Ultra strong in the ultra trail: Markus Brennauer runs to DM bronze despite cramps

Created: 07/22/2022, 3:00 p.m

By: Paul Hopp

Willing to endure: Markus Brennauer (here near the refreshment station in Mittenwald) defied muscular problems on the Supertrail XL distance.

© Conny Lechner-Brennauer

82 kilometers around the Wetterstein massif - Markus Brennauer ran this distance in 9:24 hours.

With that, the Penzberger landed on the podium at the Ultratrail-DM.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen – It's not like Markus Brennauer has hardly achieved anything to date.

The 42-year-old from TSV Penzberg has collected medals in Bavarian and even German championships on all possible running routes – track, road, cross-country.

It says a lot when Brennauer speaks of the "greatest success of his career" after his third place in the German championship in ultratrail running.

The secondary school teacher from Penzberg has already completed a few trail races in recent years, including his strong performances in the Tannheimer Tal and at the "Tour de Tirol".

In 2018 he had already run beyond the classic marathon distance in Luxembourg - at that time he ran 52 kilometers.

The competition as part of the "Zugspitz Ultratrail" in Garmisch-Partenkirchen was "the first 'real' ultra run" for him, emphasizes Brennauer.

82 kilometers and 3850 meters in altitude are quite a number - the Penzberger completed the route, which led from Grainau practically around the Wettersteingebirge to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in 9:24:32 hours.

Brennauer runs Supertrail-XL with 82 kilometers and 3850 meters of altitude

In the overall standings, he was fourth among 120 men and 27 women.

At the same time, the German ultra running champions were determined on the route.

And in this ranking, Markus Brennauer won the bronze medal behind favorite Markus Mingo (8:34:37/TV Bad Kötzing) and Matthias Reichart (TSV Penzberg/9:08:18).

The Allgäu Reichart became a TSV athlete shortly before the start.

In order to be counted for the DM, an athlete must belong to an official athletics club.

Reichart's coach established contact with Brennauer in the run-up to the event.

"We met at the starting line in Grainau for the first time and hit it off right away," says Brennauer.

So he and Reichart ran together to the first aid station after four kilometers.

"Since I stopped briefly to get water straight away, there was a gap to Matthias," says Brennauer.

While the Penzberger from now on had to contest the entire race alone, Reichart caught up with the later German champion Mingo and the trail running professional Remigio Huaman Quispe (Peru), who was flown in by the sponsor especially for the event.

After 21 kilometers and 1500 meters of altitude difference, the three leaders had a lead of around four minutes over Brennauer (2:04 hours), who from then on had to push past hundreds of runners in the Supertrail distance.

On the narrow trail he had to constantly draw attention to himself and hope that the others would let him pass.

As the temperatures continued to rise, the Penzberger made his way to the highest point of the route at 2182 meters (Wannigsattel).

At the Hämmermooslam after 34.5 kilometers he had climbed 2300 meters in altitude, the gap to the front had increased to nine minutes.

Brennauer struggles with cramps on the soles of his feet and in his calves

"Cramps in the soles of the feet and in the calves reported for the first time, but only when walking downhill," reports the Penzberger.

Then it went up to the Scharnitzjoch, then it was a 5.5 kilometer downhill to the Leutasch.

At the refreshment station on the Leutascher Ache, the Penzberger took five minutes to drink enough and accepted more food that his wife had ready for him.

"From her I learned for the first time how big my gap to the front and my lead to the back is."

Mountain-solid sailor

At the "Zugspitz Ultratrail" five routes were offered for the tenth anniversary of the event.

The German champions were determined on the Supertrail XL (82 kilometers/3850 meters in altitude).

In addition to Markus Brennauer from the district, Lasse Kenter also tackled the distance.

Outside of the DM classification, he delivered a strong performance of 12:23:28 hours, which brought him 27th place.

The Seeshaupter (born 2002) is known in the region above all for sailing (as an active participant and trainer).

From an early age, Kenter was also active in athletics and triathlon.

Several district athletes completed the ultra trail (108 kilometers/5200 meters of altitude difference).

The fastest of them was Benjamin Weber from Schongau (17:15:49), who took 51st place among 366 male finishers.

Most of the local athletes started on the Basetrail (24 kilometers/600 meters in altitude).

Jana Schmider from Peißenberg achieved a top result: She was the seventh fastest woman with 1:58:13 hours.

Lisa Schäller (2:18:52/31st place) from Peiting also landed in the front field among almost 400 finishers.

At the same time, after 2:22:00 hours, Felix Wolf (176th) and Dominik Hohenleitner (177th) from Peißenberg crossed the finish line.

He wanted to catch up on the flat part of the route along the Leutascher Ache and through the Geisterklamm to Mittenwald, but soon slowed down.

"My muscles hardened more and more, and I couldn't drink as much as I was thirsty," says Brennauer.

Temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius and the meanwhile six and a half hours of movement took their toll.

The main reason for muscle problems was something else: "I had taken far too little salt during the race." Andreas Kohlhund from Söchering (he is an ultra-t runner himself) was waiting at the refreshment station in Mittenwald and gave him salt tablets.

But even these almost three grams of salt did not lead to any significant improvement.

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Brennauer runs jubilantly across the finish line

The last 600 vertical meters to Elmau Castle and the Eckbauerbahn caused an additional burden.

"The cramps in my calves got worse and worse, so that I had to stop three times on the last downhill from the Eckbauer mountain station in the direction of the ski jumping stadium to stretch my calves," says Brennauer.

However, he was able to enjoy the last three kilometers to Richard-Strauss-Platz, as he was more than 40 minutes ahead of fourth.

He crossed the finish line jubilantly.

"The pace was incredibly high today," explained the experienced ultra runner Mingo, who finished second overall behind Quispe (8:31:14).

When it comes to his performance, Brennauer sees "certainly still a lot of potential".

Because "if I drink enough from the start and take enough salt, then I can run with pressure in the second half of the race over such long distances," says the TSV athlete.

Plus, he jokingly adds, he won't have to wait so long for the post-race doping control.

It was only after 90 minutes and 4.5 liters of water that he had consumed that he was able to leave the convention center and celebrate with his family and friends.