Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.
Yr.no promises so much. Among other things, on Friday evening they promised that at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning it would be dry, calm and sunny in Toftir. So all there was to do was look forward to this year’s Winter Series getting under way. But breakfast this morning was badly disturbed by the sleet lashing against the window. It was dark, cold and uninviting before the long drive in to Skálafjørður and out to Toftir. But runners, and especially winter runners, are a hardy breed, so there’s no such thing as staying at home.
There was some drizzle up north. But the closer the car got to Toftir, the better the weather became, and when the race was finally started, the running weather was as good as it gets. Four girls and two boys started on Rituvíkarvegur, at the same time as 57 men and women set off in Neshagi, up onto Agnið.
13-year-old Gunnar Sivertsen from Treysti ran very well and crossed the line in an excellent time of 18:45 min, 4 min ahead of last year’s winner, Steingrímur Hallsson, who got a stitch and had to walk part of the course. Oddly enough, Gunnar’s winning time was exactly the same as Steingrímur’s winning time last year. Oddvør Josephsen has only just become old enough to run in the Winter Series, and she was keen to show the older girls what she is made of. She went out hard and led out past Saltnes. Then her strength began to fade, and Sára Debesardóttir from Bragdið managed to get past her. With a time of 21:20, Sára improved on last year’s time by two minutes! Oddvør crossed the line 19 seconds later in 21:39. Rutt Gregersen from Treysti was also running her first Winter Series race, and with a time of 22:57 she took bronze ahead of Hildur Poulsen, who, like Sára, cut a full two minutes off last year’s time.
Sára Debesardóttir won the girls’ category and at the same time cut a full two minutes off last year’s time.
It turned into a three-man group that set the pace up onto Agnið. The returning Marnar Djurhuus, who was running his first race since the Faroese Half Marathon Championships in the spring, the in-form Marnar Pattinson from Treysti and Niels Poulsen from Bragdið. Although a group with Guttorm Sørensen, Rúni Seloy, Einar Gregersen and Regin Joensen chased them well up the hill, there was no one who could trouble Marnar Djurhuus. Although his training has not yet amounted to much after a summer of injury, his 37:24 min was just seven seconds off last year’s winning time. Marnar Pattinson showed great strength and finished second in 38:48. His goal was to get under 40 minutes for the first time, so this was a dream race for him. Niels Poulsen also smashed the 40-minute barrier and took a fine third place in 39:13.
Marnar Pattinson had a very good day. Silver in the open category.
There was no great excitement about first place among the women. The only junior woman today, Rebekka Fuglø, was also the clear winner in 46:16. No. 2 in 49:16 was Tórvør Vang, who beat the veteran Ella Áarstein, 49:54. Ella did, however, clearly win the women’s veteran race. Here Lydia Gardar was No. 2 in 54:43 and Elin í Haraldsstovu No. 3 in 56:31.
Ella Áarstein crosses the line with a powerful sprint. She won two medals.
Usually the leading men’s veterans have mixed it up pretty well in the race for the open category. And with seven newly promoted veterans, it was conceivable that the trend would continue. But not today. The strong veterans Henry Olsen and Borgar Biskopstø were not taking part today, so it was a rather younger group than usual that made up the front. Indeed, a full four juniors were ahead of the first veteran! It was of course Marnar Djurhuus who won the junior category. Rúni Seloy was No. 2. He was not far off bronze in the open category, where he was No. 4 in 39:31. Einar Gregersen from Treysti took the bronze. He also ran well and was No. 6 in the open category in 40:39. Junior No. 4 was Regin Joensen. He too had a good day and was No. 7 in the open category.
There was not much between the veterans who made it onto the podium. They were No. 8, 11 and 12 in the open category. First was the newly promoted Hallur Holm in 41:50 min, then came Heini Gregersen in 42:38, and third was Debes H. Christiansen in 42:50. The super-veterans have also got new competition now that Pól Sundskarð has turned 55. He took the lead, but at the sports hall in Runavík, Jens R. Weihe went past him and won yet another victory in the super-veterans’ category. Jóannes Ortind was No. 3 in a battle with Gunnar Simonsen. The times for the three of them were 43:05, 43:21 and 49:16.
After the race there was a get-together with coffee, cakes and the medal ceremony at the school. Thanks to Arnfinn and co for the excellent hospitality, thanks to Nes Municipality for the medals, and thanks to Gutti and Ingun for a really well-organised event. Thanks to all the runners for a good day. The next round of the Winter Series will be on 8 December
Good company and good chat. Coffee, cake and medals. A lovely time at the school after the battle was over.
Arnfinn truly earned a medal today. Behind him, it’s Niels Poulsen who is smiling.
You CAN lie your way out of your birth certificate. Pól, Jens and Jóannes – young men in the oldest age group.
