I signed up for the Paris Marathon on April 12, 2026.
It will be my fifth marathon, the first one outside of Scandinavia. This is one of the races I have long wanted to do, and racing it means crossing an item off my bucket list.
My goal is threefold:
- to enjoy the race,
- to finish it, and
- to break 4h 7m (my PR is 4:14:31).
This is what I train for now. Here we go.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 170 days.
No need to sugarcoat it: getting my shoes on and getting out the door was hard today. But once I was out there, this was a very nice and quiet morning run.
"I'm movin' through the dark of a long black night
Just movin' with the moon and the light it shines
And I'm thinking of a place and it feels so very real
Just movin' through the dark"
#ParisMarathon in T minus 170 days.
Distance: 5.13k
Pace: 5'28"
It was a dark and stormy morning, even if the sun soon rose, but I did the long run of this week. The first half was a struggle (because of strong headwinds), so I'll think of it as character-building... Running in the woods, though, was just wonderful.
35/52 of #52weeks52halfmarathons done.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 168 days.
Distance: 22.03k (total this cycle: 27.16k)
Pace: 5'40"
My first speed run in ages, I did the "First Fartlek Run" with @coachbennett in the #NikeRunClub app: 17 minutes of alternating pace to push myself (+ 15 minutes to get home). This was hard but fun.
Let's make today count!
#ParisMarathon in T minus 166 days.
Distance: 6.22k (total this cycle: 33.38k)
Pace: 5'13"
Today, I'm in Oslo, so my morning run had lots of hills.
The highlight of the run was listening to https://youtu.be/YzhjTeSz9y4 as I ran through the warm autumn colors and the cold sunrise in the Vigeland Park. It was such a beautiful moment.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 163 days.
Distance: 7.95k (total this cycle: 41.33k)
Pace: 5'29"
My daughter wanted to go for a run together (that's a first), so we did.
It was quite short.
It was quite slow.
And it was quite amazing to spend time with her this way.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 161 days.
Distance: 2.42k (total this cycle: 43.75k)
Pace: 7'40"
I was never really in the zone today, but experience carried me through. It was an ok run. This was week 36 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
More important and impressive, however, my wife is walking a 27k route today ("Amarminoen"). This is a massive undertaking for her, but we will be there to support her and celebrate with a pop-up energy station later.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 161 days.
Distance: 22.35 (total this cycle: 66.1k)
Pace: 5'39"
Friday was Halloween - and this morning, I went on the "Spooky Speed Run" with Count Bænnætt (aka @coachbennett) in the #NikeRunClub app.
At 1k, in the dark and the quite of our small town, I passed a crowd with torches. I think they were on their way to surprise a friend on his birthday, but with John Carpenter synth in my ears it sure was a little spooky.
#ParisMarathon in T minus 159 days.
Distance: 4.98k (total this cycle: 71.08k)
Pace: 5'16"
A tempo run in the dark of the morning with The War on Drugs as my soundtrack. Many runners out there. This was a hard run, and it felt good.
I test the #Runna app these days. The guided runs in #NikeRunClub are gold, but I need something to push me a little further on especially long runs. Maybe this is it..?
Distance: 9.63k (total: 80.71k)
Pace: 5'17"
#ParisMarathon in 157 days. (Runna, ridicuously, projects my finish time to be 3:45:46. LOL!)
Such a joyful long run this morning. I got to see the sun rise over the sea, I met my mother and brother (quite a surprise), and I just had a blast out there. This was week 37 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
I'm still testing the #Runna app, tweaking the settings to best suit my preferences.
Distance: 21.29k (total: 102k)
Pace: 5'31"
#ParisMarathon in 155 days.
An early and easy morning run. It was nice, and I felt good out there. Not much to report, really; it was just a run.
This was the third test run of the #Runna app. I look forward to Thursday, where I'll do intervals, and it'll have to show its true colors.
Distance: 10.6k (total: 112.6k)
Pace: 5'33"
#ParisMarathon in 152 days.
Intervals. 5 x 1k @ 4.55. Plus 3.5k warm-up and 2.5k cool-down. This was FUN! And occasionally fast. And hard. But mostly fun.
Have a good one, folks. Let's make it a beautiful day.
Distance: 12.96k (total: 125.56k)
Pace: 5'22"
#ParisMarathon in 150 days.
Edit: reposting this as part of my thread; sorry for the confusion.
An amazing morning run. It was cold (0 degree C), and it was pitch black when I started, but over the two hours the sun rose and I got to watch the world wake up. I spotted hares and a flock of geese, a young deer just 10 meters from me.
My free trial of #Runna expires now, and I won't move to a paid subscription. #NikeRunClub is better for me.
Week 38 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 22k (total: 147.56k)
Pace: 5'35"
#ParisMarathon in 147 days.
On a writing retreat with good colleagues, I started the day with a run.
This one was technically challenging. The light from my vest reflected in the raindrops on my glasses, making it hard to see were I ran. That combined with some uneven roads made it ... interesting. All in all, this was a run where I collected XP.
Distance: 6.89k (total: 184.45k)
Pace: 5'30"
Edit: pace corrected
#ParisMarathon in 144 days.
Morning intervals: 8 x 80 secs of various fast paces. Again, mixing things up on speed runs (and in general) was so much fun.
Due to windchill, it felt like -7 celsius out there (this one's for you, @pfernandes). Cold, but nice and clear.
A minor issue with the #nikerunClub app is that it doesn't count the light running I do between the intervals. It is what it is.
Distance counted: 3.92k (total: 188.37k)
Pace: 5'06"
#ParisMarathon in 142 days.
As @coachbennett says, "commitment is not giving up, it is giving more." This is about running, and this is not about running.
This was a long run through the cold and beautiful dawn. I felt good; this was nice. A big shout-out to the drivers who slowed down when they met this solitary runner in the dark of the countryside.
Stage 39 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 22k (total: 210.37k)
Pace: 5'40"
#ParisMarathon in 140 days.
Edits: typos.
Boy, that escalated quickly. My easy morning run with quite some hills in rainy Aarhus turned into stage 40 of #52weeks52halfmarathons. At 10k I just felt like #running far today, and YOLO got the best of me.
This run was heavily #MastoRunDK-supported. @nerdd suggested Aarhus Ø and Riis Skov as good places to run. @jimmyhartington provided the soundtrack (Radiohead, "The Bends"). Thank you!!
Distance: 21.28k (total: 231.65k)
Pace: 5'49"
#ParisMarathon in 138 days.
A nice afternoon run in Elsinore. It was fine, and Kronborg (the castle of Hamlet) is impressive.
This was likely the last time I used my pair of pink Nike Pegasus 41s. But they have covered 1,256k, so we literally had a good run.
Distance: 5.99k (total: 237.64k)
Pace: 5'27"
#ParisMarathon in 135 days.
I pushed hard to get a fast run in this morning. It worked out well, though I would have loved to go a little longer.
This was the first run of my new shoes. I still use a pair of Nike Pegasus 41, so I couldn't feel much of a difference. But I know these are an improvement.
It's December 1. Happy Christmas - or what you celebrate. Let's make this a good one without any fear.
Distance: 5.95k (total: 243.59k)
Pace: 5'07"
#ParisMarathon in 132 days.
This was a hard fartlek to start the day with: two minutes of hard running, one of easy, repeated seven times over. This was fun.
Fittingly, my soundtrack was Springsteen:
"And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Yeah, just to come again"
Have a good one!
Distance: 6.12k (total: 249.71k)
Pace: 5'01"
#ParisMarathon in 130 days.
Oh my!
For the first time in my life, I have won a lottery - so I will participate in the 2026 Half-Marathon World Championship!!
(Along with a gazillion other people. For all practical purposes it is just the Copenhagen Half-Marathon, which I have done since 2019.)
The #ParisMarathon on April 12 is still my primary race of next year. But getting into shape to race the HM fast has just moved up my list of priorities.
See you on the starting line.
My race calendar for 2026 is taking shape.
Edit: Paris Marathon removed, Malmö Marathon added.
This morning, I took the train to Avedøre and then ran home, just to see something else than what I usually do. And yes, I am aware of the irony: it was dark when I ran in uncharted terrirories, and then the cloudy dawn lit it all up when I got to my home turf...
This was stage 41 of #52weeks52halfmarathons. There were headwinds all the way, but it was a nice run nonetheless.
Distance: 21.94k (total: 271.65k)
Pace: 5'37"
#ParisMarathon in 126 days.
This was a short easy run in the evening.
I would have loved to run further, but this was all there was time for before picking up my daughter. Every run done is a victory, though, and this one is no exception. Onwards.
Distance: 3.76k (total: 275.41k)
Pace: 5'36"
#ParisMarathon in 122 days.
This was stage 42 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
I train for a 42(.2)k race.
I'm 42 years old.
42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Coincidence? You bet! But this was a great run, where I explored some new roads (yololy adding 4k to the run), struggled with hard winds, and listened to a decent old playlist of mine. What a way to start the day.
Distance: 25.56k (total: 300.97k)
Pace: 5'44"
#ParisMarathon in 119 days.
Had a blast with #NikeRunClub's "Worst Advice Ever Run" this morning.
"No pain, no gain."
"If you aren't #running hard, you're hardly running."
"Numbers don't lie."
"Sleep is for the weak."
"You need to run every day."
"Running is boring."
@coachbennett, my philosopher of running, humorously shredded all this terrible advice, setting me up for a fun run. It was just what I needed. Thank you.
Distance: 5.60k (306.57k)
Pace: 5'23"
#ParisMarathon in 115 days.
Stage 43 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Curiously, the run was mentally challenging. Experience carried me through, but even on autopilot this was an unexpectedly tough one. I probably needed this to process something, and a run is a run.
After all, running is my meditation.
Distance: 22.12k (total: 324.69k)
Pace: 5'32"
#ParisMarathon in 112 days.
A cheerful tempo run to start this day. The days are getting brighter now.
I compiled a playlist of Christmas music for running. It's 47 minutes of pure holiday spirit. 'Tis the season to be jolly. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2exZpqp5Fjl6wEdgw73SKA?si=GUnlSsHYTeumo3jzjfhOmA
Take care, folks. Remember to tell your loved ones that they matter - just like *you* do!
Distance: 10.52k (total: 335.21k)
Pace: 5'16"
#ParisMarathon in 110 days.
A long easy run, windy and humid. It was very nice to get out.
I should have done this run yesterday, but instead we watched "Hundreds of Beavers" and had mulled wine and cookies. I regret nothing.
Distance: 13.77k (total: 348.98k)
Pace: 5'37"
#ParisMarathon in 106 days.
A long run on a cold and beautiful winter morning.
This was stage 44 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 27.11k (total: 376.09k)
Pace: 5'40"
#ParisMarathon in 104 days.
On the starting line for the last run of the year: the 10k Champagnegaloppen race in Køge.
It's nice and very informal, close to where I live, organized by the local runners' club. This is at least the 5th year I participate, and it's such a good way to end the year.
#EveryRunHasAPurpose, and true to my philosophy of #running, my plan is first and foremost to have a good time. But to push myself, I've also made sure my playlist is only 52 minutes. :-)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ffNX4QXmNdMoUrJg4jo44?si=mVmUu_soSjuf1qoDCoJnzA&pi=xozdVTzkQkWkQ
Champagnegaloppen done! 10k in 50:45 (official time). The weather was near perfect, and I got into the zone and executed my strategy exactly as I had planned for. This felt good throughout.
These were the last kms of 2025. I'll do a wrap-up later - now I need to get home, shower, polish the music quiz for tonight, and suit up.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Distance: 10k (total: 386.1k)
Pace: 5'04"
#ParisMarathon in 101 days.
While the pizza dough rose, I went for a quick run. This was a short fartlek, and it was both hard and fun.
It's 2026! New year, old me. This year, my running goals are:
- to still run at least twice each week
- to break 4:07:00 on the marathon distance
- to run Champagnegaloppen on December 31 in 49 minutes or less
- to still focus on joyful running
Distance: 5.30k (total: 391.4k)
Pace: 5'00"
#ParisMarathon in 100 days.
This week's long run was one of the most challenging and most memorable ones in a very long time.
It was freezing (with wind chill: -13°C), and I had to plow through 10 cm of snow for almost the entire distance. After 7k, I was toast. This was hard! And it kept on. But I managed, and it was a good experience. I feel like I learned a lot.
Stage 45 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 21.61k (total: 413.01k)
Pace: 6'12"
#ParisMarathon in 99 days.
To whom it may concern,
I did a short write-up of the running I did in 2025 and my goals for 2026. It is what it is (namely a way for me to reflect and to remember), and it is somewhat self-indulgent - so bear with me.
See you on the next starting line.
This year, I ran further than I have ever done before, and it shows how much running has become an integral part of my everyday life. It is my meditation, the time where I clean up mentally and mindfully. Running is hard, but it is also fun and rewarding. It does spark joy. Otherwise, I … Læs videre "Running through 2025"
Did you ever watch John Carpenter's "The Thing"? (If no or yes, go watch it tonight.) This morning felt as cold as that movie.
But I got a short run in before waking up the family for the first day at school/work after a long and nice Christmas vacation.
I'll just wait here for a little while, see what happens. With a cup of hot chocolate.
Have a good one.
Distance: 5.14k (total: 418.15k)
Pace: 5'34"
#ParisMarathon in 97 days.
Good morning!
This was tempo run where I increased the effort continuously. Purpose: to train pushing myself, even when the going gets tough. It was cold and windy, icy some places and enjoyable throughout.
"The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for".
Distance: 5.21k
Pace: 5'22"
#ParisMarathon in 95 days.
Starting the day the best way: with an easy run.
This was a cold and windy run in the dark, with Springsteen as my soundtrack:
"Now, there's a fire down below
But it's coming up here
So leave everything you know
Carry only what you fear
On the road, the sun is sinkin' low
There's bodies hanging in the trees
This is what will be
This is what will be"
Take care out there.
Distance: 7.08k
Pace: 5'36"
#ParisMarathon in 93 days.
A pristine and most beautiful morning. Also a very cold one. But I did a nice long run, stage 46 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
These days, I play around with the hydration vest I got for Christmas from my mother-in-law. It's a Salomon 12 Adv Skin (recommended by @moelholm, thank you!), and so far I'm most happy with it. But I do look forward to not wearing a reflector vest on top of it...
Distance: 23.5k
Pace: 5'41"
#ParisMarathon in 90 days.
I'm also looking forward to the Danish weather changing just a bit to a slightly more sunny and warmer temperature.
90 days left for the marathon! Exciting!
Nice to test out any equipment beforehand, but I guess you won't wear the vest for the marathon, rather rely on the drinks provided en route?
I actually got the vest because there will not be cups of water at the Paris Marathon. If we want fluids, we need to bring our own bottles or hydration vests, which can then be refilled throughout the race. I have opinions on this, but it is what it is, and I must train accordingly.
A nice side-effect, though, is that the vest seems to make my long long runs easier. I bo longer need to carry everything in my pockets.
And yes, warmer weather will be nice. Spring is coming.
@askekammer
I hope it was a magical run, looks like the roads were safe enough for you.
Fantastic shot of the lights and the moon
It was a very good run, and I would have liked to go further (but I also needed to get back and wake up my family).
Almost all the roads are cleared now, but I am not sure what it will be like on Sunday where I expect to do a long run i the rural areas around town...
And thank you. It was the exact moment where the moon peaked out between the skies. Every now and then I manage to get a good shot at the beauty of the early mornings.
The "total k" is the accumulated distance since I started my focused training for the Paris Marathon back in late October. I am curious to see how far that figure climbs before April 12.
We aim to please. And thank you.
@askekammer thanks for sharing. It’s a great journey. Also impressive stats and fine 2026 goals.
It is very interesting to follow your development - I look forward to hear more about the races (and training for them) you’ll have this year 😎👏🏻
Thank you! It was a good exercise to go over the year and, in particular, think through what running means to me. Why would I spend 166 hrs on it?
Tomorrow morning I will test the Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest (the one you recommended) that I got for Christmas. I look forward to see what that is like.
@askekammer yeah I could definitely read that from your post/notes 👌🏻🤗
sounds great wrt the vest 👍🏻 hope you’ll be happy with that 🤠👏🏻
Thank you, Sebastian. Onward!
Thank you. I am, indeed, super happy with it. Already yesterday I knew it would be a challenge, but that only motivated me more. I chose to do this.
Out there, though, I could just feel my batteries drain in no time. I had fantasies about hot chocolate. It required all my mental resources to push through rather than quit.
That said, running all alone through the silent woods with fresh snow and only the light from the moon and my reflector vest was majestic. So immensely beautiful.
Thank you!
It was brutal, indeed, but also stunningly beautiful. It was truly an experience to be out there before the rest of the world woke up.
Thank you.
Indeed. I knew in advance it was going to be hard, but the challenge was also the attraction. That said, I am happy that the run is done.
Definitely an adventure!
Nice 😎
50:45, så der var masser af musik tilovers! 😅
Godt løbenytår, jeg håber du får en dejlig aften og kommet godt ind i det nye år
Yes. Jeg cruisede i mål et helt musiknummer før tid (nemlig Brian Tylers tema til "Hawaii Five-0" - som har en så vanvittig energi, at jeg altid bruger det som en afsluttende booster).
Godt nytår til dig og familien også. Jeg ser frem til at fortsætte den gode og givende samtale i 2026.
Indeed.
I contemplated dialing it up to 30k - but as I had already run for longer than what I had said I would, and as we have other plans for the day, I decided against it.
Det var langt nok til at komme hele vejen rundt om Esrum Sø!
Og det var mega flot i dag derude!
Kulden må man tage med når solen titter frem ☀️
Thank you!
I have no associations whatsoever with the numbers 1337. But some rabbit-hole visits later, I think I learned something today.
Ah, yes! Tempo run!
I've been rewatching the Jack Daniels videos on VO₂ max and the goal paces to use for different workouts and what the benefit is for each one of them, and it's given me a new way of motivating myself because I feel the purpose of each run more.
And yes, the season has turned and the sun is coming back.
Only 110 days for the Paris Marathon?
It's going to be a fantastic experience!
I'll be doing shorter race distances, but perhaps in the future...
Once the motivation is there, the rest will follow. Looking forward to following your runs again through 2026.
And yes, Paris Maraton will (hopefully) be a blast. Training is going well, and I feel like I am setting myself up for a good race and a good experience. I would love to have one race in February or March to get back into that mode, though.
Der er mange ting at tænke over i disse dage, og en del ekstra opgaver, så måske ikke så mærkeligt?
5:32/km over en halvmaraton er sgu også ret pænt tempo!
Spændende om du kan dykke ned i det og mærke efter hvad det er der har fyldt meget.
Kæmpe godt kommet ud!
Som Claus Hempler synger: I enden er der altid en bagage at bære.
Det var vist mest af alt blot en kombi af træthed efter et langt år (nu, hvor det er ferie, og skuldrene sænkes), mørke og en tung vom efter en stor middag hos svigermor i går. Sidstnævnte gjorde i hvert tilfælde sit til, at jeg aldrig fandt et rigtigt godt flow.
Der er nok at tænke over i disse tider, så det bliver næppe heller sidste gang, at løbeturens fokus udfordres.
Tak for betænksomheden.
Mission løbetur efter mission "stor middag hos svigermor" kan jeg levende forestille mig som en udfordring!!
Det er også vintersolhverv, så bare det at kunne sige man ikke er særligt vinterdeprimeret er et win i sig selv vil jeg tro.
Og så er det måske også bare kontrasten. Jeg oplever beskrivelsen af langt de fleste af dine ture som meget positiv, så en enkelt mindre optimal tur skal der jo absolut være plads til! 😊
Lige præcis. Måske var det bare frustration over ikke at ramme den tilstand af flow, som jeg normalt opnår efter ca tre km.
Til gengæld har vi både set Enigma-museets julekalender-udstilling i dag (klar anbefaling, men fruen er også julekalender-nørd) og klaret de sidste julegaver, så humøret er højt. Livet er jo i grunden skønt.
Sounds like a good start of the day!
It was absolutely enjoyable! :-)
Aske Kammer
Vicomte Folmer af Helvede
ЯØ81И
Pedro Fernandes
teufen
moelholm🏃🏻♂️
Sebastian Hahn
Colin
Kat O’Brien
WTL
Claes de Vreese ☑️
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