24-Hour Hiking Adventure 2024

Preparation for the hiking marathon
The idea of ​​taking part in the hiking marathon ourselves and reporting directly from the route had been floating around in our heads for a long time. But in recent years it just didn't work out - sometimes it was due to a lack of staff, sometimes a hiking holiday was planned directly afterwards or an injury made participation impossible. This year the time had finally come: We had made the firm decision and wanted to prepare accordingly.

Although we regularly go to Lake Garda or the mountains, we had never done 43 kilometers in one go before. The 2.000 meters of elevation gain on the route were less of a concern, however, as we are familiar with such challenging climbs. In order to prepare ourselves for the conditions as best as possible, we downloaded the route four weeks in advance and divided it into two sections, which we explored in advance. Two weeks before the start, we covered 10 kilometers a day against the clock to improve our endurance. The idea of ​​competition was never our main focus. Our only goal was to reach the goal. While I had no doubts about Jens' fitness, I knew that the challenge would be a lot greater for me.

The start on Saturday morning: full of motivation
Finally the time had come: On Saturday morning at 08:03 the starting gun was fired. The first kilometers led us through the Kahle Hard - my absolute favorite hiking trail at the Edersee. We had made up our minds to get this section over with quickly, as the narrow and steep path can quickly lead to traffic jams with a large number of participants. Thanks to our good preparation and the right momentum, however, we mastered this part of the route without any problems.

The refreshment stations – a highlight of the route
We had a really good meal at the three refreshment stations - a big thank you to the volunteers who organized everything perfectly with so much hospitality and delicious food! The stations are lovingly designed, you can get some food, fill up on drinks, use the toilet or just rest for a while and chat with other hikers. The good atmosphere there is really fun and gives you energy for the next stage. This time it was a completely different experience for me to be there as a participant myself. Normally I am out and about as an organizer, taking photos or organizing on site. Running the route myself, feeling the solidarity of the community and experiencing the challenges first hand was something very special. I was once again amazed at what a great atmosphere we have built up together over the years.

The last kilometers and the incredible motivation
When I spoke to my colleague Lisa on the phone at the end of the route and she told me that we were quite far ahead (we were being tracked in real time via Google), that gave us additional motivation to beat the 8-hour mark. But the last 5-6 kilometers were particularly hard for me. I was already pretty exhausted and had little desire to continue. But Jens kept motivating me and helped me to keep going for the last few kilometers. This support gave me the strength I needed to reach the finish. When we finally had the steep slope at the Loreley behind us and ran the last few meters to the finish, I was so happy! We had actually made it in 7 hours and 57 minutes and were the first women to cross the finish line, and third overall. What a success! I really hadn't expected it, because my only goal was just to arrive.