Lidingöloppet - Thank you Dan Karlsson for your time as Lidingöloppet's chairman!

How would you describe your time as Lidingöloppet's chairman?
Lidingöloppet's Secretary-General Cecilia Gyldén and I entered our roles simultaneously in February 2020, and just a couple of weeks later, the pandemic struck with full force. All work with the development of Lidingöloppet was replaced overnight by crisis management. Uncertainty about the future forced us to make major cuts in order to ensure the organisation's survival, and the workload on the entire organisation multiplied as we had to develop new budget scenarios and concepts for race events during the pandemic.

Thanks to the entire organisation's hard work and innovative power, as well as to the fantastic support we received from our sponsors, we have now overcome the recent years' challenges almost unscathed. The government's support measures for The Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet) and for sports federations has enabled us to take the next steps towards the future. It now feels good to hand the role as chairman over to Anna Öberg, and I hope that Lidingöloppet will soon reach new heights.

The last two years have of course been tiring, but it has also been fantastic to see how our owner clubs, staff, sponsors and volunteer workers have stood up for the race wholeheartedly. It was through their efforts that it became possible to arrange the TCS Lidingöloppet Week despite the challenges and to invite participants to the classical running party!

What is your strongest memory from these years?
To observe the start at Koltorp last autumn - a wide field of runners and an air of excitement and anticipation. And to subsequently see happy runners reach the finish line at Grönsta in fantastic weather - tired but with a smile on their faces. It also made me happy that participants gave TCS Lidingöloppet 2021 the highest rating that we have ever seen in the arrangement's history.

What message would you like to forward to TCS Lidingöloppet's runners for the race in 2022?
In addition to TCS Lidingöloppet being a fantastic folk festival, and a personal challenge for all runners, the race also supports non-profit sports associations for children and the youth. I have once been a part of that age group myself, so for me the entry to TCS Lidingöloppet, and the voluntary work as Lidingöloppet's chairman, have been my ways to "pay back" for all the help and support that I have received from leaders and coaches.

Thank you Dan for your efforts as chairman of Lidingöloppet over the past two years, which have undoubtedly been the most challenging during the organisation's 57-year history. Will we see you toe the starting line during one of our races this year?
Right now I am training hard for Vasaloppet, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. When I have reached the finish line in that event, the focus will be on running again. I have already signed up for Lidingöloppet 30K this autumn.