A bunch more teams are announced, Umea, Tullinge, Hagaby, Tisaren, Kristiansand, Kavelan Rasti, Fredriskstad Ski Klub and some others, around 9 minutes back. 16:40

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002

Answers

25 teams have changed over in 11 minutes, so the field is really spread out already, and they're saying how interesting it all looks now for the race. 16:42

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

Now it's a steady stream of teams coming in...when IKHP changes over, then I'm headed out to run myself...16:43...it sounds like an awful lot of runners are missing their bib numbers, which doesn't surprise me. You should see how fiercely they run through the forest even at night! 41 teams in now at 16:45 LT... 16 minutes after the lead, 43 teams have changed over, now 51 teams have changed within 17 minutes, but still no IKHP and no Delta, 2 of the top favorites...

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

At last, Matti is coming in, and he doesn't have a head lamp on at all anymore, and is running with just a small flashlight! A disaster must have happened in the forest! But there are still plenty of really good teams still coming in, like Lidingo and Ronneby (could be second teams), and 22 minutes have elapsed since the lead changed over. 16:53 LT

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

Lillis is speaking from the 1st radio on the 3rd leg now, and they're looking for the lead now...16:54..waiting to see Kristianhamn and Denseln, a runner is in sight, but it's a second leg runner, so they're still waiting and saying how interesting and hard it is out there...

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

Still no team heading for the radio control, Lillis is tlaking with almost disgust that the lead hasn't showed up, and now he says it's still completely black out again...16:58... so has the lead missed?...some runners have circled around the control but disappeared again and it's just dark out--and remember, you can see sign of light a pretty good distance, even in the forest!

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

29 minutes since changing, and now Lillis is saying still no man in sight, but now he sees someone from Leksand, but he's running away, and now Lillis can see a runner coming and punching--Jarfalla has taken over the lead! Now the Leksand runner has come back in and punched! Now it's coal dark out there again! 17:00 LT

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.

2 minutes have gone by, and now 2 lights are heading in, and another behind them...and now a group of 10 teams are heading towards the control...Tisaren, Halden, Farum Tisvelde, and a few other teams were in that group, Baekkalaget, Stora Tuna 17:03 have gone through, and now 16 teams have gone through in 3 1/2 minutes.

And that's it for me--time to go out and run!

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 27, 2002.