17h Curfew Run
Perhaps the 'where' didn't matter in this case. Following the various lockdowns and restrictions, and in view of the enforced solitude, I came to the conclusion that the "it is" was of greater importance.
The 17th Curfew Run emerged from the hardships of the Corona pandemic. Like many athletes, I was faced with the situation of one race after another being cancelled.
But how did the idea of running around the lake in Echternach for 17 hours arise?
2020 started well initially. I was excited to begin training for my first 100-mile run in Tuscany. I first took part in the Tuscany Crossing 100k in 2018, and I was so impressed by the Val d'Orcia that I wanted to tackle this new distance there again. The run was scheduled for mid-April before being cancelled due to the pandemic. And so it went on... By October the situation had eased somewhat, and the Traildorado 24-hour trail run, another race I planned to do in 2020, took place under strict conditions. BUT: Luxembourg was declared a risk zone three days before, so I couldn't travel to Germany. I needed an alternative again. I decided to run the 180 km of the Camino de Santiago in Luxembourg non-stop on my own. This obviously required careful planning in terms of the route and nutrition. For this, I needed volunteers for the aid stations that I could rely on 100%. But there were two more problems: the restaurants and cafés were closed in November and a curfew had been introduced from 6:00 to 22:00. Running the Camino de Santiago in 16 hours just wasn't feasible for me. Furthermore, there was no possibility to have a drink or a meal in a café or restaurant, and there was uncertainty as to whether the volunteers at the aid stations were in isolation or quarantine. Nevertheless, I didn't give up; I just needed an adaptable Plan B, C, D.. . That's when I came up with the idea of running around the lake in Echternach the weekend before Christmas (19 December). At the time, there was also discussion about lifting the curfew again, so I assumed I would be able to run for 24 hours. But the curfew remained, with a one-hour difference. This meant I could run around the lake in Echternach from 6:00 to 23:00 (17 hours) just by myself with my whole stuff in a car at the parking lot, without depending on anything or anyone. So there it was, the 17h Curfew Run!.
I wanted to take this opportunity to organise a fundraiser. I decided to support the organisation Sportunity with my run. I received a lot of requests and feedback from various people, including family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers who wanted to join me for a few laps. Since only four people were allowed to run together at the time, I had to divide the group.. Some just wanted to stop by and cheer me on, others wanted to walk or run some laps with me.
It takes place - not cancelled due to the pandemic
On 19 December at 6:00, I then started running around the lake in Echternach, accompanied by my best friend on a bike. It was still dark and we experienced a wonderful sunrise. For December, the temperatures were still quite mild, and it would remain dry, at least during the day. And so I ran lap after lap, the whole time in good company of all different kinds of very nice people. I didn't even register that I was running around the lake the entire time. I also didn't notice that there were supposedly a lot of people at the lake that day and that I had to keep meandering through. I was somehow able to block out everything around me, but I can remember all the people who accompanied and joined me and all the conversations. we had that day. I was happy every time when I saw my friends and acquaintances. I usually run alone, both in training and on races. But the 17h Curfew run stood out in particular because all those people actually were present and made it the positive memory I have now. I don't know how I would have experienced it without this support. I ended up running alone for only two hours, and there were about 15 people either accompanying me or just being there.
As dawn broke and it became dark, it began to rain. I was accompanied for the last few hours by the ultrarunner Claude Stiefer, who has already overcome some significant challenges. At 21:30, my partner Mike suddenly appeared to run with me until the end. Due to the curfew, my Claude had to leave, so I was glad that I wouldn't have to run the last hour alone in the rain and dark. Running was difficult for me at that point because I had been running on asphalt the whole time, which I was not used to as a trail runner, and it exhausted my muscles. And then it slowly came to an end... At around 22:40, I finished my last lap. In total, I ran 38 laps, equalling 115 kilometres. When I finished the last lap and saw the car, my right leg went on strike. I suddenly couldn't move, so Mike had to help me drag myself to the car, and I could barely get in. Getting out and taking off my shoes was even more difficult. But after two days, I had recovered and my legs felt good again.
I actually didn't realise that I was running the same lap all the time around the lake for so long. Perhaps the 'where' didn't matter in this case. Following the various lockdowns and restrictions, and in view of the enforced solitude, I came to the conclusion that the "it is" was of greater importance. This signifies the ability to put my plan into action without the imposition of further restrictions, to simply run, to move freely and even in the company of others for a period of 17 hours. 'It is' — it's happening and not cancelled because of the virus. Who knows? Maybe I'll make up for the missing seven hours and run the 24-hour race after all. TBC ;-)