Johannes Thingnes Bø retired from biathlon in March. Now he’s making his debut at Birken – and fans are calling for a comeback.

On March 23 this year, Johannes Thingnes Bø ended his biathlon career after nearly 15 years on the World Cup circuit. Just a few weeks later, he debuted in a half marathon at the prestigious Grue-løpene (Grue Races). And now, he’s doing it again. On Saturday, June 14, the biathlon star is set to run the Birken Fjellmaraton (Birken Mountain Marathon).

Thingnes Bø is one of 356 registered participants. The Birken Fjellmaraton is one of two distances that are fully booked for the first time in the event’s history. The 42-kilometer trail race starts at Sjusjøen at 08:30 and finishes at Håkons Hall in Lillehammer.

Switching Sports

When Thingnes Bø retired in March, he joked that his plan was to lie on the couch and get fat.

That’s not how things turned out. Immediately afterward, he sold the roller ski treadmill that had occupied his basement living room for years – he wouldn’t be needing it anymore. Now, the 32-year-old has found a new sport: running. The biathlon star is now working with the German sports giant Adidas.

At his half-marathon debut in Grue on May 1, just a few weeks after ending his biathlon career, he clocked a highly respectable 1:20:19, finishing 77th overall. He admitted he was a little disappointed to miss his dream goal of 1:20 by 19 seconds, but didn’t realize it until later.

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Fans Beg for a Comeback

After Johannes Thingnes Bø announced his partnership with Adidas, fans began begging him to return to biathlon. But the 32-year-old is keeping his cards close to his chest.

“I retired because I didn’t have time to train. And look at me now: I have time to train because I retired,” Thingnes Bø wrote on Instagram earlier this spring.

Running Fever among Former Athletes

Thingnes Bø isn’t the only athlete to catch the running bug after stepping away from the World Cup.

During his race debut at the Grue Half Marathon, the biathlon star crossed paths with Hans Christer Holund, who retired after the 2023 World Championship season.

For the 34-year-old from Nittedal, his results really took off after he shifted from half marathons to 10-kilometer races. He’s now racking personal bests, and in Grue, the former cross-country skier finished 4th overall in the 10km, smashing his previous PB from the Drammen 10K in April by almost 30 seconds.

Tiril Eckhoff has also laced up her running shoes since retiring. In September, she made her debut at the Oslo Marathon, finishing among the top 50 women.

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