mäschder drehwurm 24h 2026
The 24-hour Mäschder Drehwurm race is now a week behind me. After months of training and the race itself, I feel a sense of nostalgia and a mixture of deep satisfaction and a touch of sadness that it's already over. I’m still incredibly happy with the result and my placing: 1st woman, 3rd overall; 145.6 km and 2,810 metres of elevation gain. So did everything go smoothly and was the race easy? Quite the opposite! Here’s a brief race report.
The Mäschder Drehwurm on 10 April 2026 in Großmaischeid, organised by Katjas Laufzeit, offered a 24-hour option for the first time this year, alongside the 12-hour and 6-hour races.
The start was at 19:00. I thought it would be easier to run through the night right from the start of the race, as you’re still a bit fresher and more focused then. But that wasn’t the case. After all, I’d already been on my feet for a whole day and so hadn’t had a full night’s sleep, unlike with a morning start.
The first 6 hours went quite normally, but around 1:00 my body, or more precisely my gastrointestinal tract, decided to ‘crash’. There was no question of consuming calories, carbohydrates or any other food. The stomach cramps were really severe at times. I tried to stay completely relaxed.
Of course, it was unpleasant and far from optimal, but I accepted the situation as it was and looked for a solution. And I found it at the refreshment station: chamomile tea! Instead of forcing myself to consume calories and food, I prioritised soothing my gastrointestinal tract and drank a glass of chamomile tea every lap.
I can’t thank Katja and Andreas enough for providing hot water and various types of tea at the refreshment station. The chamomile tea saved my night!
After 12 hours in the race, by now 7:00, I was overcome by such intense tiredness that my eyes were closing whilst I was running. I thought I’d never been so tired in my whole life! I decided to take a power nap. I went into my tent, sat down on my chair and pulled my sleeping bag over my head. I immediately fell into an 8-minute deep sleep. Then I went back out and carried on.
The sun rose and a beautiful sunrise saw us start a new day. I was still a bit sleepy, so I flew over a branch in a high arc. My flight must have looked spectacular, because the runners behind me wanted to rush to my aid. But everything was fine and I was finally wide awake again thanks to the fright.
A new day, new energy... it took a while for my body to be fully back to normal after that night, but with every passing hour I was able to settle into the race better. I was now able to eat and take in calories again, though I continued to drink tea. I ran at a steady pace, conserving my energy, so that even towards the end I could still run at virtually the same speed and didn’t have to switch to walking too often. My motto was patience, restraint and consistency. Run in the moment, make the most of the moment and enjoy it. And that’s exactly what I did right up to the last minute. The final two laps were actually a bit faster again; I suppose Andreas’s motivating words and a rush of adrenaline had got the better of me. Thanks again to Katja’s Laufzeit for these intense 24 hours!
24 hours packed with impressions, experiences, emotions and thoughts. This run was shaped by two key elements: acceptance and trust. Accepting things as they are, making the best of the situation with the resources at hand, and seeking the best possible solutions; not dwelling on the negative, but taking action and staying in the moment. And in doing so, trusting in my strengths and simply doing what I love most: running for a very, very long time.
I think I’ve found exactly the right kind of race for me with this format. And there’s this feeling that I could keep running forever. In any case, I’m really motivated after this run!