 here. Instead it was 8:01. 

Well, crap.

Onto Ten Miles:

I knew at the 8th mile, after a brief time on Gamla Stan, the Old City island on which I was staying and where the race began and end, we began a killer hill. Fortunately, there was a smaller downhill in the 7th mile that mostly gave me false hope of running a fast time in the last 5k. Running a 7:42 here helped my mindset a bit but I was beginning to get tired.

We finished climbing the big hill and I was greeted with a nice fat 8:32.  There was no way I had it in me to push for a fast final few miles.  I just would have to take what there was in front of me and finish healthfully.  A long down hill after the big hill was nice but I was beginning to feel my legs feel like they might cramp. As such I held back a touch on the downhill.

One thing that made me happy during the small hills in Helsinki and the ones here was that I felt like I was regaining my downhill running skills. If I was ever good at anything, running downhill was it. In all my race since my knee replacement, I have not had the strength or courage to really try to run hard on a downhill. But here I felt I could really cut loose and even a restrained effort netting me a 7:43 for my 9th mile.

But as we ran along, I could feel the energy waning. I grabbed a drink, ate part of a banana and hoped for a surge that would get me up the monster hill aftr mile ten.  Unfortunately, even the smaller ones before that slowed me down. I wanted to walk but I could feel my calf tightening. I thought if I stopped it would only get worse. So instead I powered through. I still could only muster a 8:20. 

To The Finish:

With the bulk of the big hill left, I knew it would not be pretty but I could get it done. But then the hill kept going and going. my 11th and 12th miles were 8:44 and 8:38. I was just bleeding time now.  I thought my race would be better than at least my third and fourth fastest new knee halfs but that was not looking likely.

The crowds were lively and think on these last few miles which was indeed helpful. It would have been more helpful if, at least a handful of times, I had not had to come to a near stop because someone decided they needed to cross the street and right then with hundreds of people streaming by, this would be the moment to do so.

Once I did a pirouette, another time I had to come to a dead stop, and the others had me bellowing loudly to avoid collisions. These seem so small to many non-runners, but each one of these steals part of your soul when you are already waffling in the energy department.

Even the downhill, which didn't feel half as long as the uphill we ran just four miles earlier helped me

very much. I saw my business partner for Sherpa and friend Heather and flashed some gun show time for her in an attempt t make her smile and for me to get some energy. It lasted about 100 yards and until I saw that not even the downhill could give me a 7:XX mile as all I had in me was a 8:10.

I could also see that after an entire race of expertly running the tangents I was going to end up nearly a tenth of a mile long on the course. I definitely did not need another 45 seconds added to my time.

After we finished the final last cruel hill I gave it all I had in an attempt to stay in the 1:45 range but to no avail. I ran 1:46:00. I ended up in 3217th place which might be the furthest I have ever finished in a race. 

(I had to check as I knew when I bonked in the heat in Boston in 2005 I was pretty far back but that was only 3068th place.  So yes, this might be my worst showing place-wise in a race ever!)

It was a success, however, as I finished up-right, didn't walk once, and did two halfs in one week with what seems to be no linger leg issues.  "Just" being out of shape is something I can handle. This was my 140th lifetime half-marathon. That seems like a lot until I remember I have raced 26 more MARATHONS.

No races planned for the moment, however. Completely empty docket. I am now going to use this time to lose weight, gain strength back, and get back into racing form!

Björn Borg Helsinki Half-Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 20; 10th Edition 
131 miles run in 2026 races
Race: Björn Borg Helsinki Half-Marathon
Place: Helsinki, Finland
Miles from home: 4397 miles
Weather: 60 degrees; 90% humidity 

On a training run in Minneapolis recently, the weather had abated for a bit and the humidity dipped below 50%. It was still 79 degrees, hardly cool, but I did one of my fastest training runs of recent memory. I told myself, and titled the Strava run "Have to remind myself that I’m not that slow". The point was, no matter how often it happens, when the humidity drops to a semi-acceptable level, I am suddenly reminded that yes I am currently our of shape and recovering once again from issues but if I can still run decent speeds. Similarly, when it is super humid, I am going to struggle. Why I think that suddenly, at age 50, this is going to change, I don't know. Sure, the lower temperature wit ha higher humidity is "better" than a higher temperature with the same humidity, but high humidity means rough day for Dane.

The humidity during this race in Helsinki was 90%.

 After I finished me 50 state quest of running a half-marathon and a marathon in all states before I turned 50 a week before my birthday in May, I was beat. After knee replacement surgery in February of 2025, I began running again in late June. From then until January of this year it was an upward swing of improvement. Then I had a right calf muscle problem. I DNFd a 30k in preparation for my final marathon. Then I absolutely destroyed my left quad muscle for no discernible reason. Somehow I finished the marathon in a decent time but March, April, and May basically left me hobbling through half-marathons in either disgusting humidity or insane elevation.

Then on my birthday I ran my longest training run since the left quad went kaput/ A whopping 5 miles. But I was able to be consistent. 30-ish mile weeks. Building up. Even dealing with the summer weather I was getting better. I decided to do a week of 6 milers on the treadmill to avoid the heat and humidity.  On the third day, my right hamstring twanged. That was July 14th. I took another 8 days off. Finally started going again on the 22nd of July. Which means I had one month to basically have my third comeback in three years.

But I was slow. Lethargic. Still overweight. Running was not fun.  I eked out a 7.65 miler outside and then a 10 miler on the treadmill two and one week before this race respectively. I got to race morning in the best possible shape I could.

Race Morning: 

The forecast had called for clouds, some rain, and 90% humidity throughout the day. Waking up to a gorgeous blue sky was confusing. If it was going to be humid, I was hoping it would at least be cloudy to keep the sun off my back. Alas, this was not the case.

I had booked my lodging not even 500 meters away from the start. Even with the odd start time of 8:10 a.m. I didn't bother to rouse myself until 7 a.m.  I leisurely dressed and moseyed down to the start positioning myself between the 1:40 and 1:45 pace groups. I really hoped that I would be able to stay here all race.

I looked around at all the people in my area and remembered how tall Scandinavians are (even though, I hope you know but you do now, Finland is not part of Scandinavia.) I had also been confused why this was the Björn Borg Helsinki Half-Marathon when he is Swedish.  Then I found out Björn Borg is an apparel company named after him. Given I am running a half-marathon in Stockholm next weekend, his birthplace, you can see how I might be a bit confused about where I was!

A Finnish countdown to zero (I think) and away we went!


First 5K:

Being as far back as I was, something I have rarely done as a runner, meant I had to contend with a lot more people, especially in a race of this size. I am not sure why but I wasn't expecting nearly 3500 finishers for this race.  Our first mile had a slight rise in it and I was paying too much attention to the runners around me to worry about my time. Some were running on the sidewalk, some where running on the road and I didn't want to twist an ankle.

When my first mile was 7:20, I did a double take. I hadn't seen a 7:20 mile this year, I don't think. I thought I might have gone out too fast and was going to pay handsomely for this hubris. I tried to pull it back a little bit but went even faster for the second mile.  By now I was already drenched in sweat and was aching to find shade anywhere. There wasn't much.

Few of the runners seemed to know anything about running the tangents and as there were so many people around me I couldn't really run them either. So I slipped to the far left and did my best to not tangle feet.  My third mile was a bit slower, even more than I felt and I was hoping I had got things under control.  We went through a lovely little area of town that felt sorta collegiate with brick-walled building and cobblestones.  I was happy these were not uneven rocks but rather smooth and solid.  But with the mist from the nearby bay kept things a bit slick.

To the 10K:

I had a white-haired gentleman slip right in front of me as I approached the fourth mile. White as in Scandinavian blonde not white as in old.  And when I say slipped right in frot of me, I mean almost to the point of tripping me. It was odd as there was no reason for him to do so as there was virtually no one around us. I had found a little pocket between large groups and while I do not attribute his actions to malice, they pissed me off anyway.  I went around him to the right and began running up the hill to the bridge we were about to cross.

I ran down the small embankment right as we hit the fourth mile. A little slower than I was hoping given the effort but more importantly this might be the first time since my knee surgery that I have run down a hill and felt great. Running downhill used to be my forte and I was wondering if I would ever be able to regain some of that and this felt like bliss.  Of course the uphill on the other side slowed me as usual but that was ok!

We crossed another bridge and I saw the sign for the zoo.  I then remembered I wanted to go to this island zoo (and later in the day I did.) I was utterly drenched in sweat at this juncture and noticed my safety pin had already torn through my bub number. As a heavy sweater I am used to this, especiallly if the bib is more paper than laminated.  I took a few seconds to re-pin it as I was running which oddly took a lot of energy out of me. I ran my slowest mile of the day here.

Onto 10 miles:

At one street crossing, after a small hill, I crossed in front of an active trolley that race officials stopped for me.  Seconds later they let it pass which seemed odd to me as I know there were runners right behind me.  But then I noticed that it appears they simply redirected the runners down the street before the trolley and then let them pass on the backside of it as it went by.  I thought that was incredibly impressive and would likely requite some serious training.  If that was the plan and worked all day long (as it seemed to be the case later in the race as well) kudos to the organizers and volunteers.

Down under a large array of trains we went and the tunnel felt great. As I struggled up the hill on the other side I had a few people cut me off to make the right hand turn. I really don't know if people are just oblivious to others around them or what but if I need any motivation to run faster it is to be amongst fewer people who can do this. 

I noticed that this was one of the few places any spectators had gathered. I then thought that, for the most part, urban marathons are no fun if there are not copious amounts of spectators. Running on bike paths or street amongst the concrete jungle doesn't really do it for me if there aren't throngs cheering. 

We went through shaded park area and man did I need that. As I cut a turn close I noticed we had a bit of a hill to conquer so I put my head down. I only barely noticed that I had passed the 1:40 pace group. "They can't be running right on time," I thought before falling back into my thoughts. I also noticed this was my slowest mile of the race so far.  Hold it together, Dane.

Down a quick hill where I again felt great we burst into the sunshine. Through some buildings and some people and I just had a 5k to go.  

Taking it Home:

I don't even know how to describe this but after the first mile of the final 5k which included this awesome bridge, I came up to an area where we had just run the other side of under an underpass. I came up and immediately almost ran into people coming off a trolley. I assumed I had somehow got off course but there were course marshals ushering me along. I ran about a tenth of a mile and was directed to my right where I rejoined other runners. I didn't think to look behind me to see if I had gotten off course or other runners had gone the same way but I felt totally off. (I looked after and that was supposedly the course. IT just felt so odd.)

Now I just had two miles to go. We ran around a harbor with ships to our right. I was faltering a little bit and a few runners were passing me but I looked like I was not only going to run a sub-1:40 but set a new knee half-marathon PR.  This was inconceivable just that morning. 

I then recalled there was this cruel little out and back of about half a mile and then I couldn't do math anymore. Was I still going to PR? Had I messed up again? I just had to run with the people around me. 

Down a tree-lined boulevard we went, with the previous days outdoor expo to our left.  I could see the finish (or is it Finnish) line arch to my right in the distance. I didn't exactly push it hard but I didn't let up either.  

I crossed the line in 1:38:36 - my 112th slowest half marathon ever but the fastest I have run in three years and the fastest with my new knee by 17 seconds.

Post-race, I was merely tired and that was only after another three-mile walk around the hilly zoo. No real muscle soreness to speak of. I am just out of running shape.  My goal is to get my half back under 1:30. If I can do that, I will consider this recovery a success.  If not, we will see what the future holds.

The immediate future is a Björn Borg-less half-marathon in Stockholm in less than a week. It will be a harder course than this one but possibly less humid but a bit warmer. The kicker? It begins at 3 p.m. I THRIVE (or at least used to) in races that are run in the afternoon or evening. Here's hoping for another surprise!