Swedish ultrarunner Ida Nilsson has been a family title in ultra-trail operating since her tour de power season of 2016, which noticed her win the Transvulcania Ultramarathon, the Mont-Blanc Marathon, the Run the Rut 50k, and The North Face 50 Mile Championships — to call however just a few.
A lifelong athlete, at that time in her profession she had already received two NCAA Division I titles in American collegiate athletics, competed within the European Athletics Championships and the World Athletics Championships within the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and competed at ski mountaineering.
Nilsson’s profession has been hampered many instances by damage. Her newest return from damage — which noticed her place second on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k and win the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k — reveals how a lot potential lies forward for the now 42-year-old. I caught up along with her within the remaining weeks of her preparation for her first 100 miler — the suitably iconic 2023 Western States 100.
Ida Nilsson was actually, actually proud of second place on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Nilsson, who now lives within the mountains of Norway, grew up on the southeast coast of Sweden, which she describes as, “an excellent flat place, we don’t also have a 50-meter hill!”
A toddler of operating dad and mom, Nilsson ran her first race at simply 5 years previous, and mentioned: “It began with leaping within the children’ race when my dad and mom have been doing a race, and likewise I did monitor and area with the native membership. I did all occasions, and we had a follow or two every week. It acquired steadily extra severe as I acquired older, I began to run extra.”
Nilsson was enrolled in a operating program for highschool, the place she had the chance to run with a coach and to hone her craft in a supportive atmosphere, alongside different younger individuals who wished to pursue the game at a better degree. Following on from this, she earned a scholarship to attend Northern Arizona College in Flagstaff, Arizona — a spot she has fashioned a detailed affinity with, and has been going again to ever since.
Again in Flagstaff for her 2023 Western States 100 coaching block on the time of our dialog, she mentioned: “I used to be at college right here [Flagstaff] between 2001 and 2005 and it was an excellent good expertise. It’s fairly distinctive how monitor and area is structured inside faculty within the U.S. and the way you compete with a workforce and do cross nation. I actually loved the expertise, I had good years, and developed. At the moment Flagstaff didn’t have so many professional groups. Again then it was just a few lone runners and college groups. Now it’s simply exploded, so many runners!”
Nilsson loved a profitable school operating profession and mentioned: “I received just a few a nationwide titles. After which I used to be like, Now I need to go to the world championships, Olympics, and maintain going. And I did, I went to at least one world championships and one European championships [for the 3,000-meter steeplechase] the years after that.”
A younger Ida Nilsson competing on the 3,000-meter steeplechase for Northern Arizona College. Picture courtesy of Ida Nilsson.
Sadly, a stress fracture sustained after the world championships set off a cycle of accidents for Nilsson, which might threaten to chop quick her promising profession. She mentioned: “It began out that I acquired a stress fracture within the navicular bone after the world championships. I acquired again the following yr to the European championships, nevertheless it began a foul cycle of accidents after that … I moved to Gothenburg in Sweden, so I used to be coaching with folks there. I did race nevertheless it was somewhat bit inconsistent, and I by no means did an Olympics as a result of I acquired injured proper earlier than 2008. It simply stored going for some years, then I acquired a severe stress fracture in my hip joint in 2009.”
Initially Nilsson took eight months off operating to permit the damage to heal, however upon trying to renew within the spring of 2010, she discovered that it was nonetheless too painful. Believing the damage to be continual, Nilsson hung up her racing sneakers, with little hope of returning. She mentioned: “The primary yr, all the things damage. It was exhausting to even go swimming, biking, or do something as a result of it was fixed ache. After a yr, it was advantageous, I might do regular straightforward stuff, like go for hikes and regular life. I acquired used to that, I used to be working a number of seasonal jobs and touring in between. I used to be mountain climbing whereas touring and performing some cross-country snowboarding and I labored in Norway doing winter seasons.” Nilsson remained optimistic all through and mentioned, “I acquired into the outside life extra and that was good as a result of I all the time favored to maneuver in nature,” however added, “I believe I assumed I wouldn’t run once more. It was so dangerous I couldn’t even jog.”
In 2013, so as to spend extra time open air, Nilsson began a nature information program in Åre, Sweden. She mentioned: “Round that point my hip was good once more and so I began to run. Then the following yr I acquired a job in northern Sweden. I skied after which within the winter ran some. And I began to really feel this urge to coach extra once more.”
It was then that Nilsson first found the game of ski mountaineering. She mentioned, “I did a [ski-mountaineering] race within the north of Sweden. And Emelie [Forsberg] and Kilian [Jornet] got here and did it as properly so it was actually cool to see them.”
Ida Nilsson (left), Emelie Forsberg, and Mimmi Kotka. Picture: Moonvalley
Nilsson was bitten by the skimo bug and mentioned, “I simply thought it was such a enjoyable sport and I needed to be taught it higher. So I made a decision to maneuver to Chamonix, France, the following winter.” There she skilled at ski mountaineering by way of the winter of 2015/2016 — along with her lifelong buddy and now enterprise companion, Forsberg. On the similar time, as her return to operating was progressing on the facet, Forsberg inspired her to strive her hand at ultra-trail operating.
Ida Nilsson pushing exhausting in a 2018 Worldwide Ski Mountaineering Federation World Cup occasion in Andorra. Picture: David Arino
In 2015 Nilsson debuted with a win a the Fjällmaraton in Sweden, adopted two weeks later by a second-place end on the Ultravasan 90k. This was only a preview of what was to return, as the next yr she would start to take the path operating world by storm — successful amongst others the Transvulcania Ultramarathon on three consecutive years (2016 and 2017 interviews), The North Face 50 Mile Championships twice (2016 and 2017 interviews), and the Zegama Marathon in 2018.
Her success continued unabated till 2019, when she determined to pursue a street marathon early within the yr. She mentioned, “It felt like a very good challenge for the early spring. I used to be coaching up in Flagstaff, coaching was going rather well, possibly went somewhat bit too properly too shortly! After which this navicular bone in the identical foot as 15 years in the past broke in the course of the race — 25k in — so I couldn’t end.”
Ida Nilsson successful the 2016 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Sadly, it was an damage Nilsson was all too aware of, and he or she knew that it might take a while to heal. She waited it out for the rest of the yr, however mentioned: “I observed the next spring once I began to run, it nonetheless didn’t really feel so good. I actually thought one thing was nonetheless flawed. And likewise, it was in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was tough to get assist as a result of it wasn’t actually a precedence — this operating damage I inflicted on myself!”
Finally, after searching for assist by way of a personal sports activities clinic, Nilsson underwent two surgical procedures on her foot and will lastly look ahead to rebuilding. She mentioned, “It was like beginning over once more, and over 40, and feeling not so good! Lastly, the next yr I might run once more nevertheless it was largely uphill, downhill was nonetheless tough for me. And final yr was good, however then I acquired COVID-19 to start with of the yr.”
The lingering results of COVID-19 spoiled various races for Nilsson. However lastly, towards the top of the yr on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k in Thailand, she made a dramatic comeback — inserting second after main for a lot of the day. She mentioned:
“I went to Nepal earlier than, and I believe the altitude actually helped me. And eventually I felt regular once more. I observed the primary uphill and I used to be like, Wow, that is the way it used to really feel. It’s presupposed to really feel straightforward to start with once you do an 80k … I hadn’t had that feeling for a few years.”
Nilsson crept up the sphere earlier than taking the lead — with reigning champion, France’s Blandine L’Hirondel, sizzling on her heels. She mentioned, “I assumed, Okay I’m simply going to attempt to push the tempo. I wasn’t possibly ready to carry that for the whole time, I died actually within the final two hours.” Nilsson was handed by L’Hirondel within the closing levels of the race, however held on to second place — thus stepping again the forefront of the path operating world.
The 2022 Path World Championships 80k girls’ s podium (l-to-r): 2. Ida Nilsson, 1. Blandine L’Hirondel, and three. Gemma Arenas. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Now again to full well being, Nilsson, who has beforehand topped out on the 100k distance, lastly has the chance to meet a longtime purpose of racing the Western States 100. She mentioned: “I needed to run the Western States 100 for a number of years, I assumed it might be method prior to this. However after the foot surgical procedure it took method longer to get again to operating rather a lot — to construct up once more.”
She added that, “I believe in shorter races you will get round with a number of cross coaching and possibly not run an excessive amount of, however for 100 miles you may’t simply get by with snowboarding and biking — you really want the miles within the legs as properly.”
The primary Western States 100 Golden Ticket race Nilsson took on to safe her entry was the 2023 Black Canyon 100k in February. Given her Norwegian coaching floor, which lends itself higher to snowboarding in winter and operating in summer season, it was early within the season for a 100k race. This and one other minor setback previous the race led to her stepping into with not sufficient miles in her legs. However, she had a robust first half — operating in a tightly packed high three, earlier than falling again to fifth place. She mentioned, “I did really feel like [the pace was] somewhat bit too quick for me to maintain, however I used to be like, Okay, it’s high two or nothing … I attempted my greatest for so long as I might however then within the final 20k I completely died.”
Fortunately, there was one other likelihood for a Golden Ticket on the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k in April — on a brand new flat-and-fast, looped course. Following a good-weather month in Norway, Nilsson had a a lot smoother preparation this time round, however race day itself would current some highs and lows. She mentioned: “It went rather well at first. I used to be within the lead and it felt good, I used to be taking my time on the support stations early on and taking ice … however then I took a flawed flip and impulsively I used to be in seventh place … I went for it, I ran actually quick for 25k till I acquired again up into the lead once more. And through that point I didn’t actually cease or take excellent care of myself. So I sort of died somewhat ultimately.”
Regardless of the flawed flip, Nilsson emerged as winner, and her place on the beginning line of the Western States 100 was sealed.
Ida Nilsson wins the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Picture: Patrick McDermott – Getty Photographs for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
On the time of writing, Nilsson is at present again in Flagstaff, present process a targeted coaching block. She mentioned: “Right here there’s not a lot vert [compared to her home trails in Norway], however I’m operating extra kilometers … I’ve acquired 4 weeks carried out now with over 100 miles per week, and I went to the Western States 100 coaching camp, which was tremendous good. It’s nice to do lengthy runs the place you run with folks and might cease at support stations. We didn’t see the entire course however the final 70 miles at the least.”
Having linked her sensible efficiency on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k to time spent at altitude mountain climbing in Nepal, it’s no coincidence that she’s chosen one of many highest elevation cities within the U.S. as her base for this coaching block. Following a protracted and profitable profession — speckled with numerous new beginnings and surprises — completely something is feasible for Ida Nilsson’s first 100-mile race.
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