Thea Heim: The mental monster
Created: 2022-12-07Updated: 2022-12-07 5:13 PM
By: Wolfgang Stauner
In the midst of the 30,000 starters, Thea Heim started the marathon in Valencia, quickly working her way up into the elite field with a tight pace of 3:40 minutes per kilometer.
Photo: Valencia Maraton/kn © Valencia Maraton/kn
Only five weeks after leaving the Frankfurt Marathon, Thea Heim made an impressive comeback.
In Valencia she runs a new personal record of 2:33:20.
Valencia/Sachsenkam – These are stories that sport likes to write: about failure, getting up and sensational comebacks.
Thea Heim has now written one of these.
Five weeks ago she had to give up at the Frankfurt Marathon - despite great ambitions and perfect preparation.
Temperatures that were too warm and a pace that was too high forced the race to be stopped at 31 kilometers. Aus was all the more bitter as Heim was the cover girl of the competition: the likeness of the blonde woman from Saxony was emblazoned on countless posters, who also accompanied her in the media and during the race with a camera motorcycle became.
Course record at the “Gardatrentino”
But the long-distance runner had put up with similar neck blows several times in her career.
That's why coach Norman Feiler urged a quick return to the competition this time too.
So Heim delivered the best half marathon of her career at the "Gardatrentino" and won with a new course record.
After that, the coach and athlete decided to start at the Valencia Marathon at short notice.
The 30-year-old didn't get one of the 80 slots in the elite field, so she started the race in the midst of 30,000 runners directly behind the elite field - this time without a pacemaker, but at an optimal 12 degrees.
I like running with thousands of others
Thea Heim
"I didn't mind starting behind the elite at all," says the woman from Saxony, "I like running with thousands of others." Like clockwork, she unwound kilometer after kilometer with a steady pace of 3:40 minutes per kilometer.
The first elite runners were soon caught up.
She completed half of the distance in a perfect time of 1:17:15.
"Up until kilometer 28 I didn't feel so good," reports Heim.
"But then it suddenly went really easy." Runner after runner overtook her and after 2:33:20 minutes she crossed the finish line on the blue carpet in an absolute top time and as the best German.
Previous record pulverized by almost three minutes
“That was the perfect race from Thea.
Maybe the best race of her career,” enthused coach Norman Feiler.
“The second half was even faster than the first half with 1:16:05 hours.
The perfect negative split.” Heim smashed her best time by almost three minutes and crowned an excellent season with best times over 10 kilometers and marathon as well as two top half marathons.
Trainer Feiler reveled in the highest tones of his athlete: "Thea is a mental monster.
Completing two such strong races within five weeks after Frankfurt is unique.
To run the marathon without a pacemaker during this time, despite a full-time job, is fantastic.” Feiler is convinced that his protégé can keep up with the top Germans.
Thea Heim is listed in seventh place in the best-of-year list from the German Athletics Association.
Motivation and form at the highest level
Valencia was definitely more than a run for the “blonde gazelle”, according to her Instagram hashtag.
It was a turning point.
And after Corona and Frankfurt a very difficult and important race.
Either way, Heim won't be sidelined for long.
Motivation and form are currently at the highest level.