So, I finally did it! More than two years after picking up this idea and after several delays and months of preparation, I finally got the FKT on the Hermannstrail. At 10.45 on October 5, 2024 I moved off to my greatest athletical challenge so far. Starting at the Ems river in Rheine and heading to the Velmerstot in Horn-Bad Meinberg. Despite some unforeseen problem, everything went fine as a whole. I never would have guessed how much time you actually loose in the dark. I got lost a couple of times. Also, the route has a new layout on two occasions. Both these facts added to my total distance and that's why I finished with a total 170km. Nearing the end, as I penetrated deeper and deeper into the Teutoburger Forrest, my watch lost the GPS connection frequently. Also I accidentally bit my lower lip while hammering a steep uphill. It was a mess and I had to dive into my aidkit. But stopping the bleeding didn't work too well. So, I placed bandage over the bleeding and held it in place by pressing my lips together for the last 2 hours. Wich meant I had to breathe only through my nose and couldn't drink also for the last 120 minutes. Plus, if you head from Rheine to the Velmerstot, this course smacks you in the face pretty good on the final mile. Since GPS went off the air again at exactly the right moment, in half darkness I had to navigate through a labyrinth of deadwood all the way up to the Velmerstot while breathing only through my nose. I sounded like a steam-engine. I actually touched the Velmerstot roughly 20 Minutes before, finally, my GPS signal returned and I was able to stop time on my way down.
So the difficulties multiplied as I approached the finish but like a true Cherusker I gritted my teeth and finally won this epic battle against my weakness. When it was all over, I had to descent the deadwood hill in pitch darkness and had to go another KM to reach the exfiltration-area, where my wife was waiting for me. The last 500 metres, I sprinted all out.