Deadlifts, Diapers, and a Sub-4-Hour Marathon: Meet Ludvig Hahnsson
Completing a marathon is a big deal. Being a parent is a big deal. PRing your squat is a big deal. Doing all of these three things at the same time is extraordinary.
Just ask Ludvig Hahnsson.
Hahnsson has been training in CrossFit for nearly 10 years, participating in his first Open in 2017. Before that, his main fitness activity was running; he completed four marathons between 2014 and 2016.
Hahnsson and his wife, Neea, welcomed their daughter, Estel, last September, and since then, the family has been working on including their daughter in as many physical activities as possible.
- “I asked on social whether I should aim to go sub-four hours in a marathon running with a stroller. I got great feedback,” Hahnsson told the Morning Chalk Up in an interview, “but one friend said he didn’t want to see me trade strength and CrossFit performance for endurance in long-distance running capacity.”
This compelled Hahnsson to think creatively and explore new possibilities.
- “I thought that if I could maintain a 230kg (507 pounds) deadlift and a 200kg (440 pounds) back squat and run a sub-four-hour marathon inside 24 hours, that would be a solid combination,” Hahnsson said.
As he trained, he also helped fellow Finnish athlete Jonne Koski prepare for the CrossFit Games – it wasn’t just his own fitness he was working on. “It was not only up to me that we could finish this in under four hours,” he said.
- “We have aimed to build stamina for Estel in the stroller so that she would be as prepared as possible for a four-hour session,” he said. “I was quite positive we would manage the four hours, but you never know for sure with small kids.”
The day before he was scheduled to take on the marathon, a little over a week ago, Hahnsson was at the gym.
He hit a 232kg (511 pounds) deadlift, a 205kg (451 pounds) back squat, and completed 21 unbroken ring muscle-ups, just for good measure. Then he spent the rest of his day prepping the stroller.
On race day, Hahnsson attached two bottle holders with zip ties to the handle of the stroller (for him), then placed a bag of baby food and the diaper bag on the stroller’s shelf. Estel also had her water bottle and favorite toys with her. Hahnsson brought a bag of her favorite snacks, which he handed out at points along the race.
- Hahnsson: “She only slept for 35 minutes at the beginning of the run, and I got a bit scared that she would get bored later. She usually sleeps very well in the stroller.”
But Estel ended up knocking it out of the park. The team had to stop twice for feeding and once for a diaper change, which ultimately took 8-9 minutes.
Hahnsson and his daughter crossed the finish line in under four hours (3:41:39), both with big smiles on their faces.
- “I’m so proud of how good Estel was in the stroller. She got so excited from all the cheers and started clapping whenever she heard music or saw other people clapping. She’s only 11 months old, and I don’t think that many have been involved in completing a marathon at that age.”
Credit: @lahahnsson / Instagram
