Interview w/Tove Alexandersson (English)

Host: Jamie Roberts Guest: Tove Alexandersson

Jamie Roberts: You're listening to Running Buddies, brought to you by Running Scared Media—where every step has a story. I'm Jamie Roberts and this is the podcast we like to call a "jog cast". Whether it's your first time out or you're a seasoned pro, Running Buddies finds stories that are bigger than running.

First off, I'll tell you what's bigger than running: subscribing to this podcast. Do it right now; it takes two seconds and it's free. I'm going to rhyme off a couple of stats to introduce today's guest. This guest is a world champion across six different sports: orienteering, ski orienteering, sky running, ski mountaineering, trail running, and sky snow. She has 41 championship medals across those six sports. She has 23 World Orienteering Championships, 11 of which were in a row. She won her first orienteering race at age one. At the most recent short trail championship, she was 35 minutes ahead of the next female runner and 17th overall combined with men—incredible results.

We're talking to Tove Alexandersson from Sweden. Getting her on the show was something I wanted to do for a long time to talk to an athlete excelling across multiple disciplines. I caught up with her in Utah. We tried to get a run going, but it didn't work out, so I'm talking to her from her accommodation. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, as this is coming out a few days before the big day. We are now composing original music for each interview, which I'm writing myself.

Without further ado, let's jump into our conversation with Tove Alexandersson.

Jamie Roberts: Welcome to the show. Generally at Running Buddies, we have athletes on the trail, but we weren't able to do that right now. Can you let the listeners know where you are and what you're doing there?

Tove Alexandersson: Yeah, I'm in Solitude Mountain Resort, east of Salt Lake City. I'm quite far from home. I'm in the US for the first World Cup races in ski mountaineering.

Jamie Roberts: For the listeners, where is home?

Tove Alexandersson: It's in Sweden—in Falun.

Jamie Roberts: What is something interesting about the terrain you're training in right now, and how is it different from the mountains and forests of Sweden?

Tove Alexandersson: It's very different. Where I live in Sweden, the highest peaks are only around 600 meters. This is totally different, though I'm used to higher mountains from spending time in the European Alps. The plan was to be here for skiing, but snow conditions have been bad, so it's been a lot of mountain running instead. It's nice to explore new environments.

Jamie Roberts: If someone wanted to visit Sweden for outdoor activities, is there an area or trail you would recommend?

Tove Alexandersson: Yes, there are many nice places. I would say go to Jämtland in the north of Sweden. It has many nice routes where you can run from hut to hut, sleep in the huts, and continue further out into the mountains.

Jamie Roberts: You've dominated foot orienteering for a long time. You started with a club at a young age and your parents were involved. Did you follow the "family business," or when did you develop your own passion for it?

Tove Alexandersson: From the beginning, it was my parents who took me to races. But by the time I was six or seven, I was the one telling them I wanted to go. I love the physical part but also the mental and technical skill required to read a map and find the perfect way. We were always a family that spent vacations hiking and running in the mountains rather than visiting big cities.

Jamie Roberts: A lot of your medals are solo, but are there team orienteering events, or is it predominantly a solo sport?

Tove Alexandersson: It’s mostly a solo sport. We have relays, but you are still running your own leg before changing over. The big events are solo, but we have a really good team spirit in the club and the national team, helping each other on training and discussing how we can all be better.

Jamie Roberts: How has competing changed for you over the last decade? Are you still looking for new challenges in 2025?

Tove Alexandersson: When I was younger, the races were most important and I wanted to race every weekend. Now, I enjoy the training process more. I'm happy to have fewer races in a year with longer training periods leading into them. I enjoy being out in the mountains and forest without the stress of races.

Jamie Roberts: Have you seen climate change have an effect on the sports you love?

Tove Alexandersson: Not so much for orienteering because it's a summer sport. But I see a big difference for winter sports like ski mountaineering and ski orienteering. You need real snow, not just handmade snow, because you are out in the mountains and forest. It's sad for the kids because races get cancelled when there isn't enough snow, and then they stop participating. My parents talk about how much more snow there was when they were young.

Jamie Roberts: Is the future of the sport laying in more urban course designs to draw in spectators? Have you done those?

Tove Alexandersson: I’ve won a lot of urban sprint orienteering. But for me, forest orienteering is the main thing. The fact that urban orienteering is taking more place is actually a reason why I’m looking more toward trail running—I want to be in the mountains and forests, not the cities.

Jamie Roberts: Do you see yourself as a role model to young girls and athletes in Sweden?

Tove Alexandersson: I really wish I can inspire people. I wish I could spend more time at my home club with the kids, but I've been traveling so much. I hope that I can at least inspire some.

Jamie Roberts: What does a training week look like for you? Are you still self-coaching?

Tove Alexandersson: Yes, I am my own coach and decide what to train. But I like being in a good training environment with other elite athletes. In Falun where I live, there are elite athletes from orienteering, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking. I try to train together with others when I'm home or at training camps.

Jamie Roberts: What has been your biggest sacrifice to get where you are?

Tove Alexandersson: I don't think I have made many. I live a different life from most people, but I think I’m living my dream life.

Jamie Roberts: How are you preparing for Olympic qualification, since ski mountaineering is being introduced to the upcoming Winter Olympics?

Tove Alexandersson: We have the last qualification races this weekend at the World Cup. We are really on the limit to qualify. It’s a team race with two of us doing two legs each. For me, the Olympics is just a small part of ski mountaineering. I enjoy the longer races in the mountains more than the short Olympic sprints that only last three minutes.

Jamie Roberts: How are you navigating the trail running world and UTMB moving forward?

Tove Alexandersson: I'm still new to the trail world and the different series. I will definitely not run the long UTMB race yet. This year I will focus on races around 40 or 50K.

Jamie Roberts: Do you think you’ll continue to maintain your versatility across five or six sports, or will you eventually pare it down?

Tove Alexandersson: I think I will continue with all these sports, at least for training, because the training ground is similar. You need a high physical level and then maybe a month or two of specific training for the competition. I'll see every year which races I choose.

Jamie Roberts: Do you ever get tired?

Tove Alexandersson: No, that's kind of a problem. I have so much energy that I just want to be out in the mountains all the time.

Jamie Roberts: Have you ever had a "running scared" moment where fear took over or you were lost?

Tove Alexandersson: In orienteering, you make mistakes and can get lost. I'm never afraid that I won't find my way back, but you get really stressed when you can't find a checkpoint during an important race. When I was twelve, my headlamp stopped working during a night event. It was pitch dark, but I just ran with other people and read the map using their light. I almost found every control even in the dark.

Rapid Fire Questions

Jamie Roberts: The athlete you're most inspired by? Tove Alexandersson: Kilian Jornet is a really cool athlete.

Jamie Roberts: Your go-to piece of training gear? Tove Alexandersson: One pair of running shoes.

Jamie Roberts: All-time favorite race? Tove Alexandersson: The world championship in forest orienteering.

Jamie Roberts: What media calms you after a hard day? Tove Alexandersson: I never watch movies because I get bored. I read books for maybe twenty minutes at a time.

Jamie Roberts: Pre-race meal? Tove Alexandersson: My home-baked bread.

Jamie Roberts: If you could synthesize two races into one? Tove Alexandersson: A mountaineering orienteering race where you choose your own way over peaks and checkpoints.

Jamie Roberts: This has been a lot of fun. Thank you for making time for Running Buddies.

Tove Alexandersson: Thank you for the chat.