28 SEPTEMBER 2024 | 14:12
Carolina Wikström and Ebba Tulu Chala got to the top of the podium when the Lidingö race’s 60th edition was decided in brilliant sunshine. “I never thought it would go this well,” said Carolina, who set a new course record with 1:51:36.
Sunny, just over ten degrees and no wind. There were very good conditions when the classic Lidingö race was decided on Saturday. After heavy rain on Friday, however, there were tricky mud patches for the runners to keep an eye on.
In the women’s class, it was Sylvia Medugu Kiberenge who took the early lead. Kiberenge, who represents Denmark internationally, has won the 30-kilometer race four times and in 2019 she set a track record with 1:51:56.
Now she covered the first mile in 35:34, 46 seconds faster than runner-up Carolina Wikström, who in turn had a 36-second margin to third-place Hanna Lindholm.
At the halfway point, Sylvia Medugu Kiberenge’s lead had increased to 1:04, but soon after that the trend would reverse. Only five kilometers later, the lead had shrunk to 48 seconds and now Upsala runner Wikström was jawing up second by second.
With about 3 kilometers left in the race, Carolina had caught up and quite immediately Sylvia Medugu Kiberenge was forced to let go.
Carolina had plenty of energy left and finally ran to the finish line in 1:51:56, beating the previous course record by 20 seconds!
“Didn’t feel like I had a good day”
– So, it was really a lot of work! I didn’t feel like I had a good day, I think I opened a bit too hard and the first mile it was a lot of lead tanks and a lot of mental. Then I think I almost gave up a little bit and thought “I have to get around”, so I never thought it would go this well, said Carolina on TV4’s broadcast.
The Swedish running star did her first Lidingö race in 2018 when she was at the very beginning of her elite effort. In his second start in the race, it was thus both a victory and a track record.
Sylvia Medugu Kiberenge ran to the finish in 1:52:32 and third in the women’s class was IFK Umeå’s Evelina Henriksson who was recorded for 1:55:11.
New duel between Ebba Tulu Chala and Oscar Niyonzima
In the men’s class, the battle for victory finally came between Ebba Tulu Chala and the Burundian Oscar Niyonzima, the same duo that a couple of weeks ago settled in a dramatic fight at the Stockholm Half Marathon.
That time it was Ebba Tulu Chala who sprinted to victory and won by one second. In the Lidingö race, there was another triumph for the Keep Up RC runner.
Now the victory came with about 600 meters to go and the winning time was 1:38:19.
Niyonzima was second, three seconds after the winner, and third place went to Hässelby’s Linus Rosdahl, who maintained the pace for large parts of the race and also delivered a strong finish when he passed the Eritrean Senay Fissehatsion towards the end and crossed the finish line after 1:38:41.
Track record of Lörstad
The men’s 15 kilometer race was won by Malmö AI’s Jonas Glans who finished in 45:59 and in the women’s race over 15 kilometers it was the Dane Sara Schou Kristensen who won in 54:18.
Worth noting is that IFK Lidingö’s Sebastian Lörstad (pictured below), who ran in the P17 class, won the 10 kilometer race in the new course record of 30:51. The previous record was 31:37 and was set last year by Sebastian’s clubmate Karl Ottfalk.
Sebastian Lörstad, IFK Lidingö. (Photo: Deca text&Image)
According to the organizer, there were approximately 14,500 runners who ran the 30-kilometer race, and in total it was expected that over 30,000 runners would run some of the races.
More info and all results can be found via Lidingö race’s website.