When I think of Scandinavia, few negative things come to mind. The few hours of sunshine in winter and some organisational shortcomings at the Helsinki Marathon are honestly the only points that come to mind spontaneously. So it's a cool thing that I made it to Finland and was able to run a successful marathon at the Helsinki Marathon 2023.

The course of the Helsinki Marathon with start and finish on the coast a few kilometres south of the city centre was supposed to be a real challenge for me. On a ten-kilometre circuit, which had to be completed three times, it was sometimes quite tight when lapping slower runners and starters of other distances. In addition, there were some short climbs, turning points and sharp bends as well as an additional section of the course between five and 16 kilometres, which I perceived as very unrhythmic. But all that didn't stop me from just doing my best. After I had been in third place for a long time, I was able to move up one place after 31 kilometres, so I was able to finish in second place after 2:33:59 hours. Pure emotional outburst!

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