2013 Vasa Cross Country Running Festival will kick off on June 23. 5,000 participants from home and abroad will then gather together in Jingyuetan, Changchun.
The 37-year-old Anders Hogberg from Sweden is not the only one with ambitions for the champion this year. But he is one of the most competitive runners. He took part in 2011 Vasa Running Festival and won the champion of 2012 Vasaloppet China. Wish his dream come true this year.
Q: Vasa running has become a classic one among China’s sports events, how do you feel about this?
A: I feel very happy, and I will enjoy it tomorrow. It will be a very exciting race. I took part in this festival two years ago and I think the environment in the park is fantastic. I like everything about the woods.
Q: Are you confident on running this year? Do you think your previous experience will help you this year?
A: I will try, of course. But I think it will be hard. The first thing I have to do is to recover from the heat.
Q: Do you have regular training in your daily life?
A: Yeah, I have. I train about 10-12 times per week for 20 km once.
Q: What’s your personal best record? When and where did you make it?
A: I won the Vasaloppet for 3 times. That’s a pretty good record. Then I’ve been No.5 in the world championship.
Q: Compared with other events, what are the differences between Vasa running festival and others?
A: It’s a big event, and it’s very nice to be with Chinese people. Compared with other events, Vasa is pretty big, and there are a lot of people. In Sweden, the festival may be a little bigger because it has a long history. Hope China’s race will continue to grow in the future and be almost as big as Sweden.
Q: Could you give some advice to the people who want to take part in Vasa running?
A: Almost everyone can run. If you want to make a record, just join the big show and enjoy it.
