How email contributed to a record number of participants in the Holmenkollstafetten
80K+
Participants from 5,500 teams, sold out 2 months before the start
As the organizer of the Holmenkollstafetten, the sports club IK Tjalve is behind one of Norway's largest sporting events. Interest in the relay has surged in recent years, and this year the event sold out with a record number of participants, more than two months before the start. Driving this growth is a targeted and effective email strategy that secures early registrations.
Holmenkollstafetten's results after switching to Make
Sold-out event
New participation record
Increased delivery and open rates
More early registrations
A crucial channel for record registration
Holmenkollstafetten has grown significantly in recent years, evolving from a traditional athletics event in 1923 to the world's largest relay race, with around 80,000 participants across 5,500 teams. Rising interest and a strong running trend have made effective, targeted communication essential. The sports club Tjalve uses email as a central channel to communicate with team leaders – both those who participated in the previous event and those already registered. This channel has proven particularly important for driving early registrations and keeping participants informed.
"Email makes it possible to share registration updates directly with the recipients, and is a major reason why we filled up so quickly this time," Martin explains.
Two communication paths with a targeted strategy
Tjalve works with a clear audience strategy to reach the right people with the right message. Communication is split into two paths, one for those who have not yet registered for the upcoming relay, and one for those who are already signed up.
Before registration:
Informs that registration is opening
Provides updates on how quickly the event sells out
Encourages early registration
After registration:
Sends practical participant information
Drives traffic to the website
Ensures team leaders have all the information they need to share with their team
"Email has been absolutely crucial in getting people to register early," Martin continues.
Switched from Mailchimp – saw immediate results
Tjalve previously used Mailchimp as their email provider, but chose to switch to Make after being introduced to the platform's capabilities.
Several factors influenced the decision:
Significantly better deliverability than US providers
Higher open rates
Norwegian solution with local data storage
Norwegian support and close follow-up
They also received a strong recommendation from Sentrumsløpet, which was already using Make with good results. Additionally, Martin liked the idea of supporting a Norwegian provider.
"We saw very quickly that our emails had better reach, and that more people actually opened them."
An important part of continued growth
For Tjalve, email is not just an information channel – it is a strategic tool to secure participation, engagement, and continued growth.
"Email has become a central part of how we communicate with our participants," Martin concludes.
"The vast majority of people do not actively visit our website to check for information. Therefore, email is a highly important channel for direct outreach."
Martin Næss
General Manager, IK Tjalve