The former biathlete Kevin Ramsfjell embarked on the longest run of his life. Over the course of 16 days, the 24-year-old will run 1350 kilometres, the equivalent of two marathons a day. That’s four times longer than his longest run so far.

At 6:00 CET on Monday, September 2, Ramsfjell started from the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. By Tuesday, September 17, he aims to arrive in Rome. The distance is 1350 kilometres, with daily stages of 84 kilometres.

This is four times the length and three times the distance of Kevin Ramsfjell’s longest run to date: last year’s project “Norway Across.” Then, he ran 475 kilometres in four and a half days.

While last year’s run was mostly through rough terrain, this time he will be running exclusively on asphalt.

For the past 20 weeks, Ramsfjell has been running an average of 200 kilometres per week, and some weeks even more. He has also been training in heat, running on a treadmill with heavy clothing and a heater to help his body better tolerate heat.

Since Ramsfjell finalized his project in the spring, he has been training and experimenting with everything from nutrition and equipment to schedules for breaks and sock changes.

“I test a lot of shoes, so I have about 30-40 pairs at home at any given time. But I’ll bring seven or eight pairs on the trip”, says Ramsfjell to Langrenn.com.

Among them, some have carbon soles and others are traditional training shoes, and he has a clear plan for when to use each pair. Every 20 to 30 kilometres, he changes shoes to vary the stress on his legs and thus reduce the risk of injury.

“I’ll start the day with regular training shoes and run the first 30 kilometres in them. Then I’ll switch to carbon shoes for the rest of the day”, says Ramsfjell, adding:

“I’ll also run the first 30 kilometres without music, then allow myself to listen to music for the rest of the stage, and only have healthy snacks. But after 30 kilometres, I’ll take a break for a chocolate drink and a bun. So, the first part of the day will be with less comfortable shoes, no music, and not-so-great food, and the rest of the day will be more of a treat. That way, I have something to look forward to along the way, which is important mentally.”

7000 Calories a Day

Ramsfjell has meticulously calculated everything regarding his nutrition: what to eat, how often to eat, how the food should be prepared, and how much he needs to consume. When he ran Norway Across last year, he struggled to get enough food to meet his energy needs.

“Last year, I lost six kilos in four days. I can’t afford to do the same this year. I’ve calculated that I burn about 6000 calories a day, so I’ve set up a meal plan that provides me with around 7000 calories daily. I need to balance my energy.”

Ramsfjell has also changed his diet since last year.

“I eat much healthier now compared to before, with much less sugar, less candy and chocolate, and more regular food. I’ve noticed it gives me more consistent energy levels and that I sleep better.”

What will your daily menu look like on the trip?

“Breakfast will be 300 grams of rice with jam. Then I’ll start running almost immediately after. Along the way, I’ll take in nutrients every 20 minutes, like a banana, a box of raisins, a slice of bread, or a nutritional drink”, says Ramsfjell, adding:

“After 50 kilometres, I’ll take a longer break with a proper meal, something like “real outdoor food.” When I continue running, I’ll keep eating every 20 minutes until I reach my daily destination. When I arrive, I’ll have dinner, which will be chicken and rice, with little sauce or side dishes, as they can cause stomach problems.”

A week before departure, Ramsfjell was unexpectedly relaxed.

“All preparations have actually gone smoothly. I’ve trained exactly as planned and gained the experience I hoped for. Now I’m just looking forward to getting started, feeling that my body is in shape, and enjoying the experience with my brother, who is part of the crew, and my father, who will be driving the motorhome.”

The story continues below.

Focus on Mental Health

Extreme, long-distance challenges have become a summer tradition for the determined Rogaland native.

In 2022, he crossed Norway on roller skis: 2600 kilometres from Nordkapp to Lindesnes. The goal was to break the record by a considerable margin: The existing record was 21 days, and Ramsfjell completed it in an astonishing ten days and ten hours, having covered some stages of over 480 kilometers.

Also Read – Roller skiing across Norway: Kevin Ramsfjell talks about the roller ski record  

Last year, he ran across Norway, 475 kilometres from Bergen to Oslo, in four and a half days. This year, it’s the 1350 kilometres from Paris to Rome in 16 days that is on the agenda.

The purpose of this extreme running stunt is to raise awareness for a cause that Ramsfjell is passionate about: Mental health issues in sports.

The psychological strain was the reason Ramsfjell retired from biathlon three years ago. He experienced a mental breakdown. Many of his fellow athletes have also retired, some due to the psychological pressure. Ramsfjell also knows several biathletes who have taken their own lives in recent years.

Now, he will run two marathons a day for over two weeks to raise funds for the organization Mental Helse Ungdom. His goal is to raise half a million kroner.

“For me, this is an opportunity to use sports for something unselfish and to harness the power of sports to create engagement for something much bigger. It motivates me to push a little harder every day while I’m out there. Such projects are a battle with the mind, says the former biathlete.”

“I hope I can help show that you can achieve things you didn’t think were possible. It provides a sense of accomplishment and confidence, which in turn makes you a stronger and better person”, says Kevin Brekken Ramsfjell.

You can follow and support the Ramsfjell project HERE  and you can find more about Mental Health Youth HERE.