On your mark, get set, Lidingö
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Highlights
TCS Lidingöloppet
Picture this: An island studded with opulent villas, surrounded by meadows, forests, and coastal inlets. Now, imagine a cross-country run across the island. What a treat! But not for a minute should you let the scenic beauty of this island trick you into believing that the run is a cakewalk. For nearly 60 years, this 30-km course has challenged even the world’s best runners.
Welcome to Lidingö, an island just outside Stockholm, where the world’s biggest cross-country race, TCS Lidingöloppet, took place from September 23 to 25, 2022. The main event—a 30-km course through lush meadows, dirt roads, and steep ascents—saw 23,000 runners take on the island’s rough terrain.
Learn how TCS took the marathon to the next level.
A mountainous task
TCS Lidingöloppet is not for the faint-hearted. The course tests a runner’s endurance and fitness with its sharp, upward slopes and abrupt descents. Participants can only take it easy when they make it to the last stretch—a downhill meadow that leads them to a grand finish before thousands of cheering spectators.
The race was recognized with the World Athletics Heritage Plaque for its outstanding contribution to the development of athletics, thanks to the scale of its challenges and rich history.
Innovation at TCS Lidingöloppet
TCS is the proud title sponsor of the Lidingöloppet race. Our partnership goes beyond traditional sports sponsorship; it is built on the belief that running promotes healthy lifestyles and reduces the burden on healthcare systems.
TCS’ race app for Lidingöloppet 2022 aimed to build a better world through digital innovation. The 2022 version of the app, available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store, was downloaded 13,000 times and came with a new, exciting feature—digital qualification races. By completing virtual runs, participants could qualify for start waves and get seeded for the race day.
The app provided a unique experience for runners and spectators—on and off the course. It allowed runners to track progress and adjust their performance. They could also share bib details with friends and family to enable them to monitor their run. A total of 5,700 TCS Trail videos were produced and shared on the app, and users could also download event pictures and use a chatbot to get answers to race-related questions.
Running for good
The thousands of runners who took part in TCS Lidingöloppet 2022 contributed towards raising funds for various charities and other noble causes. Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital, a part of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, partnered with TCS for the seventh time to raise funds through the event. TCS has donated close to 1 million Swedish Kronor ($93,000) and has helped the hospital acquire modern and interactive audio/visual technology, a sensory room, and a play therapy ward.
Raising money, breaking records, or just pure love—whatever be your reason to run, the TCS Lidingöloppet celebrates it with you to the finish line.