I Form's Kvindeløb Races Attract 35,000

Seven years ago, when Denmark's i Form fitness magazine started up its first women's race - the i Form Kvindeløb, some 3,000 Danish women took part. The race went through Copenhagen, and the women could run either 5K or 10K. Since then, the race has taken off, with counterparts in the three next biggest cities in Denmark and in September 2009, in the Swedish city of Malmö.

"It was a big success and we were contacted by the Stockholm Marathon," says Charlotte Østerby Kirkegaard, project manager at i Form. "They wanted our concept in the capital, too." Which means that this year, the race will also be run in the three biggest cities in Sweden as well.

The race has grown and a total of 35,000 runners are expected to compete in the races this year. "The reaction is crystal clear," says Kirkegaard. "They love our race - the races are sold out in the biggest cities months before the actual date. And we've gotten a lot of attention from both TV and newspapers."

The I Form Kvindeløb is the biggest event sponsored by i Form, which also co-sponsors the Copenhagen half-marathon as well as some smaller races. "This is a way to brand our magazine and a way to meet our readers," says Kirkegaard. "We also used the race to write about setting a goal and how to run a fast 5K, how complete a 10K and other topics to help our readers improve their running."

The last of this year's Danish races finished two weeks ago, and the first of the Swedish races will be Aug. 11 in Stockholm, followed by Malmö on Aug. 31 and Göteborg on Sept. 2.