I did it back in 1999 when we were living in Norway (start in Motala was about 3-4 hours drive away). It was a fantastic experience. I was fairly new to cycling then, so took it at a leisurely pace with some lengthy stops, think I did it in around 14.5 hours elapsed time.
Even back then, I do remember the first 20km or so as being a bit hairy, with plenty of riders all over the road who weren’t used to riding in a big bunch (neither was I then, but I was being extra careful).
Food stops were good, although I didn’t fancy a pickled gherkin at 7am having already ridden for a few hours.
I can still taste the pint of beer that was handed to me when I crossed the finish line at Motala, it was like the end of “Ice Cold in Alex”.
Do it, it’s one of the events that should be on everyone’s bucket list!