Sarah Fager Makes History as First Swedish Woman to Finish Namib Race

Sarah Fager went from the plains of Angelholm to the sands of Swakopmund. She and her brother Ludvig Landgren were registered for an ultramarathon measuring 250 kilometers and for six days they ran through the desert in Namibia. On Saturday, they crossed the finish line together.

– We ran as much as we could in the morning and the warmer it got the worse it got. At the end of the day, it went at a snail’s pace, but you just wanted to move forward, forward all the time. You didn’t want to stand there and be shot down to a small spot in the gravel, she says.

Because during the race run and she herself walked several miles a day. The temperature was around 45-55 degrees in the sun. The race was divided into six stages, with the longest stage being 80 kilometers. That level took them almost 16 hours.

– I could not in my wildest imagination believe that I would be able to handle it. I have cycled 90 kilometers once but I have never walked 80. We started running in the morning and it was a heat that I had not experienced before. But then suddenly you’ve made it halfway and you’re excited that you’ve made it this far.

Sarah Fager signed up for the race a year ago and then she hadn’t even run a marathon.

– Ludvig asked if I wanted to come there and then I said no, of course not. But then I changed my mind and wanted to do a fun adventure with my brother. It was difficult to prepare for the heat, but I locked myself in the laundry room with a fan several times, says Sarah.

“It was a real adrenaline rush when I pressed the report button,” says Sarah Fager.

Photo: Thiago Diz/Racing The Planet

The sisters went through step by step, step by step. But they hadn’t chosen a relaxing holiday week.

– One day six people got drips and there were many bad situations. I saw two people lying there shaking and vomiting so it became clear what a delicate balance it is.

How did you get the nutrition you needed?

– I followed a schedule where I took salt and electrolytes (minerals that help maintain the body’s fluid balance) every hour. Everyone must carry one and a half liters of water and 2,000 calories of food per day. You lost your appetite completely, so it was important to fill it regularly. At one point my brother got very tired but then the organizers gave him a bouillon cube with water and he went up, says Sarah.

All participants carried a rucksack with mandatory equipment, including a compass, first aid and a down jacket for the cold at night. The bag had to fit all the essentials but Sarah pressed down one last important detail.

– I can’t sleep without a pillow so it had to go with me.

The pair of sisters followed the flags who showed the way through the magnificent landscape. Although they were not aware that more and more money was coming in for a fundraiser they chose to start related to the race.

– We did a collection for our brother Marcus, who has a rare genetic disease, GSD. He has started a patient association with the aim of spreading knowledge between patients, care and relatives who meet once a year.

The same weekend that Sarah and Ludvig ran under the clear blue sky and among beige tones, this meeting was organized.

– It was good to do something for others and not just for yourself.

After 250 kilometers with sweat, sun and blisters they crossed the finish line and Sarah Fager became the first woman from Sweden to finish the “Namib Race”.

Where did it hurt the most?

– Completely the legs. They took a lot of hits and needed to be put up. I had to take painkillers and it didn’t get better with sand and heat.

When we hang, Sarah Fager has just taken the train from Kastrup to the family in Ängelholm and instead of running shoes, her feet are in a pair of soft sandals.

Sarah Fager and Ludvig Landgren after finishing on the beach.

Photo: Thiago Diz/Racing The Planet