Extremed 24-hour run in Gotha: SuS Oberaden Despite stabilings!

Extremed 24-hour run in Gotha: SuS Oberaden Despite stabilings!

Gotha, Thüringen, Deutschland - A gripping event took place last weekend in Gotha, Thuringia: the 24-hour German championships in the ultramarathon. The participants kept in suspense not only the breathtaking backdrop, but also the challenging weather conditions. The competitors included Dirk Wittkowski and Yvonne Schneider from SuS Oberaden, who had prepared for this event for months. In the event of a pouring rain and nightly cold, every step was a tough challenge. Nevertheless, the two ultra-runners could not be stopped, as Sport-kreisunna.de reported.

On Friday evening the athletes arrived and built up a supply tent in the castle park. The starting shot was given on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on a 1.34 kilometer circuit that quickly became an adventure. Heavy rain showers and gusts of wind alternated with short sun phases, which made the conditions unpredictable for the participants. A highlight of the evening was the atmospheric lighting of the park, which gave the event a special magic.

exhaustion and perseverance

Early in the morning, around 7 a.m., a thunderstorm broke out over the route and caused floods. The run had to be canceled after 21.5 hours. In the end, Yvonne Schneider was able to cover an impressive 133 kilometers and took fourth place in the W40 age group, despite violent intestinal problems and enormous exhaustion. Dirk Wittkowski completed 119.561 kilometers and reached the twelfth place in the M55 age group after he had overcome health problems.

As in previous years, the best of the best are composed. Around 160 participants had started, including some prominent names such as the previous year's champion Norman Mascher-Aspensjö. The event served not only as a German championship, but also as a qualification for the upcoming 24-hour World Cup in Albi, France. In recent years, this competition format has become increasingly popular and has been part of the official German athletics championships since 2019, such as the wikipedia

stable team and sense of community

A special moment was the unexpected appearance of the club colleagues Jürgen Graeber and Markus Marszalek, who support the two ultra runners on site. The community feeling and support from the team were of great importance for the athletes. After the run there was a well -deserved hot shower, followed by a strengthening breakfast in the hotel and a sociable dinner at the Greek. A perfect opportunity to analyze the run and review the experiences in a relaxed frame.

The past championships in recent years have been impressive achievements such as that of Felix Weber, which made 278,3125 kilometers in Braunschweig in 2023. The achievements of such competitions are often spectacular, and the anticipation for future events remains great. For the athletes, the 24-hour DM in Gotha is remembered-not only as a competition, but also as an insight into the endurance and the team spirit that make up this sport.