Please forgive me as I’m experiencing a bit of Writer’s Cramp and don’t have many details to share about the Schneewittchen Trail hosted by Indie-Trail other than… Michael, Susanne, Mario and the rest of the crew put on a super event! I hope to gain another invitation to join them for this or another of their well organized and executed running events.
I had originally asked to run the 80KM (4000 HM) EisenZwerg. When I arrived at Race Headquarters Friday evening Susanne asked if that remained my intent. Given my continuing struggle with my right Achilles and a wrestling match the week prior with a cold I asked if there was an issue with me shifting to the 53KM (3000 HM) Schneewittchen Trail. Turned out that there was absolutely no issue with doing so and that’s exactly what I did.
At 0800 twenty of the original twenty-two Schneewittchen runners lined up to head out onto the course. The day opened perfectly for a day of running with cool temperatures and tasty hill to kick a day of hill running off.
I spent the first twenty-five or so kilometers measuring things out in my head; listening for and passing the Monkey Mind on. I met up with Stefanie Aaronson at the aid station at kilometer twenty and spent some time running with her. We lost one another on one of the many up or down hill traces that led us back to main aid station at the Hotel Eule. At some point before heading back into Alsfeld Hanno Recke and I linked up. We spent the rest of the day running the remainder of the course together. It was great to get to know him, and hope that we have the opportunity to run together again sometime soon.
The Brothers Grimm tell a story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that live beyond the Seven Mountains. Highlights of the Schneewittchen Trail included for me running the Seven Mountains. 3000 meters of elevation change is a lot of going up and down over a 53KM course. As Tim Scott mentioned prior to me heading off for this event, “Sounds like a very runable course.” Sure Tim! Additional highlights included the running field - a great set of people; the Orga Team and their helpers; and the course itself. Alsfeld is out there in what we would describe as “Bum Fuck Egypt” or “Way out in the Sticks”; in German “am Arsch der Welt”. The village of Alfeld/Hoersum is at least an hour’s drive from the Autobahn along country roads. Friday evening I was convinced that my GPS was dead wrong. This distance and placement takes you out into superior trail running country.
The 53KM Schneewittchen Trail included twenty starters. Michael Wagner, Philipp Westphal, Jogi Winkler and Hubertus Kohlrautz led the run from the get-go. Michael Wagner took finished out in 5:20 while Lana Rockmann led the women’s field in 10:06. Hanno and I finished the day’s run 7:34. I had a super day and although when we got to the aid station at the Adamishuette and KM46 I felt great and as if I could have reached for and completed the EisenZwerg I was glad that I’d run the Schneewittchen instead. Doing so allowed me to kick back and really enjoy the day.
Michael, Susanne and Mario put on a super running event. Count me in for future events with Indie-Trail!
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