I had originally planned to attempt this FKT in spring but had to delay it to the last reasonably possible date due to a busy racing schedule.
Despite the poor weather forecast, I decided to embark on this adventure on the evening of 24 October (6.26pm) in Bad Laasphe, running from south to north in supports style to my hometown Menden. Thankfully, five friends agreed to support me on this journey, providing three bikes and two cars. The cyclists swapped over at the crewing points, and I was always accompanied by at least one cyclist who carried my gear and nutrition supplies.
The forecast predicted that the heavy winds and rain would lessen in the evening, but luck wasn’t on our side. Temperatures dropped significantly and the real feel temperature was just above freezing right from the start. Steady rain, sleet and wind force of up to 75 km/h accompanied us throughout.
I tried to cover as much ground as possible right from the start, knowing that my performance would rapidly decrease once I cooled down and approached hypothermia. From the outset, it was clear that the X18 hiking trail was poorly maintained. We repeatedly encountered sections that were off-grid and passages that no longer existed. Some fences that had been erected due to the rampant swine flu made navigation difficult, and we took several wrong turns – fortunately not too far, but still disorientating.
The exposed sections at higher altitudes drained my energy quickly. Combined with the difficult ground conditions, the real battle began after around 50 km, when my muscles stopped working properly and my stride became unstable. More and more problems arose in a cascade effect, and I realized that this would probably be the greatest mental challenge of my career.
The extreme wetness meant that my feet were completely soaked, and despite changing my socks, every step was torture. My pace slowed dramatically and running became almost impossible, especially downhill.
At the 87-kilometre mark, I hit rock bottom. In my 10-year running career, I had never been so close to giving up. I was completely drained, hypothermic and dizzy, but a single thought made me decide to carry on. I simply got up and started walking. After going in the wrong direction three times, I finally turned in the right direction, knowing that I wouldn't stop until I finished.
I have experienced many critical moments during the 55 ultras I have run so far, but I will remember this moment forever. I had never been so afraid to continue before. Never had external conditions affected me so much. I had never found my breaking point before. Even today, I still cannot explain what kept me going. It was a subconscious decision. Something deep inside me refused to give up. Refused to sink. I am grateful to have this strength somewhere within me. Even though it scares me that I don't know where it comes from and where it will lead me.
At least some energy returned with daylight, although the conditions worsened with winds and rain intensifying once again.
At around the 100 km mark, I reached my home area, knowing that some relentless climbs were still to come. I was happy to hit 9:00 min/km on the downhill sections, although my ultra shuffle could hardly be described as running anymore.
I had problems with my kidneys for hours due to exposure to the cold and had to stop to pee several times per hour. Fortunately, the color of my urine was clear, which was a sign that everything was working as expected and that my fluid intake was still on point.
Finally, I reached the last big climb and got one last brutal shower at the peak. By this point, I was already wearing a down jacket under my rain jacket, but it didn't help at all. I couldn't really feel the cold anymore because I was just trying to keep going. One step after the other. I was completely alone with my thoughts, detached from my surroundings.
After the last crew point at kilometer 120, friends joined me on the course and accompanied me on my frozen zombie march to my hometown. There, a big surprise was waiting for me: my family and friends were all standing at the finish line. I’m so thankful for these wonderful people who waited for me in the pouring rain, cheering and sharing in this epic adventure. I was even awarded a medal!
Finally, I had covered 129.3 km and climbed 3,667 m. That's way more than stated in the official information! What a ride!
This adventure would never have been possible without my amazing crew, who left everything out there as well. Someone who does something like that for you is a true friend. I hope that I can repay you someday.
I would also like to thank the many people who followed the journey for their messages of support and for coming to the track, whether just to offer a few words of encouragement or to ride or run along with us. You all made this adventure special.
Thank you also to my family for making this unique adventure possible. What you have to go through with me is not always easy. I love you.
Remarks on nutrition: I relied almost solely on liquid carbs, consuming around 105 g per hour.
Important notice: This route is not maintained and has many off-grid sections and impassable areas. For any future FKT attempts, I recommend using the GPX data from my activity. The places where I got lost should be recognizable, so they can be avoided.