My name is Joakim Kungsman, aka Little Man Big Planet, and in just a few weeks I will set out on my first big running adventure.
In the summer of 2026, I will run just over 700 kilometres from Gothenburg to Stockholm along the Göta Canal. The plan is to start in Gothenburg on July 13 and arrive in Stockholm on July 30. That means roughly a marathon a day for 18 days.
I am doing this alone. No support vehicle. No running stroller. Everything I need, I will carry on my back: tent, sleeping bag, stove, clothes, and the equipment required to get through the days along the route.
But this adventure is not only about running.
I am running because I support Hjärnfonden, the Swedish Brain Foundation.
Brain research is something that affects us all. Most of us have someone close to us who has been affected by a brain disease, a brain injury, or mental illness. For me, this is personal in many ways.
My father developed brain tumours before he passed away a couple of years ago. My grandfather lived with Alzheimer’s disease for many years. My sister’s husband died suddenly from a severe brain haemorrhage, leaving her and their 14-year-old son behind. A neighbour of mine lived with the effects of a brain tumour for 11 years, a tumour that would not give in despite major surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy. My mother’s uncle, who was an active athlete and completed Vasaloppet several times, developed Parkinson’s disease and slowly faded away.
Despite all our technological progress and enormous scientific knowledge, we still know very little about our own brains and how they work. Even though everything we are and everything we experience is experienced within our own brains.
That is why this adventure is not only about running. It is about the brain, the body, our experiences, life, grief, joy, dreams, and what we as human beings are actually capable of when we dare to take one step at a time.
Right now, I am in the middle of planning all the practical details. The route. The stages. Where I can stock up on supplies, buy food, and refill water. Where I can pitch my tent. How much my pack is allowed to weigh. How I will manage to run day after day while also documenting the journey on YouTube, here on the blog, and on other social media platforms.
A lot of things need to come together. But that is also a big part of the adventure.
For me, the adventure does not begin when I step off the train at Gothenburg Central Station on July 13. It has already begun here, at my desk, in front of the computer, with Google Maps, Strava, ChatGPT, lists, emails, phone calls, thoughts, and many, many questions.
I am also very happy and grateful that I have already received such an incredibly positive response and support from several places.
Craft is sponsoring me with clothing, shoes, and a backpack, which means a great deal when I am going to run this far and carry everything myself.
Göta Kanal is helping me by giving me access to showers, toilets, water, and laundry facilities along the route. These may sound like small things, but when you are running day after day with a tent and a pack, they are absolutely essential. And not least, the Göta Canal is a historic artery crossing Sweden, one that I know will bring me great joy and many experiences.
When I arrive in Stockholm, the plan is to finish at Sergels torg, where Äventyrs Museet will welcome me. The day after, on Friday, July 31, I will also give a talk about the adventure at Pride House during Stockholm Pride.
It feels big. And a little unreal. But also very beautiful.
What started as a small idea and a fantasy is now becoming real. Soon I will be standing there, ready to set out on the long journey.
On Little Man Big Planet, you will be able to follow the whole journey. You will see the preparations, the packing, the training, the thoughts before the start, and then the journey itself through Sweden. I will share both what is beautiful and what is difficult. Because I believe that is where the story is — not only at the finish line, but in everything that happens along the way.
For me, Little Man Big Planet is exactly about that: being a small human being in an enormous world, but still daring to set out. Daring to take on something big. To challenge oneself. To dream big. To dare to be yourself. To follow your own path. To do something that feels overwhelming.
But also to dare to be small and fragile.
It is about doing something good, for charity and because I believe in this world. I believe that we human beings are not only selfish. We can also give, care for each other, and care for the planet we live on.
So if you want to follow this adventure, you are very welcome to follow Little Man Big Planet on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and here on the blog. And above all: please support the fundraiser for Hjärnfonden, the Swedish Brain Foundation.
This is only the beginning.
The adventure begins now.
