The Oslo Marathon was arranged this year as a virtual race. Thousands of runners around the country took part in one of the distances. The event aims to be a low-threshold event. Regardless of the prerequisite, you must be able to participate. Every year, the Oslo Marathon has its own wheelchair distance in the streets of Oslo, as well as its own para classes.

Covid-19 has put a stop to many activities and events, but it takes more to stop a 36-year-old from Bergen. Jon-Einar Sand lives in Åsane, and has been a wheelchair user for 13 years. This year he wanted to challenge himself a little extra, he wanted to complete the marathon distance, in a wheelchair.

I like to challenge myself and often look for new challenges. I also think it is important to let people see that wheelchair users can also participate in such events. Sport makes me stronger both mentally and physically, which comes in handy in a hectic everyday life, says Jon-Einar Sand.

The 36-year-old man from Bergen has an active everyday life, and is not unfamiliar with signing up for races. During the Bergen City Marathon, he was simply not completely satisfied.

I signed up for the Bergen City Marathon earlier this year, but I must admit that I was not completely happy with my time then, says Sand.

This gave motivation to sign up for the Oslo Marathon Virtual Edition. Here he could get another chance to improve his time. Jon-Einar is keen to show that sitting in a wheelchair does not have to be an obstacle, on the contrary. Sand prepared well before he set out again on the marathon distance.

I have a fairly active everyday life from before, says Sand. In the last weeks before the Oslo Marathon, I trained more endurance and intervals. In addition, I also took two tactical rest days on Thursday and Friday before the marathon, to have "a little extra in mind" Sand explains.

The Oslo Marathon invests heavily in facilitation and inclusion with its own couple classes and a completely separate 10-kilometer race for wheelchairs is on the program every year.

We invest an enormous amount of time and resources to facilitate so that everyone can participate in the Oslo Marathon regardless of physical conditions. Some of the measures we do in terms of event technology are to build an arena on Rådhusplassen that is unplanned where participants and the public with disabilities can easily get there. Everything we do must be adapted, says Edwin Ingebrigtsen in the Oslo Marathon.

Rare disease became difficult to detect

Jon-Einar has not always been a wheelchair user. In my early 20s, life changed. He had to undergo surgery for a rare tumor. But the road there took a long time.

I got a tumor in my neck that probably started growing in my teens, Sand explains. I was then so unlucky that it was a rare disease, in addition, it developed abnormally so the doctors did not find the tumor. Much of the reason was that they did not know what they were looking for. The disease was very rare and thus the diagnosis I have was "unlikely", says Sand

It was only when I was 22 years old that I found a doctor who looked for more unusual causes. By the time the tumor was found, it had grown so large that it had caused permanent damage to the spinal cord. It took me a couple of years to find the sport after the operation, but it is thanks to this that I can now do things I did not even dare to dream about before. One of these dreams was to complete a marathon, says Jon-Einar Sand enthusiastically.

Quiz and physics

It is not only participations in major national races that the 36-year-old from Bergen is interested in. Although sports and exercise are an important part of everyday life, he also likes to exercise his brain!

When I'm not playing sports, I like to play board games and role-playing games. I also love quizzes, both as a participant and as an organizer. Challenging the body is one thing, but the head must also be involved. Which is also a bit of a reason why I also have a great interest in astronomy and physics, something I am constantly trying to learn more about, says Sand.

An inspiration for us all - More races await

The Oslo Marathon will always be an arena for development, mastery and unity. Initiatives taken by Jon-Einar Sand impress the organizer.

When we heard that Jon-Einar wanted to participate in a marathon in a wheelchair, we were very impressed. It requires a lot of training and willpower. The history of Sand has inspired us to continue to develop the event and confirm our position as an inclusive race where everyone can participate, says Edwin Ingebrigtsen on behalf of the Oslo Marathon

We can expect to see a lot of Jon-Einar in the future. Several races are planned and he would like to participate in physical races, when everything has reopened.

Initially, the next race is October 16. I also want to try myself at the Bergen City Marathon again next year, which can be a bit challenging due to many altitude meters, and the route the race goes through. It would have been fun to take part in the Oslo Marathon again next year as well, especially if they open up for wheelchair users to the full marathon. Maybe also look at the possibility of the triple, an exciting challenge, concludes Jon-Einar Sand

Jon-Einar sand clocked in at 3:35:24 on his 42,195 meters. An achievement that deserves respect.