The idea had been in his mind during his memorable cross-country career.

“It has long been tempting for me to run a marathon once in my life,” says Cologna to Langrenn.com.

“Although I have given up on the elite sport, I still like to train and was looking for a new challenge. But I wanted to do something other than cross-country skiing.”

“The goal is to run as fast as possible when I stand on the start line in the London Marathon in October. I think between 2:30 and 2:40 is realistic. But I’m not going to invest all my time in training. I see myself as an ambitious recreational runner. Therefore, there is no exact plan either. But I will do it with New Balance and Dæhlie as partners.”

Otherwise, Dario Cologna works a lot with sponsors, and he has also started a book project, writing a biography about his life and career. Moreover, he will soon start further education. In addition, he reveals some exciting projects that will soon become more concrete.

At the launch of the new Team Aker Dæhlie, it was revealed that the superstar skier from Switzerland would be one of the team’s ambassadors.

“First and foremost, I am an ambassador for Dæhlie. I will be with Team Aker Dæhlie this winter as a mentor. But at the moment, I have no ambitions to ski fast. For that, I spent just too little time on rollerskis.”

Now the four-time Olympic champion is starting to feel that it has been a few months since he retired from top sports. Although he enjoys the time he has been given to his family, Cologna also dares to start a new sporting project – to run the London Marathon on October 2.

The seasoned cross-country star will be a newcomer to the marathon distance. It remains to be seen whether he can tackle the legendary distance of 42,195km with other 45,000 participants.

The project came about when Cologna became an ambassador for a sports equipment manufacturer in June. This contract with the shoe brand New Balance gave him the starting place in England after the marathon events in New York and Berlin were also initially up for debate.

It won’t just be a leisurely jog in London for Cologna.

“I want to run a good time,” says Cologna and cites the ambitious time of 2:30:00 as a goal.

For reference, the marathon world record is 2:01:39.

The last time the London Marathon was held, with over 21.000 runners, only 87 men finished in under two and a half hours.

“It is certainly a high goal, but the top athlete in me still pushes me through tough goals and workouts.”

Of course, the Swiss native has good stamina. But the winter sports icon knows that a marathon cannot be compared to cross-country skiing.

“Running on the asphalt is completely different. In addition, it is uncertain how my legs will react to hours of running.”

“I will train moderately and maybe run a half-marathon well before my marathon debut,” says Dario.

“I respect the distance. After 30 or 35 kilometers, I have no idea how my body will react, concludes Dario Cologna.