For the first time in history, the German Mountain Running Championship was held in Bad Kohlgrub.
As previously prophesied, the course records on the Hörnle were pulverized.
Bad Kohlgrub - You were well prepared, the organizers of the German Mountain Running Championship in Bad Kohlgrub. Route, start, finish: everything perfectly prepared. But there was one thing that Michael Clever - chairman of the Bad Kohlgrub ski club and general manager of the event - and his team of around 100 helpers could not influence: the weather. In the days before, Clever checked the forecast hourly, which promised good conditions - and which should prove to be right. Sunshine and temperatures around 20 degrees provided ideal conditions. "Fortunately, the weather god played along," says Clever.
That everything else went smoothly was due to the passionate commitment of the helpers.
Early in the morning, the Kohlgruber fire brigade closed the town through to set up the launch site at the village linden tree.
Over 300 mountain runners came here.
The starting shot for the men was given at 11 a.m., ten minutes later the women started running.
Maximilian Zeus crossed the finish line after 32:06 minutes
The day before, the first athletes trained on site and got to know the route on the Hörnle. It was already clear that the record could fall on the day of the race. The mountain runners knew this too, an additional portion of motivation for the extreme athletes. Down in the valley there was a lot of activity on the part of the organizer, everything had to fit. The securing of the route, the timekeeping but also the food on the mountain had to be ensured - an organizational masterpiece.
When the starting gun was fired in the valley, the helpers and sports fans on the mountain became nervous.
Several hundred spectators came to the Hörnle to watch the spectacle live.
The most frequently asked question in the finish area at the Hörnle mountain station: Will the records fall?
Then the time had come: the mountain biker who was leading the runners turned out of the forest into the open space.
Just behind him came Maximilian Zeus (LG Telis Finanz Regensburg).
Exhausted, he gave his best again and sprinted to the finish line after 32:06 minutes - a record!
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Radiant winners: Laura Hottenrott (center) proudly presents her gold medal - flanked by second-placed Domenika Mayer (left) and Hanna Gröber, who secured third place.
© Martin Doll
Shortly thereafter, Laura Hottenrott (PSV Grün-Weiß Kassel) entered the home straight as the first of the women.
She threw up her arms and with a scream she fought her way to the finish line - another record fell: 36:48 minutes.
A time that Clever hadn't expected: "I thought we were seeing a record at 38:30 minutes, Laura Hottenrott's time is phenomenal."
I've already been asked what we're going to do next
Overall manager Michael Clever
Many helpers were waiting on the mountain to provide the athletes with food and drinks.
Quickly moved, then most of the participants went back to the valley by train.
One or the other made their way downhill on foot.
The referees and officials calculated the times, printed out certificates and evaluated all the data.
The award ceremony could then take place in the spa gardens.
The organizers drew a consistently positive conclusion.
“I've already been asked what are we going to do next,” says Clever and laughs.
Before thinking about further running events, one thing is important to the organizer: “As a thank you, we will hold a big party for the helpers.” DOMINIK BARTL AND MARCO BLANCO UCLES
