The Hirschbachschleiferl in Kirchdorf is one of the most beautiful running events in the district and is defying the pandemic again this year.
Kirchdorf -
Organizer Alois Portz has more options this year, but doesn't want to take any risks.
In the interview he talks about the innovations of the Schleiferl 2021.
Mr. Portz, are you ready for your second Kirchdorfer Corona grinder?
Portz: We are ready.
My organization team is fit.
We are all excited to see what group starts will be like this year.
Last year we had no other option than individual starts.
That was nice, but it's not what a runner wants.
Are you getting closer to the classic run again?
Well, it won't be that classic.
We send running groups of around 20 runners each, three minutes apart, into the race.
Then too large groups shouldn't form on the route.
We always bring together runners with similar performance classes.
This will bring everyone together who want to run the Hirschbachschleiferl under 40 minutes this year.
Will there be more participants than last year?
We actually expected a little more feedback.
We are currently at 120 runners and have activated the registration until Saturday 12 noon.
If you still want to be there, you have the chance.
How many participants would you like?
150 starters would be a nice number.
But when it's 120, that's no problem either.
We won't shed tears either.
That is more a question of whether the number of participants will be good or very good.
Do you have more options this year, for example at the award ceremony?
We would have more options, but we don't want to do anything exorbitant.
We leave it with the run and the list of results.
The winner receives a present, but we refrain from major honors.
Against the background of increasing numbers of infections, we don't want to risk anything.
We definitely don't want to point in the wrong direction.
The place at the start / finish will also be closed again so that only the runners can get there.
A few spectators on the track are not a problem because there are not thousands of them either.
But you have to say that the Hirschbachschleiferl is simply something completely different without a community festival.
It's like the Olympic Games: the focus is on sport ...
It is exactly like that.
If we have the opportunity, we will offer the run.
We use this opportunity.
And what does the boss who was injured in 2020 do: entertaining moderator or runner?
The moderator remains entertaining.
I am not injured, but I cannot run because of the group starts.
I would do the route in 45 minutes.
But it's not like ten years ago, when I would have managed a time of less than 40 minutes.
Interview: Nico Bauer
Good to know
Runners can still register at www.lauftreff-kirchdorf.de until 12 noon on Saturday.
The routes 9.7 and 3.9 kilometers are available.
