2019 Schneewittchen Trail

This past Saturday Michael, Susanne, Mario and Silvia hosted the Schneewittchen Trail.  It was extremely well organized and resourced.  Many thanks to the Indie-Trails team and all of their supporters for a great weekend in the Leinebergland!

Legend has it that beyond the Seven Mountains where the Seven Dwarfs dwell lays the hamlet Hörsum.  And it is reputed that the forest there is not just deep and dark, it is among the deepest and darkest.  The mountains there are known as some of the knarliest.  It’s here that a group of friends, perhaps after having had one brew too many, proposed the challenge to see who, if anyone, could run the three component Schneewittchen Trail made up of a 30KM, 53KM or 80KM course.  For simplicity the course would run over forest trails and overgrown single track.  For North German conditions the climbs are considered difficult.  I know, I know…  I’ve heard it as well, “But, there aren’t any mountains in Northern Germany!”  Let’s you and I take a walk from the village of Eimsen and travel north for four kilometers.  I think you’ll change your mind. 

As Tim Scott would say… “It’s a very runnable course.” 

The Schneewittchen Trail traditionally occurs the first Saturday in March.  Participation is managed through an "old school" method where a personal invitation is gained through an exchange of postcards and letters.  The cost to run was 75 Euro (80KM), 45 Euro (53KM) and 25 Euro (30KM) this year.  Accommodations were on site at Race Headquarters at the Hotel zur Eule with damn good hot showers. 

Saturday morning the 80KM runners sat off at 0600 where a drizzle hung in the air.

Throughout the day we would experience all sorts of March weather with a lot of strong winds.  By and large the weather was cool and stable with strong winds at least until 1600.  After that all bets were off and we had a mix of HIGH winds, sideways rain and hail.  It's weather!

I ran the 53KM Schneewittchen Trail back in 2015 and was excited about the challenge of the 80KM particularly this early in the 2019 season.  My view… The 80KM distance and the added elevation change is absolutely worth the effort.  The Leinebergland trails are amazing.  I got to reconnect with some old friends and made a number of new acquaintances including Friedrich L.  Friedrich blew me away as an athlete.  He’s 67 and still rocking the trails!  We laughed a lot and spent hours talking about running, ageing, politics, health, children and history.  A connection like this is one of those things that I consider uniquely wonderful to ultrarunning. 

The Schneewittchen Trail holds true to the legend.  It’s a tough little ultra with wicked trails and lots of elevation change (4000HM or 13000 Feet).  I really enjoy races with this character... a small race field and personal charm.  Nicole Frenzl led the women’s finish in 11:23 while the title holder, Mattias Schramm won among the men in 9:05.

Mario - Thanks for trimming the briars!  I had forgotten about this little jewel.

 

Schneewittchen Trail 2015 – Over the Hills, where the Seven Dwarfs Dwell

Snow White is still alive and well…

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.

Saturday morning I was awoken by runners preparing to head out for the EisenZwerg which started at 0600.  I wished them good luck in my mind and rolled back over and slept for another hour.  Decadent, yes, I know…  Shortly thereafter I got up and finished up what needed to be organized and went over for breakfast.

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.

The first aid station (Unmanned)

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.

Schneewittchen Trail Headquarters - Hotel Eule

Saint Katharina Church in Alfeld/Hoersum
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.

"Unmarked" single track trail

Rennsteig - Single Track

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.

Aid Station at Adamishuette,46KM
Michael, Susanne and Mario put on a super running event.  Count me in for future events with Indie-Trail!