Karsten Warholm is using an electric scooter as part of his innovative winter training routine to prepare for the upcoming season.
With no facility in Norway available for him to run a full 400-meter hurdles circuit during the winter months, Warholm and his coach, Leif Olav Alnes, have turned to creative methods to maintain relevant training intensity.
Throughout the winter, Warholm has been conducting sprint sessions on the slightly over 200-meter indoor track at Bislett Stadium every Friday. He completes two sprints back-to-back to simulate approximately 400 meters of effort, repeating this cycle four times for a total of eight sprints.
At the end of the track, an electric scooter is stationed to allow Warholm to quickly return to the start line, minimizing unnecessary strain from walking in his stiff, carbon-plated spike shoes.
“It’s almost random. It was a spontaneous idea that came up when we were talking back and forth,” Alnes said about how the scooter was incorporated into the training routine.
“This setup feels like running eight 400-meter repeats. It’s a massive volume compared to what we’d do on a full outdoor track. The training load is significantly higher than in regular sessions and the intensity stays high because of the brief recovery. We hope and believe the effect will show,” Alnes added.
The scooter serves a dual purpose: enabling faster returns to the start and sparing Warholm’s legs from the wear of walking in aggressive spike shoes.
“My legs reckon it’s awful to walk in these shoes — they’re extremely aggressive,” Warholm noted, highlighting the physical toll of his competition footwear.
Warholm is set to debut his season with two races in China in May, building on this unconventional but calculated preparation.
