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Chasing Passion: Victor Urquhart Smångs’ Approach to Running and Coaching
Running is more than just a sport – it is a way of living. For On ambassador Victor Urquhart Smångs, a distinguished runner and coach, running is as much a personal journey as it is a career.
Text & foto: Rasmus Motten Wernerby
Video: Leo Prim
With an impressive runners background and a passion to help others reach their goals, Victor has become a respected figure in both the running within both the running community and the style on the running track. In this interview we do not only explore Victor's philosophy and his success on the track, but also how he inspires and shapes the next generation of runners.
About the Running Career
In 2016, Victors brother-in-law called and asked him to take his spot in Midnattsloppet, due to him being double booked with a wedding on the same day. Despite not having any running experience, Victor agreed.
With a few runs and a pair of basic running shoes, he stood at the starting line. Despite the lack in preparation he ran in on impressive 37 minutes. But it was not until 2019, at age 33, that Victor seriously began to consider investing in the sport. A nagging thought had lingered since that first time he ran: What would happen if he actually trained properly?
His goal was clear but humble – to come in under 36 minutes in a mile race to start in the first group at Midnattsloppet. It would demand dedicated training, something Victor was ready for already back then. During the spring he ran Blodomloppet in Stockholm and gained an impressive second place at 34 minutes.
Even if Victor was still relatively new in running, he begun to realise the potential that was there. After a recommendation from a colleague he joined the club Fredrikshof IF in August the same year and started training with more structure. Only two months later he participated in Hässelbyloppet and ran in on amazing 32:09. The result was a breakthrough time that cemented his place as one of the most promising runners in Sweden.
Although his career took off late, Victor has had an impressive development. From being a relaxed hockey player with a love for surfing and snowboard, he has now embraced running as his primary focus – with the goal to cut seconds each year. In less than five years he reached his current personal best of 28:57 and his peak is not yet reached.
Challenges During His Career and the Importance of a Clear "Why?"
Victor has encountered many challenges during his running journey, but his way of handling them has been as inspiring as his accomplishments on the track.
– I have gotten pretty good at looking at the bigger picture. The goal with running is to find out how good I can get, and that is a long-term goal.
The past few months have been trying, with sickness and aa autumn in which the training has not been possible to complete on the level he wished for.
– But I am convincede that there will be times ahead when everything is just right, he says with a confidence that testifies to his long-term perspective.
He believes that many runners and coaches can get discouraged if they don't reach their goals. For Victor it is a reminder of why he does what he does.
What Is the Driving Force to Continue the Hard Training Every Day?
– I believe that I have always been very competitive. No matter if it was skateboarding when I was young, or running now, I have always had a hard time accepting the thought of someone else working harder than me to reach their goals.
Victor draws parallells to his time within the skateboard culture during the 90s, where it was all about creating your own reality.
– There was not a skating place where we lived, so we would steel pallets and build our own. It was about nailing your first kickflip, and it took time. But once you did – it was magic.
That persistance and stubborness has followed him through life and is a big part of what drives him still to this day. But for Victor it is not only about reaching the goal, but about the process of getting there.
– I believe that many people search for the magical key, as if everything will change once they reach a certain goal. To me, it is about taking the passion I have right now and enjoy every step of the way, he says.
Victor draws parallells to his time within the skateboard culture during the 90s, where it was all about creating your own reality.
– There was not a skating place where we lived, so we would steel pallets and build our own. It was about nailing your first kickflip, and it took time. But once you did – it was magic.
That persistance and stubborness has followed him through life and is a big part of what drives him still to this day. But for Victor it is not only about reaching the goal, but about the process of getting there.
– I believe that many people search for the magical key, as if everything will change once they reach a certain goal. To me, it is about taking the passion I have right now and enjoy every step of the way, he says.
To Coach Tomorrows Runners
Passion and drive is also what Victor is looking for in his adepts. His coaching business has grown from his impressive results and the reach he has built through Instagram ans the podcast Runners FM together with Andreas Almqvist.
– You do not need to have elite ambitions to become on of my adepts, but you have to be prepared to give 100% and integrate running as a part of your lifestyle, Victor says.
He points out that motivation and passion is necessary for success – no matter if the goal is to run a marathon under 2.10 or to run the mile under an hour.
Victor considers his work as a running coach as one of the most inspirational one can have.
– When you have someone who is dedicated, fun to work with, and who truly wants to develop, it is amazing. But it can be challenging if someone is not willing to do the work. The purpose of a coach is to contribute to a healthier population and develop tomorrow's elite runners – two completely different things but with the same drive. I notice how unhealthy a big part of the population is right now. I believe it is due to people not moving enough and eating unhealthy. That is why it is important to get others to move and be more healthy, which I feel is a bigger calling long-term than my own runnning.
Which are your best tips for those who just started running?
– If you can answer why you do this, and if you have a reasonable goal, you have what it takes to continue even when it gets tough. Most people believe that it will be faster than it actually is, but becoming good takes time. Without being too much of a nerd, it takes about 10 years of dedicated work before the body have developed its aerobic system (the body's primary energy system for endurance training. Eds. Note) to its full potential. If you begin too hard, there is an increased risk for injuries or that you get tired. The key is to stay healthy and be able to train regularly over time.
About Personal Style and the Importance of Correct Equipment
It is hard to miss that the personal style is an important part of Victors persona, not least to help build his own brand but also to stand out during races. The mustach, the fully tattooed body and the punk everydat style is a part of his unique signature.
The influences from music and the skating scene are clear.
– In Sweden, running is often very club- and trainingfocused. But I have always had a different entry. Punk and rock'n'roll have always been a part of me, and now I feel that I have integrated it in my running in a way that is not very common. I feel as if I am a little different than most others in this world.When it comes to equipment, Victor has always been careful about the details. He is extremely interested in materials, which does not only apply to running.
– I have always adjusted details, like cutting a stick by a millimeter when playing hockey. Running is not an exception, he says.Victor enthusiastically talks about how he came in contact with his sponsor On.
– Sometimes I think that one should be able to run in anything, but in reality it is not that easy. The biggest brands all have really great shoes, but when I got in touch with On through a friend who worked at the brand and got to visit the lab in Zürich last year and see what they were doing, I realised that they do really good stuff.
What Does the Shoe Rotation Look Like?
Victor brings up the importance of not training too much in shoes with a carbon fiber plate since the foot has its own movement pattern, and a carbon fiber plate can limit the development of the feet and lower legs.
– A survey I took part in in Oslo showed that 90% of all runners uses carbon plated shoes on all their runs, which is bad for long-term development. On has done a really good job with a pair of shoes that I run a lot in – Cloudboom Zone, which gives a fast feel without a plate which provides the body with an opportunity to develop as it should and works well during both training and competitions.He promotes the Cloud Eclipse as the workhorse in his shoe wardrobe, that gets a lot of miles on it, but also believes that new Cloudsurfer 2 will suffer under his weight a lot in the future.
Is There a Vision That the Journey Is the Goal?
Vicotr's running journey has just begun and even if he has already achieved countles successes, his goal is not about reaching a final goal. To him, the most important part is to keep on developing and keeping the passion alive – both on the track and as a coach. But surely there is a concrete vision? Confidently, but still very bumbly, we are finally told that the initiative is valid until at least 2028.
– The Olympics in Los Angeles is probably the ultimate goal for my career, even though it is not particularly popular to stick out your chin with something like that in Sweden. Until 2028 I have placed most other things aside to focus on reaching my peak human performance.
