New York Marathon: More than just a race

New York, autumn 2025: At the front of the first wave, just behind the world elite but ahead of tens of thousands of amateurs, a guy is running at a furious pace. Eivind Vold is not someone known for doing things halfway. On his list of achievements he has European and World Championship medals in paddling. He has paddled from Denmark to Norway in record time and made his mark in long-distance ski races. Now he is running his first marathon, but the road here has been tough.

Oslo, autumn 2024: Let's rewind a year. Eivind has recently been told that he has cancer in his thigh and is in full swing with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is hard on the body, but Eivind keeps the training going. He has heard that it makes him better equipped to tolerate the treatment. In December 2024 he is released from the hospital and promptly cranks out 162.5 kg on the bench press.

– I had a physical foundation from before, and it helped me enormously through the illness, he says.

– I genuinely believe that exercise is one of the best things you can do – both during and after treatment.

Despite this, it becomes difficult to come back to paddling and perform at the top level. The competitors have trained hard, while Eivind has had cancer. The times on the water will no longer be as good as before, and that is hardly motivating.

Active against cancer – literally

Eivind is an ambassador for the foundation Aktiv mot kreft and is offered the chance to take part in the New York Marathon together with them.

– When I signed up for the marathon, it was to do something new where I could feel progress, Eivind explains.

The build-up is far from perfect. A stress fracture puts an end to running through the summer. Only in September does he get going properly.

But on the streets of New York, things still move along despite a heavy stride.

– I thought this could turn embarrassing, he laughs afterwards.

– But it felt easy in the beginning. Then it got tough. But it didn't completely come to a halt either.

42 kilometers later, he crosses the finish line in Central Park in a blistering 2 hours and 44 minutes.

One race, many impressions

Lars Haugvad is also an ambassador for Aktiv mot kreft. Lars is a man with many irons in the fire. Behind him is a career as a snowboarder and as part of the support team for the Norwegian snowboard national team. He is a physiotherapist and coach. He has completed a number of triathlons, including Norseman, and a multitude of races. This autumn he will be organizing an indoor triathlon. Haugvad embraces variety and likes to push boundaries.

In the New York Marathon, where the elite athlete's mind in Eivind chases control and performance, Lars Haugvad moves through the course from a different starting point. He smiles. Sings. Talks to people. Takes in the city.

– I started a bit too far back, Haugvad says.

– So I ran zigzag through maybe 10,000 runners. It became three hours of constant work.

And what is the secret behind running so fast in a marathon when you have a full-time job and children? – The trick is not to drive or take public transport to work. 90% of my training is commuting, says Haugvad, adding that he also often gets up at 5 a.m. to fit in a little extra volume.

On running for something

As mentioned, what Eivind and Lars have in common is that they don't just run for themselves.

They run for Aktiv mot kreft. The foundation aims to make personalized exercise part of cancer treatment from the moment of diagnosis. Research shows that physical activity can be an important part of treatment before, during and after cancer treatment. According to the foundation, exercise can reduce side effects, strengthen body and mind, and improve quality of life.

– It gives a completely different meaning, says Haugvad.

– You see people along the course who have it much tougher than you. Some run without arms. Some with prosthetics. Some take ten hours, and get just as much applause the whole way.

He pauses for a moment.

– Then it becomes pretty easy to stick with it when it starts to hurt.

For Vold, the connection is even more personal.

– I have felt it on my own body. What physical activity can do when you are undergoing cancer treatment.

– Being able to take part and make that message visible means a lot.

With Swix on the team

The commitment doesn't stop with the runners. Swix chose to donate 20 kroner for every RaceX garment sold from June to September to Aktiv mot kreft.

Read more about RaceX on this page.

– It's quite exemplary, says Haugvad.

– We're talking about more than 200,000 kroner raised. Imagine if more companies did the same.

It also adds an extra dimension to the role of ambassador.

– You represent something more than yourself, says Vold.

Tips for others running a marathon

Once you have found the motivation to run a marathon, there is a lot that needs to fall into place. Alongside training, the choice of clothing is an important factor. Because in the middle of a big city with millions of spectators and a body at breaking point, there is little room for mistakes.

– The most important thing is that you don't have to think about your gear, says Vold.

– If you lose nutrition because the pockets don't work, or get chafing – the race is over.

He is clear about what matters: – It has to be light, comfortable and functional. Pockets that actually work. A fit that sits right. And I like it to look good too.

Haugvad agrees:

– Nothing can chafe. That's the most important thing. There can't be seams where there's friction.

That's exactly what Swix has thought about.

– And then there are the small details, like the gels sitting close to the thigh in their pocket and not dangling. You notice that after 30 kilometers.

Both run in the new collection from Swix. Short tights and a singlet were the choice for both in an unusually warm NY Marathon.

How to manage 42 kilometers

Top athlete Eivind Vold and super recreational athlete Lars Haugvad have different approaches when running a marathon.

Haugvad runs mostly on feel.

– I have a structure underneath, he says.

– But a lot is decided along the way. I like to keep it a bit playful.

But you can't get away from the fact that at some point it starts to hurt.

– I start to sing, says Haugvad and laughs.

– Or count kilometers. Or just breathe my way through it.

Vold does it his way. What drives him forward is feeling progress after a tough period of illness and rehabilitation.

– After I got sick, it's mostly about doing things I find fun, says Vold.

– Being able to stand on a starting line again. That's really the biggest thing.

News: Both Lars and Eivind ran in Swix's new running collection, which you can read more about here.