01/09/2025
Full Disclosure No.1: DHL Stafetten København is a tough gig for EVERYONE behind the scenes. Long days and late nights; time spent away from families; a rinse-and-repeat experience; and a post-event desire to never smell another barbecue grill ever again.
Full Disclosure No. 2: The atmosphere is incredibly energising, the teamwork is inspiring, and seeing 160,000 people running, laughing, and connecting in Fælledparken reminds us why we do it. Every shift, every photo, and every late-night edit becomes part of something much bigger than ourselves.
That feeling really hit home when I noticed a giant banner marking the event’s 45-year history. Alongside a portrait of founder Niels Jørgen Holdt were many of my own images, documenting the journey of Denmark’s—and one of the world’s—largest relay races. To see my work become part of the event’s story was both humbling and a reminder of why I keep coming back.
When Friday evening finally arrived, I felt inspired to head out to the different tents to photograph the atmosphere after the sun had gone down. And I wasn’t disappointed.
At one point, as I watched a group dancing to some pretty hard house, my eyes drifted towards another tent on the opposite side, where a small team were eating wood-fired pizzas and drinking a bottle of wine. “There’s no way this would fly back in England,” I thought. “People would be brawling by the end of the night.”
As my post-summer resolution to “Fall in love with Copenhagen again” continues, I took a moment to remind myself that we live in such a happy, progressive city, where events like this only add to the community.
So a huge thanks to everyone who smiled for the camera, and a special shout-out to those who made the event a reality (Sparta Atletik & Løb).
