Ultramarathon Runners

For the tenth year running (pun intended), the Sörmland Ultra Marathon took place over the weekend. It's a fifty kilometre run (31.07 miles), from Björkhagen in Stockholm to Lake Rudan in Haninge. The race started at 10 am on Saturday. It's a very tough course with many hills, and you run through the Tyresta National Park equpped with a map. Luckily for the athletes the weather was good. Sunny and around 11 Celsius and there were many stations along the trail where you could get water. I was at the finishing line taking photos and talking to people. This smiling woman is Gloria Vinstedt. She won the women's event with a finishing time of 3.50.54 beating the second placed runner Kajsa Friström with half an hour! After the price ceremony I walked over to Gloria for a chat and a portrait. She told me that it was the first time she had competed in this race. She's raised in Tyresö, the neighbouring municipality to Haninge. Gloria started running ultramarathon races earlier this year. Before that she was a marathon runner for three years. Her best marathon time is 2.56 from the Paris Marathon. Gloria also told me that she is a student at the University of Gävle. Studying to become a health educator. The men's event was won by Brian Buchtrup Nielsen. More photos from this event in the slideshow.