Katja takala

2 min read

Entrepreneur and mum of two Katja Takala runs for work and for pleasure. She loves long-distance running and wants to make it accessible to all

Why i run

Katya is a huge advocate of run-commuting; you stay fit and happy and it’s good for the planet too

How did you get into running?

I come from a sporty family and have always been surrounded by runners. I’ve run recreationally most of my life; it’s always been the one constant thing in my life.

What do you remember about your first race?

It wasn’t until my late 20s when I got interested in racing. I had never raced before but wanted to run a marathon, so I signed up for the Stockholm one and committed to four months of training to get there. It was a beautiful day in Stockholm, and I immediately got hooked on the world of marathon running and sports events. The rest is history. I have since run multiple marathons around the world.

What are you most proud of?

Amsterdam Marathon in 2022. It wasn’t my fastest marathon, far from it, but it was the first marathon I ran after having had two children very close together and going through two very difficult and traumatic pregnancies and births. It was my ‘I’m back’ race, and I cried when I crossed the finish line as I knew I had found my way back to mental and physical health doing what I love the most.

How do you fit in training?

With two small children and a fast-growing business to run, time is very limited. During weekdays, I rely on run-commuting to log in some extra miles. On Sundays, I rarely see my husband, especially when we are both marathon training – it’s a quick high-five when we hand over the kids to each other to let the other person go for a long run.

What’s your favourite piece of kit?

I’m biased, but I say Stolt commuter backpacks. That’s why we started the business,

This article is from...

Women's Running Magazine

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