Kevin Brekken Ramsfjell is kilometers ahead of schedule. Almost a full day ahead of schedule for the record attempt of crossing Norway on rollerskis in 13 days: 2.600 kilometers and more than 30.000 meters of altitude gain.

After seven stages, the 22-year-old has covered 1.576 kilometers, while the schedule is “only” 1.400 kilometers. This even though not a day has gone by without rain and headwind. 

“New day with rain. Lots of rain. There was a lot of good asphalt, so it was a quick stage,” writes Ramsfjell on social media after day six: the 230km long stage from Mo i Rana to Trones.

Even though the progress is impressive, and Ramsfjell is almost a day ahead of schedule, after seven out of 13 days, he is now starting to feel the load. 

The body is still undamaged, the equipment holds up, and he has avoided accidents. But just over 200km on rollerskis every day is physically and mentally demanding. And in the first week of the record attempt, Ramsfjell has not managed to sleep more than three to five hours daily. 

On the stage from Trones to Hommelvik on Friday, July 22, Ramsfjell felt the effect of the sleep deficit.

“After the start at 11 pm, I was about to hit the ground because I was so sleepy. I took 20 minutes stop and 200mg of caffeine,” he says and reports that it did the trick. 

“I felt better than ever afterward. Now I’m waiting for a day with dry roads.” 

There is also more traffic as Ramsfjell moves south. Therefore, Ramsfjell also met the police on Friday morning. 

“It was from Stjørdal to Trondheim. There I spoke with the police because of many calls that I was going on the E6, but there are no other alternatives on this stretch,” says Ramsfjell. 

This is the record attempt

To fulfill the goal of reaching the finish line in 13 days, the 22-year-old plans to rollerski daily stages of 200km without rest days. The plan is to rollerski about 10 hours per day, breaks not included. Then he must have an average speed of 20 km/h to keep track. 

Thirteen days and 200 km per day is an ambitious and tight schedule, and therefore Ramsfjell has chosen a route that follows the fastest, straightest roads from north to south. 

“I really only took the distance 2600 kilometers and divided it by 13 to get a round number to relate to. 200km is a round number, and 10 hours a day is a round number,” says Ramsfjell to Langrenn.com. 

The route is almost identical to the one that ultra-running legend Simen Holvik followed when he set a world record for running the stretch last summer. Holvik spent 26 days. 

FACTS: Rollerskiing Across Norway 2022

• Who: Kevin Brekken Ramsfjell (22)
• What: Set a new record for crossing Norway on rollerskis
• When: July 16-28, 2022
• Route: Nordkapp to Lindesnes 
• Distance: 2600 kilometers 
• Altitude gain: 30,000+ 
• Duration: 13 days 
• Current record for the stretch: 21 days, set in 2021 (Ståle Samuelsen, 63 years)
• How: 13 stages of 200km, daily sessions of 10 hours, average speed 20km/h