Two runners among forty thousand

Published: November 2007

The two amateur runners from Ølensvåg computer company Omega probably will not smile as much on Sunday, after completing more than 42 kilometres of the New York City Marathon.

Sandra Hegerland (20) and Kjetil Espeland (36) work in the same office at Omega. Sandra is an administration trainee, and Kjetil is in accounting.

We have taken the challenge from the company to acquire points that we get for physical activity. In our work situation, we mostly sit still before our computer screens, and thus the company focuses on keeping employees healthy and physically fit, says Kjetil, who had a test run in the Oslo Marathon not long ago.

Never again, I said once I made it to the finish line, he says smiling, but quickly adds that it passed as soon as he started thinking of New York. He has never been to the United States before, and is very much looking forward to his first trip. Sandra was in Minnesota when she was still in school, but has yet to experience the city called “The Big Apple”.

I have not been running a lot in the past, although I play handball in Ølen and consider myself reasonably fit, Sandra replies when asked about her expectations for a finish time. - We have been training for about a year with long runs to improve our stamina, running approximately one marathon per week. Originally, we were 10 people who signed up, but for various reasons we are the only ones still in the game, says Kjetil, who just like Sandra does not have a runner background.

It is a little lonely, perhaps, but that will all change on Sunday when we start up with all the others, and there are another hundreds of thousands surrounding the streets and cheering. If anyone is online, feel free to check our starting number, Sandra has 41346 and I have 20766, Kjetil smiles.

Running for Save the Children

The two youngsters have also thought of other things except just running. In fact, they have gotten sponsors to pay however much they found the marathon to be worth, and all the money goes towards an educational project run by Save the Children in Ethiopia. - The money goes towards a school development and even though we are not fully informed of all the details, we are sure the money will be well spent. - We have challenged our colleagues and friends to support us with the amount they find appropriate, Sandra says. On another note, she adds that there will be time for shopping as well in their New York City adventure. They are traveling Friday with 150 other Norwegians, and will be home in time for working with sore legs on Tuesday.

I will probably be dragging my feet through the last few miles on pure will power, says a smiling Kjetil, who is still feeling Oslo Marathon in his legs.