6h German Championship in M�nster, Germany

Friday, after my wife had been back from work we drove to Münster. Normally my team colleague Georg want to join, but he had to cancel because of personal reasons. The other two runners from the LG Würzburg, Walter Zimmermann and Udo Wegmann, drove themselves since they want to visit some relatives in Münster. Just before we left the radio broadcast 11km jam at the cross of Würzburg. Just before we bypassed Würzurg the radio broadcast a neclected truck at the building area and 10km slow traffic. At the time we entered the building area the jam was completely gone. Not long before we arrived in Münster we hit some more traffic jam because of an accident. But it was not to bad. When we arrived at the hotel, we checked in and brought our luggage up. Then we looked for a restaurant since we were hungry. There was a Greek restaurant located close to the hotel. If we would not have taken this restaurant we needed to take the car and drive. After dinner we slept. Even the start was not before 10am, we needed to drive there since it was 15km away from the hotel.

The Hotel offered breakfast starting at 7:30am. Just past 8am we left to the start. Between the place where we get our start cards and the finish was about half a kilometer. The start was another 800m away, so that we have the 50km mark exactly at the finish line area. A loop had 5085m long which was good since about 900 runners had entered the race. Before we started we still had some time to talk to other runners. There were more than enough people we knew. Maybe because all the big names are here. I was very happy to meet again Helga Backhaus which was the best German female ultramarathon runner at the time I started participate at races. Last time I met her was at the Trans Europe Footrace in Stüde. I was not the only one here which had done the Trans Europe Footrace. Also Achim Heukemes und Mike Friedl were here.

The start was exactly at 10am. The course was flat and the paths wide, so there was no stucking with the huge amount of runners. Only at the aid stations it was getting full of people. There were two aid stations. One after 2.5km and one at the beginning/end of the loop. Today it was difficult almost impossible to keep track of the placement. The leaders just went away. I did not have many trianing yet to be able to keep up with them. My goal was ot reach at least 70k which I had in the end. It was not easy since I had heavy legs after 35km. After 50km I already gave up the thought to reach above 70km since I was getting slower and slower and the time was short. But never give up. The last three loops where surprisingly good. If it was because of the aid stations or the weather? I do not know, but both was fine. There was a huge variety. Just bad that they do not have any tee in the beginning and in the end there was no coke left. On the other hand we had an excellent day. It was sunny and about 10°C. In my opinion a bit chilly, but it was just beginning of March. At least it had sun! In the end, just a few minutes before the stop, I managed it to be at our support stand. So I just waited there. I had above 70.459km and therefore reached my goal. We did not stay a long time after the race, since we want to continue to a friend. He does not live far away from Herborn which had an IVV event on the following day.

About the results, there is only to say that Nele Alder-Baerens was first over all, even the mens, and ran a new world record with 85.492 km. The first men was Christof Marquardt. In compare he had 82.067km. In the end more than 520 men and 250 women had finished the race.