Interest in running the Lidingöloppet is historically high, according to the race's secretary general, Krister Svensson. At present, registrations for the main race on September 26 are 30 percent higher than at the same time last year.
Therefore, for the first time, the race is setting a planned maximum limit on the number of participants in the main race; it will not accept more than 18,000 runners.
The most important thing for us is to ensure the race experience, regardless of which starting group you are in or how fast you run. So we need to set a ceiling to ensure the quality that the runners expect, says Krister Svensson.
The cap is being introduced partly for logistical reasons, as transportation and number distribution become more difficult with more participants. But above all, the historic decision is about how it should feel to run the race.
Our course is permanent, it's there 24/7 all year round, we run through a nature reserve and so on. So it's impossible to widen or make adjustments to the course, we're neither allowed nor want to do that. We want everyone to be able to run the way they want, simply.
Why do you think interest in running races has increased so much?
It's a trend we've seen since the pandemic. It's primarily the younger age groups that have found their way into running, not least younger women.
What do you think?