Anja Kobs breaks the three-hour mark at the Stay at Home Marathon and donates the proceeds from it to the Hospice and Palliative Service Fürstenfeldbruck.
Oberschleissheim / Alling - she raised her arms and shouted out her joy: "Fifty-eight forty!" Anja Kobs, the Allingen duathlon vice world champion, had just set a new personal best on the marathon distance - in numbers: 2:58:40 hours . Not at a regular long-distance race - they are currently canceled worldwide - but as part of the # Stayathome marathon organized by the organizers of the Hanover marathon, which should have taken place last Sunday.
Kobs had measured a flat course around the rowing regatta course near Oberschleissheim - one lap is a good 4.8 kilometers. She ran past the stands nine times, Kobs had started on the opposite bank. The outside conditions were not ideal for a marathon race last Sunday: No cloud, however small, covered the sun, on the grandstand side a noticeable northeast wind blew the runner's face - marathon participants prefer cooler temperatures and hate headwinds.
In addition, several hundred recreational athletes were out and about on the site: in addition to runners, strolling families, racing cyclists and not always predictable inline skaters of all ages. All actors that a marathon normally does not have to pay attention to during a race. However, the Allingerin was not to be put off by this.
Proven partner is at your side again this time
Kobs had started out at eight o'clock in the morning. At your side: Once again her "precious bunny" Andreas Brünnert (LG Stadtwerke München), with whom Kobs had achieved a double victory on New Year's Eve - first in Eichenau, an hour later in Pfaffenhofen an der Glonn. However, Brünnert did not cover the entire 42 kilometers, but “only” around thirty kilometers. "I'm not in marathon form at the moment, I wouldn't have been able to keep up the full distance," the Munich player later reported. He accompanied Kobs on the first laps and acted as a breakwater on the grandstand side for the rest of the race - with success.
"The first seven laps went by in a flash," said the Allinger afterwards of her race. She would have been "totally relaxed". It passed half the distance after 1:29:28 hours. In the second half, Kobs even went one step further with 1:29:12 hours. "In the end, I had to bite a lot," admitted the petite endurance athlete with a smile at the finish. "It was always my dream to do the 42.195 kilometers in less than three hours - and now it finally worked!"
Magic brand is finally cracked
Three hours are a magical brand for the legendary distance, practically every ambitious long-distance fan wants to undercut it at least once in his career. Professionals are of course much faster: the world record for women is currently 2:14:04 hours, for men 2:01:39 hours.
Anja Kobs had cheered on around half a dozen family members and friends, including Monika Keck, the head of the outpatient hospice and palliative service at Fürstenfeldbrucker Caritas. Kobs works as a volunteer caregiver for the dead. She had called for donations for the service, which must not help dying people and their relatives in the Corona crisis due to unavailable protective clothing. A supporter presented 400 euros in cash on site: Christoph Läpple from “Luftraum”, a currently closed bar in Fürstenfeldbruck. Obviously, Kobs immediately passed the money on to the delighted Caritas operations manager.
Donation account
If you want to donate yourself, you can find the account details and further information on the website www.anjakobs.eu.
Horst Kramer
