Bergen City Marathon, News | Volunteers will be on duty at Bryggen tonight: – At least I’ll get four hours of sleep!

– We have sold a few thousand of these. And there will probably be a few thousand more, says Ole Risan, showing some pink bags with a liquid gel inside.

Energy jelly, for those who need a top-up of carbohydrates during the race, he explains.

This seems to be the big trend this year. If you are going to run a full marathon, the two salespeople behind the counter recommend six to eight packs. That is why they have sold such huge quantities, they believe.

On Friday, Risan and his colleague stand in Vikinghallen behind Bryggen. In addition to having a sports fair where they sell equipment, starting numbers are also distributed to the 14,800 people who will run the Bergen City Marathon (BCM) on Saturday. It is by no means the calm before the storm for TIF Viking, which organizes the race.

This year a participant record was set by a large margin. The previous record was 13,200. This year, the interest has been so great that the main manager, Roger Gjelsvik, believes that even more people would have participated if they had more starting numbers.

Never rest for Roger

Gjelsvik has barely slept in the last week.

A little because he is excited before Saturday, but mostly because there is so much to do. He estimates that around 500 people are volunteers around BCM, and on race day alone 400 are on the move.

– A lot to do. Full drive. Never quiet, says he, who has to keep the volume on his mobile phone high because it rings every five minutes.

– Daytime Friday, right now, it’s mostly arms and legs. Now everyone must have a starting number, the sports fair is going on, we will get fences, lifts, equipment on the slopes – everything will be supplied by various suppliers. This must be accepted, carried out, organised… And then there are many questions. Now it’s a lot at once.

He can’t complain about how busy it is. Because he really likes it, he who is both general manager of TIF Viking and works for Olympiatoppen.

As soon as BCM is over, he goes to Oslo to work on the Olympics in Paris. Then he goes with the para-cyclists to Belgium. Then he is going to work in Spain. Then he will organize the Bergen Mountain Marathon.

Fortunately, he gets good help for BCM in any case.

– There are so many good volunteers. They do such a good job that I have time to stand here and talk to you.

– Never experienced a bigger pull

Randi Haatuft, Annbjørg Fadnes Kyrkjebø and Jorunn Eide Olsen are three of Gjelsvik’s good helpers. They are handing out T-shirts inside the Viking Hall, which they encourage the participants to wear on Saturday.

– We are part of a 40-year-old jogging group. We still meet and train once or twice a week, says Haatuft.

On Saturday, they will not run, but rather be guards. They have been many times before.

– We have never experienced as much pressure as this year! Yesterday there was a queue far outside the venue here, and it will probably be exactly the same today, say the three on Friday morning.

Down at Bryggen, Tom Pedersen is ready to receive 1,600 meters of fences that will frame the route along the main road. Like Gjelsvik, he has also organized the race in the 12 years it has existed. He hasn’t gotten bored. Even though it’s a lot of work, it’s fun, he thinks.

– Rumor has it that I’m going back here at four o’clock tonight, he says and looks across the Bryggen.

– Four?!

– Yes, I’ll be here until midnight tonight – and then I’ll have about four hours of sleep. Then I get up to join the rigging for the rest tonight, says Pedersen.

Among other things, the orange arch that marks the goal must be erected on the night of Saturday.

And a large group will do that together with Pedersen. Gjelsvik is delighted that his sports team can keep up year after year. This year they will provide the biggest folk festival in a long time. The participant record has thus surpassed the previous record by 1,600!

Although it’s a lot of work, it’s definitely worth it, the boss thinks.

Now it’s heading towards a last night of vigilance for Gjelsvik, who can hopefully take a few hours off on Sunday after months with their nerves in high gear.