I ran my first marathon in Copenhagen in May 2004 and this event have had a special place in my heart ever since.

NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon 2013 – Foto: Tor Rønnow

Thus, I was thrilled to take on my 9th challenge with the scenic route in the capital of Denmark this past Sunday. The event and the route did’nt fail me, however the weather turned out a bit on the wet side and my health issued unexpected “errors” making the day overall too much of a struggle and too little of that enjoyment that I normally associate with this favorite race of mine, NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon. In the larger perspective such days are unavoidable and my small personal issues can of course not alter the review of the event: TOP DOLLAR ! Yes, as always, my compliments to the hard working organizers and staff from Sparta making this classy event come true. You may see or relive NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon 2013 here:

NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon 2013 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)

NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon 2013 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)

NYKREDIT Copenhagen Marathon 2013 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)

Preceding the race I gave a very nice interview to Politiken on the love of running marathon, you may find a pdf version here: On the Love for Marathon Running – Tor Rønnow (Danish). In the article I stress the fact that running is for everyone no matter age nor constitution which agains links to another recent article from LØBEREN where I express my respect to all you people making an effort out there, be it 500 meters or 100 miles. Remember, 30 minutes of exercise each day will keep the doctor away ! (Or at least reduce the likelihood)

Update of the “in the press” section
I have updated my “in the press” section with various articles since mid 2011, the most notable ones being the very fine review on ELSK AT LØBE (now available in the stores and in the netshops again)…

ELSK AT LØBE – Tor Rønnow, Bente Klarlund Pedersen

.. and a fine interview in LøbeMagasinet, the leading magazine on running in Denmark : Tor Rønnow – Den passionerede løber. Other articles include interviews to Politken and other (national) newspapers and different spots on TV 2, one of the main television channels in Denmark. Enjoy the reading if you dare.

The experienced reader will understand that quite a few quotes and points of view stem from this source (me!) only to be copied or re-stated by others. I take that as a compliment, thank you ! We have had diffent topics up for discussion through the years, sometimes in quite fiercely ways. The experienced reader will know that I definitively keep a proven record to have an intuition that does not fail. Thus, I “brought up” the GPS-running watches in 2003 (before the first GARMIN Forerunner !) , running style in 2004 (long before the trend of Natural Running), compression socks in 2007 and well, a few other things. I believe I was also the first to continously to elaborate on the link between running and spirituality and mind power in the danish running spheres. Just so you know. So the next thing will be ? I’ll keep you posted !

I have known and written for long that Germany for sure is such a great country to visit and be in and especially for running marathons. The “German” countries like Germany, Austria and Switerzerland are just superior in the craft of logistics and it is very rare that the maratons in these countries are not top events in all details of such events.

Yet, we are still up for surprises ! And what a delight to discover the artful city of Düsseldorf

and the great experience of Düsseldorf Marathon ! This is a gem, the route is great and the race delivers many scenic spots and a stunning finish at the bed of the Rhine.

See or relive Düsseldorf Marathon 2013 here:

Düsseldorf Marathon 2013 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)

Düsseldorf Marathon 2013 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)

Düsseldorf Marathon 2013 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)

After half a year with injury I finally booked yet another marathon and in my favorite city of all – Rome !

I am far beoynd the point where I find the number of marathons interesting in itself, nowadays I emphasize quality and experience far more. And Rome is for sure one of the places where everything come out with top grades – the museums, the race, the food and the general atmosphere. I’d really have liked to be able to “compete”/perform, but with average 5 K a week since october, this is not possible at the present. Makes me feel like this :

Ok, Maratona di Roma 2013 was obviously a specacular and very well organized event. It was of course a loss not to pass San Pietro according to the normal course map but I still give my credits to the race organisation for keeping everybody well informed during the time of uncertainty of the enthronement of the new Pope Francis.

The last 8 km of the route were the “normal” ones including the outstanding and spectacular finish at the Colosseum. Please find the complete race report in the links below.

Rom Marathon 2013 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)

Rome Marathon 2013 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)

Maratona di Roma 2013 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)

Music, literature and movies all possess the power to affect us in very deep ways. We call it “art” when we are left truly altered and “reborn” in some aspect. Thus, “The Godfather” was the “I Ching” for (american) men for a generation and the “Star Wars” sequel continue to thrill and engage each new batch of youngsters and spectators alike. The concept of “The Force” is timeless and pervades all cultural and religious barriors that may otherwise be in the World. The idea that all matter, energy, is connected is not only intuitively straight-forward and emotionally strong, it is also a scientific “fact” and a brutal dictator of consequences in both the world’s economy and the globe’s ecology. We are one !

Now, this post is not about the outer world nor the Globe. It is about your inner world and your psychology and your feelings. Your feelings point you to the important issues in your life, to your dreams, your fears, your friends and your enemies, escpecially your imaginary enemies which/whom may in fact be artificial products of your own nerveous system. Only you know. So, as it is said very powerfully by Darth Vader: “Search your feelings” ! What this may cover is also: search your subconscious. I do not have the latest scientific data on this matter but from what I understand from the headlines of the material emerging more and more these past decades, it is likely that our brain, our subconscious, recordes and stores as good as everything exposed to it. Millions and millions of bits of data, of experiences, of words, of colours, of scents, of sounds, all the good and all the bad that you have ever been involved with. This is, if true, incredible in itself but what is of greater importance and for you to act on is: it also governs all the decisions you have made, ever since your childhood. And let’s face it: your Reality is first and foremost the product of your own decisions. There are no real limits, psycologically, for a human in this world. We all live in our own created fences. We can all, potentially, remove these fences. We just need to identify them and evaluate if we still believe that thay exist or are useful to us. Most often, they are not. The fence you needed in a given situation or period of your life, most likely childhood, is probably not relevant anymore. So you may uninstall it and install a new and better one. You must change – change your beliefs. So, search your beliefs, keep the useful ones, change the bad or dysfunctional ones. It may sound simple – and it may be just that ! Simple.

In fact, your can inspect your outer world to examine what your subconscious holds. It is very likely that your outer, physical reality directly reflects your deep subconscious decisions or beliefs about the world. Please understand that this covers “for normal people”. I am not talking about people living under extreme situations such as in extreme poverty, war zones or being patologically sick. I talk about normal people like you and me being able to read this in the first place. So… find something in your outer world that you dislike… and then… Search your feelings ! Be honsest to yourself, really honest. Does this outer world “thing” correspond to the belief you hold yourself, deep down ? Does it align with your actions, your thoughts, your beliefs, your feelings ? Does it ?

Well… most proably yes. Do your want to change it ? Then you must revise something. You must unlearn the learned (as Yoda says). You must create your new Reality. Doing this may involve a lot of work, it may cost you… but rest asured that if you don’t act, nothing changes. Surely, it may require help and supervision from others to accomplish your change, you may need help from a psychologist to understand and heal your childhood wounds and dysfunctionlities (we all have these, all !), you may need coaching to improve your self-esteem, your may need a physical trainer and programme to change your diet and body etc., all this is trivial, what is not is the fact that YOU roll all this to happen. Because YOU decide to. Other people do this, some more natural than others but other people do. So why not you too ? Do you still finds doubts in yourself ? Seach your feelings why ! Only you hae the power to either keep or change your interpretation of your Reality, in fact, your Reality is not an objective experienced Truth, it is your subjective interpretation. Change your beliefs (or your feelings) and your Reality changes. It is that simple.

I may elaborate more on this, for now I wish you a Happy New Year 2013, let it be a truly new year in your life.

By tradition, I hereby give my you my take on the best marathons in 2012, i.e. amongst the ones I have participated in myself. Best does not necessarily mean ‘objectively best’ but does also emphasize the magnitude of the experience including ‘other’ factors such as city/nature facilities etc. not to mention my own performance.

I have divided the marathons into four groups and as always, you find links to the races via ‘My marathons’ in the menu.

Overall
1. Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon (Denmark)
2. Jungfrau Marathon (Switerzerland)
3. BMW Berlin Marathon (Germany)
4. Prague Marathon (Czech Republic)
5. Vienna Marathon (Austria)

City marathons
1. Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon (Denmark)
2. BMW Berlin Marathon (Germany)
3. Prague Marathon (Czech Republic)
4. Vienna Marathon (Austria)
5. Hamburg Marathon (Germany)

Nature runs
1. Jungfrau Marathon (Switerzerland)
2. Stockholm Jubileum Marathon (100 years 1912-2012) (Sweden)
3. Venice Marathon (Italy)
4. Kalkminemarathon [Limestone Mine Marathon] (Denmark)
5. LøbeMagasinet Rudersdal (Denmark)

Small races
1. Dr. Nielsens (Denmark)
2. Kalkminemarathon [Limestone Mine Marathon] (Denmark)
3. Kalundborg Vintermarathon (Denmark)
4. Sydkyst (Denmark)
5. Skinnermarathon (Denmark)

These are lists based on my personal experiences, of course. To mentain memory of the best races ‘ever’, I have a category of the ‘all-time best’ marathons as well. Here, the big marathons do live up to their famous names !

Best ever
1. New York (USA)
2. Zermatt (Switerzerland)
3. London (England)
4. Rome (Italy)
5. Chicago (USA)

Sometimes you’re in luck, sometimes not. The latter was sadly the case for this year’s showcase of the Venice Marathon, the race saw some of the worst weather conditions ever and Venice City saw the highest floodings for two years during the marathon weekend.

Venice Marathon is special as for being a point-to-point marathon very similar to Boston Marathon, ie. a very long roadtrip in the country side…

… and endning up in the midst of the real deal, Venice City, at the very end.

The race is flat and probably quite fast under normal conditions and the organisation is “ok” (with some serious flaws, mind you). However, there can be little doubt that the real and primal attraction of this marathon in indeed Venice City itself…

… a romantic and seductive city…

… obviously with the Marcus Square and the Rialto Bridge as the most known attactions.

See or relive Venice Marathon 2012 here including pictures of Venice City:

Venice Marathon 2012 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)

Venice Marathon 2012 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)

Venice Marathon 2012 – foto di Tor Rønnow (Italiano)

I, the Dark Knight of marathons,

LOL, have visited Berlin Marathon twice before but this dates back to 2004 and 2006, being my marathon races no. 2 and 28 . A few more runs have been added to my list meanwhile, however, I was quite excited to revisit the German Capital for it’s famous often World Record setting race, one of the five World Major Marathons and for sure the race with most danes in it besides Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon (in Denmark).

We runners were blessed by a day with perfect weather for running, 14-16 degrees Celcius, no wind.

The route in Berlin is adventureous and diverse…

… alone the start itself is an experience for life …

.. with the swift passing of the Siegessäule…

… and many spectacular sights along the route…

… including the place (Rathaus Schöneberg) for the legendary words of President John F. Kennedy…

… and of course the Brandenburger Tor, almost, but only almost, named after me.

Obviously, Berlin Marathon is recommended with the highest possible of grades !

See or relive BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 here:

BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 – billeder/fotos af Tor Rønnow (Danish)

BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 – pictures by Tor Rønnow (English)

BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 – bilder von Tor Rønnow (Deutsch)

This Sunday I completed my 4th alp marathon and perhaps the most scenic of them all. Indeed, Swiss Alpine 42 K, Zermatt, and LGT Alpin Marathon are all incredible races and events but perhaps Jungfrau Marathon surpases them all. Not that it matters much which is “best”, it is the love for Running and for Nature that is the real deal here.

Ok, so Jungfrau Marathon starts in the Swiss city Interlaken (500 meters above sea level)

… and is actually almost completely flat the first like 15 k, then things start to happen…

.. and some really tough climbs are to be made…

… and the route ends at 2000 meters above sea level besides the majestic peak Jungfrau (4158).

I was deeply impressed by the superb and flawless organisation of this race, I was completely thrilled by the scenic landscapes of the route and I was so blessed to experience all this on a beautiful warm and sunny day in the Swiss Alps. Jungfrau Marathon is for sure a “must-have” experience if you’re into marathons.

See the stunning race here: Jungfrau Marathon 2012

In case you did’nt know: we have lots of beautiful Nature in Denmark ! No, we don’t carry high mountains nor vast fields but we do treat you with green forrests and heaps of sea perfect for sailing or just soothing for the mind to view. So no wonder it’s possible to create such a super mini-holiday that I just did last week with three days of horse riding (!) and, to a lesser surprise, one day of marathoneering.

Krogbækgaard

So, firstly a few pictures from the calm visit at Krogbækgaard on Læsø, a small island besides the top of Jutland, Denmark. Here, we loved the time with the islandic horses and the fun and extremely scenic trips in some otherwise not too easily accessible Nature. Woo !

Just behold this…

…and this. I can for sure recommend such a horsetrip, I absolutely loved it !

Nationalpark Thy Marathon 2012

Ok, then Saturday came a very scenic marathon as well and not too far from Læsø, namely on the westcoast of Jutland at Thy. It was my second visit to this race and this time in much better weather. Running along the sea was a blast…

.. and in all a very beautiful route (but quite tough as well).

The full picture report for these events is here: Krogbækgaard and Nationalpark Thy Marathon 2012 in pictures

I have had my eyes on Helsinki City Marathon for quite some years, in fact, so I was excited to finally go there. I must say that I am a little mixed in my evaluation of the race, I feel a bit cheated on “City” and the fact that HCM is supposed to be a Capital Marathon – after all, Helsinki is the Capital of Finland !

On the other hand, reviewing the pictures I took it looks rather diverse in the stuff you pass by and for sure it was a warm and lovely day with blue sky and lots of sun.

The full picture report is here: Helsinki City Marathon 2012 in pictures