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How does a winter Olympian become a 1:09 half marathoner in two years? Sofie Karoline Haugen skated for Norway at the 2022 Olympics, retired from speed skating in 2024, and has since run 10K in 31:57 and a 1:09 half marathon at the Copenhagen half, just a year after running 1:18 in the same city.

Kristian and Sofie have known each other for around 17 years and both come from speed skating. In this conversation, Sofie looks back on her career: the years without progress, the decision to move to Stavanger and rebuild her training, the 2019 breakthrough that took her to ninth in the world, and the Olympic Games. She explains why she walked away when she was still skating well, and how a casual 3K on the track turned into a running career.

Then the conversation turns to training. Sofie takes us through her week at 170 to 180 kilometers, including double threshold days, how she keeps her easy days easy, why consistency matters most, how she chooses shoes for different days as someone who works at the running store Löplabbet, and what she has learned about bicarbonate. She also reveals that her first marathon is coming up in November.

In this episode:

• From speed skating to a 1:09 half marathon
• The years of hard work before the breakthrough
• Moving to Stavanger and rebuilding her training
• Qualifying for the Olympics
• Why she quit skating in 2024
• Her first races as a runner
• Racing the Copenhagen half
• Shoes for different days, including the Alphafly 4
• A full week at 170 to 180 kilometers
• Building strength without getting injured
• Her first marathon

• 
  

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Sofie
01:17 Saysky
01:51 Interview begins
02:19 From skater to 1:09 half marathoner
04:15 Sofie’s skating background
05:56 Years of hard work, and the setback
08:03 Moving to Stavanger
13:17 Ninth in the world
14:25 Qualifying for the Olympics
16:43 Why she quit skating
19:07 The moment she knew
22:36 Starting to run
23:16 A 9:29 3K
25:02 Working at Löplabbet and her coach
27:46 Racing in Copenhagen last year
31:24 A 31:57 10K
35:19 The Copenhagen Half Marathon
37:15 Running 1:09
40:30 Alphafly 4 vs Alphafly 3
43:43 Shoes for different days
49:26 Injuries and building strength
53:33 A week of training
59:18 Why consistency matters
1:09:46 Bicarbonate
1:11:56 Her first marathon
1:13:26 Wrap up

Sofie on Instagram: @sofiehaugen

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY