The "Wings for Life World Run" is a special running event that also serves a good cause.
But it can also be a demanding matter.
Markus Brennauer (Penzberg) and Valentin Hägl (Weilheim) experienced this in the latest edition.
District - The "Wings for Life World Run" is a special running event. There is the background: The entry fees flow into research projects that serve to heal spinal cord injuries. And there is the process: The starting gun is given at the same time worldwide. Everyone runs against the “catcher car”. This (virtual) car starts 30 minutes after the runners and gets faster and faster. Anyone caught by the car has to end the race. So it is the distance that counts. In the eighth edition - again as an app run due to Corona - 184,236 participants were registered in 151 countries. Two athletes from the district experienced a special day.
Markus Brennauer:
Immediately after his performance, Markus Brennauer was in great anger. The Penzberger (41) actually wanted to compete with ultra running ace Florian Neuschwander. Both had chosen the flat route around the rowing regatta route in Oberschleißheim. But Brennauer faced several difficulties in the competition. After three hours and 45 kilometers, he finished the run. The catcher car was six kilometers behind him.
Ultimately, "the stitch stopped me," Brennauer reported.
The Penzberger had to struggle with it from the start.
“As soon as I had a drink or something to eat, the stitch got worse.
I had to go a couple of times, ”said Brennauer.
Without these problems “I could have continued running even in the heat”.
At the time of the competition (start was at 1 p.m.) it was around 28 degrees Celsius on the area by the regatta course.
Stitches in the side a constant companion
In the official result list, Markus Brennauer had no chance of a top result right from the start: he did not trigger the app when it started. He looked at his smartphone several times, but the display couldn't be read in the blazing sun. The mishap only became apparent after 18 minutes. Brennauer had already driven around five kilometers by then. Distracted by the nagging uncertainty about the app, it was also approached too quickly - he reeled the first three kilometers in 10:12 minutes. Brennauer was therefore a minute faster than planned. He ran the first 10 kilometers in 35:30 minutes. It also played a role that he and Neuschwander had seen each other and (walking in the opposite direction) literally spurred them on. "So we practically dueled each other up to the half marathon route",so the Penzberger. He passed the 21.1 kilometer mark after 1:17:00 hours, Neuschwander after 1:16:30. In the end, “both had to pay for it,” said Brennauer. Neuschwander finally came to 57.12 kilometers (eighth place worldwide).
The app started too late and the stitch on the side increasingly depressed motivation.
When the pain became too great, Brennauer ended the race.
The disappointment was short-lived: on the drive home he was in a good mood again.
"Now I'm looking forward to the summit cup," said the Penzberger.
As reported, he initiated the running series (www.gipfelcup.de) together with Tobias Schwarzenberger (Sindelsdorf).
Valentin Hägl:
Valentin Hägl did not want to adorn himself with an achievement that he had not achieved. In the official results list for the “Wings for Life World Run”, the 27-year-old from Weilheim has 43.44 kilometers to book - an absolute top result. This means 144th place worldwide. But Hägl waves it aside: “I didn't run that far.” The app, which was supposed to be used to show those who were running, when they were caught up by the virtual catcher car, had a failure with him. Either way: Hägl's performance was still impressive. According to his own measurement with a stopwatch, he had run 30 kilometers within two and a half hours. “It was my longest run so far.” In competitions, the man from Weilheim usually covers distances between 5 and 10 kilometers. At the most recent outage in Weilheim, Hägl had the 10 kilometers in 40:Completed 07 minutes.
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Likes to be on the move: Valentin Hägl from Weilheim gets his stamina especially in the mountains and cross-country skiing.
© private
For him, the “Wings for Life World Run” focused on the good cause of the event. For his run he chose the shore of the Staffelsee. "I thought to myself: If you are already torturing yourself, then the route should be scenic," says Hägl with a smile. One disadvantage was that the race, which was held worldwide, started in such a way that it started at 1 p.m. in Germany. On the day of the competition there was sunshine and - for the first time this year - high temperatures. “That was tough. It annoyed me a bit, "admits Hägl. With somewhat more runner-friendly conditions "I would have done more kilometers", he is certain. In the end, however, the joy of the performance outweighed him: "It was fun." At the same time, one thing is clear to him: conventional running events - with mass starts - "I prefer".There you can push each other with other runners.
Volunteer at the Nordic World Ski Championships
Valentin Hägl, who works for the Sparkasse Oberland, did not train specifically for the “Wings for Life World Run”.
However, the 27-year-old is very sporty by nature.
Last winter, he concentrated on cross-country skiing, accumulating kilometers and building up his stamina.
His passion for Nordic skiing even led the man from Weilheim to the World Championships in Oberstdorf at the end of February this year;
there he worked as a volunteer and was used at the trackside for the timekeeping.
In the summer, Hägl is a football referee and whistles (for SV Polling) games up to and including the regional league.
When it comes to running, the man from Weilheim is out and about twice a week on average.
About his actual result at the “Wings for Life World Run” he says: “I am satisfied.” The 30 kilometer mark “is impressive”. A cross-country star who Hägl saw at the World Championships in Oberstdorf ran exactly 30 kilometers: Iivo Niskanen (Finland) completed the charity run for “Red Bull Team Finland”.