Sune Eriksson is an 80-year-old Lidingölopp legend who is getting ready for his 60th start. He is one of the few who have completed all editions, even though he switched from the full 30-kilometer distance to the shorter mile race last year.
I had to slow down eventually. So I wouldn't get stuck in those hills, says the Åland native who moved to Sweden as a young man and now competes for Trosa Vagnhärads SK.
Sune remembers his debut in 1965, how the over 600 starters scared him on a "lady in Merscha" out on Lidingö, as well as how he overestimated his own ability.
I was well-trained, I thought. I kept up with the elite for almost two miles. Then I hit the wall. I thought "now I'll take the bus to the finish" but there wasn't one. So I had to crawl to the finish. Otherwise, I would have missed a year.
Tiktok effect
That Sune is starting is as usual. Other things have changed.
Over 35,000 participants are expected to start during the Lidingölopp weekend 2024, and an unusually large number of these are young runners.
For example, the number of women aged 18-24 has increased by 88 percent compared to last year for the 30-kilometer race.
18-year-old debutante Ida Lindgren is not surprised.
I think it's about Tiktok. Around the pandemic, there was a lot of focus on the gym, but it's so performance-oriented. It becomes another thing for girls to have to perform within. When I discovered running, I realized that here I can just go out, I didn't have to care about anyone else, says Ida Lindgren.
Slow running
She started running four years ago, but her first race was the Stockholm Marathon last summer.
I thought it would be the hardest thing I'd ever done. But it wasn't, it was just so much fun.
There are times she'd like to achieve, like running the Lidingölopp under three hours. But it's not the performance that attracts her. Instead, she highlights the phenomenon of "slow running", which has become big on social media.
I've never cared about checking out influencers who write "How fast you run". It's more "Follow me on my long run" and then you run very slowly. You rarely even mention how fast you're running.
The Lidingölopp concept includes several races for different classes with varying distances. During the weekend of September 27-29, everything from school relays to the classic Lidingölopp 30 kilometers will take place.
Over 35,000 runners are expected to start in one of the races.
Saturday's Lidingölopp 30 kilometers can be seen on TV4 Sportkanalen and on TV4 Play, where the broadcast starts at 12 and lasts until 3 pm.
Friday, September 27: Lidingöfemman, Lidingörullet, Lidingöruset, and school relays.
Saturday, September 28: Lidingölopp 30 km (start 12.30), Lidingölopp 15 km (10.00), and Lidingölopp 10 km and 4 km (09.00).
Sunday, September 29: Rosa Bandet-loppet 10 km (13.20), Lilla Lidingölopp, and Lidingö knattelopp.
