Brocken Challenge

Brocken Challenge
venue	Göttingen - Brocken Germany
First run	2004
Records
distance	80 km
track record	Men: 6:33 h Florian Reichert , 2015   Women: 8:14 am Sybille May , 2020
Website	Official website

Brocken summit stone in winter

The Brocken Challenge is an ultramarathon from Göttingen to the Brocken , held annually on the second Saturday in February. The distance can vary depending on the weather conditions (snow and ice). The regular route is 80 km long, at 1900 meters altitude. In 2010 a distance of 86 km had to be covered due to considerable amounts of snow, in 2019 it was 81 km due to a diversion due to forestry work.

Due to its external conditions (length, altitude to be mastered and weather in February) it is one of the most demanding long distance runs in Germany. The Brocken Challenge is a charity run and is organized by the non-profit association ASFM (Endurance Sport for Humanity) eV Göttingen. All income will be passed on as donations, after 16 events this was a total of 259,000 euros.

history

The long-distance run had its origin in the fact that the two Göttingen physiotherapists Nicolai Fleischer and Jörg Hammer on the 4th / 5th. January 2001 covered the distance from Göttinger Kehr to the Brocken summit in 34 hours. The Göttingen-based Markus Ohlef and Thomas Sivander found out about this. Ohlef and Sivander (as bike guides) set themselves the goal of covering the route in half the time. Finally, on February 17, 2001, Ohlef was the first runner to cover the distance in 10:31 hours.

Since 2004 the run has been held annually in February. In the first event, out of four participants, only one runner, Markus Ohlef, reached the finish line.

In 2005 the Brocken Challenge was canceled due to a hurricane at 72 km.

In 2007, Andreas Schneidewind and Frank Kleinsorg set a first course record on the 81.5 km route in spring-like temperatures in 07:30 h.

In 2009, a detour of 1.5 km was necessary due to the snow conditions in the Hochharz. In 2010 a detour of 6 km was necessary due to considerable amounts of snow, which also meant an additional 300 meters in altitude.

In 2011, a new course record was set for both women (Antje Müller in 08:45 hours) and men (Lars Donath in 07:25 hours).

In 2012 the temperatures were consistently in the double-digit minus range.

The number of participants is developing positively. While eleven “teams” (consisting of runners and bike guides) started in 2005, there were 27 participants in 2006, 60 in 2007 and 80 in 2008. In 2009 more than 100 participants took part for the first time (103). In 2010 there were already 135 entries out of 145 entries. In 2011 over 150 registrations resulted in a starting field of 133 participants and 120 finishers. In 2012, 161 participants registered, of which 140 started and 131 reached the finish on the Brocken.

The motto of the Brocken Challenge is:

"Man frees himself from the violence that binds all beings, who overcomes himself." ( JW v. Goethe ).

route

The start of the Brocken Challenge is at Göttinger Kehr. First it goes through the Göttingen forest a few meters down through Mackenrode to Landolfshausen . We continue past the Seeburger See towards Rollshausen . The next section is marked by a short climb to the Tilly oak. It now goes wavy through Rüdershausen to Rhumspringe , the lowest point of the run. Finally , with only a slight difference in altitude, it goes to Barbis , at kilometer 42.5. Then it goes straight up a steep climb, which finally puts you in the Harz Mountains . Now it goes steadily uphill through the Steina Valley to the Jagdkopf. The next few kilometers lead quite flat on the Südharzloipe over the Pastorenweg and Kaiserweg to the Lausebuche. The route climbs almost steadily to Königskrug and on to Oderbrück . The passage offers the last notable downhill passage. Finally, it goes past the former inner-German border over the Goetheweg to Brockenstraße . Here you have to walk one last kilometer to the Brocken summit.

track record

• Men: Florian Reichert, 6:33 h, 2015
• Women: Sybille Mai, 8:14 a.m., 2020

Winners list

Men

date	length	1st place	time	2nd place	time	3rd place	time
0Feb 8, 2020	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (7th win)	6:41 h	Ole Evers ( DEU )	7:35 h	Frank Wiegand / Michael Wagner ( DEU )	7:46 h
09 Feb 2019	81 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (6th win)	7:01 h	Christian Schindler ( DEU )	7:52 h	Oliver Helmboldt ( DEU )	8:05 h
Feb 10, 2018	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (5th win)	6:48 h	Philipp Matzke / Falk Hübner / Henning Kuczewski ( DEU )	7:31 h	- 1	-
Feb 11, 2017	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (4th win)	6:52 h	Moritz on the Heide ( DEU )	7:19 h	Florian Felch ( DEU )	7:30 h
Feb 13, 2016	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (3rd win)	6:52 h	Falk Huebner ( DEU )	7:27 h	Marcel Höche ( DEU )	7:37 h
Feb 14, 2015	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU ) (2nd win)	6:33 h	Ronnie Duinkerken ( NLD )	7:37 h	Falk Huebner ( DEU )	7:41 h
0Feb 8, 2014	80 km	Florian Reichert ( DEU )	6:44 h	Lars Donath / Falk Hübner ( DEU )	7:21 h	- 2nd	-
0Feb 9, 2013	80 km	Frank Kleinsorg ( DEU ) (3rd win)	7:40 h	Thomas Tribius ( DEU )	7:47 h	Lars Donath ( DEU )	7:51 h
Feb 11, 2012	80 km	Lars Donath ( DEU ) (2nd win)	7:47 h	Frank Buka ( DEU )	7:50 h	Matthias Dippacher ( DEU )	7:59 h
Feb 12, 2011	80 km	Lars Donath ( DEU )	7:25 h	Frank Buka ( DEU )	7:31 h	Ireneusz Waluga ( POL )	7:34 h
0Feb 6, 2010	86 km	Andreas Schneidewind ( DEU ) (3rd win)	8:56 h	Hans-Jürgen Köhler ( DEU )	9:40 a.m.	Peter Haarmann ( DEU )	9:47 h
0Feb 7, 2009	81.5 km	Frank Kleinsorg ( DEU ) (2nd win)	7:55 h	Hans-Jürgen Köhler ( DEU )	8:43 h	Heiko Kollas ( DEU )	9:11 h
0Feb 9, 2008	80 km	Andreas Schneidewind ( DEU ) (2nd victory)	7:41 h	Clemens Wenig ( DEU )	8:15 h	Stefan Ungermann ( DEU )	8:18 h
2007	81.5 km	Frank Kleinsorg / Andreas Schneidewind ( DEU )	7:30 h	still without a list of results
2006	80 km	Hansi Koehler ( DEU )	9:30 h	still without a list of results
2005	72 km	Break off at Oderbrück
2004	80 km	Markus Ohlef ( DEU )		still without a list of results

¹5th place Paul Ruick ( DEU ) 7:48 h

²4th place Javier Rodrigo Herrero ( ESP ) 7:24 h

Women

date	length	1st place	time	2nd place	time	3rd place	time
0Feb 8, 2020	80 km	Sybille Mai ( DEU )	8:14 h	Katrin Grieger ( DEU )	8:43 h	Sanna Almstedt ( DEU )	9:07 h
09 Feb 2019	81 km	Antje Müller ( DEU ) (3rd win)	9:48 h	Antje Knobloch ( DEU )	9:58 h	Susanne Edelmann ( DEU )	10:28 h
Feb 10, 2018	80 km	Sonka Reimers ( DEU )	8:36 h	Antje Müller ( DEU )	9:34 h	Martina Prüfer ( DEU )	9:51 h
Feb 11, 2017	80 km	Nicole Keßler (married Friedrich) ( DEU ) (2nd victory)	9:02 h	Antje Müller ( DEU )	9:22 h	Tanya Szech ( DEU )	9:29 h
Feb 13, 2016	80 km	Nicole Friedrich ( DEU )	8:38 h	Antje Müller ( DEU )	8:43 h	Yvonne Lehnert ( DEU )	9:15 h
Feb 14, 2015	80 km	Antje Müller ( DEU ) (2nd win)	8:52 h	Judith Scheifler ( DEU )	9:19 h	Sanna Almstedt ( DEU )	9:30 h
0Feb 8, 2014	80 km	Gabriele Kenkenberg ( DEU )	8:35 h	Dagmar Wucherpfennig ( DEU )	8:56 h	Judith Scheifler ( DEU )	9:05 h
0Feb 9, 2013	80 km	Dagmar Wucherpfennig ( DEU ) (3rd victory)	9:53 h	Judith Scheifler ( DEU )	9:58 h	Kristina Tille ( DEU )	10:15 h
Feb 11, 2012	80 km	Denise Zimmermann ( CHE )	8:54 h	Iris Leistner ( DEU )	9:30 h	Judith Scheifler ( DEU )	10:09 h
Feb 12, 2011	80 km	Antje Müller ( DEU )	8:45 h	Ute Pape ( DEU )	9:48 h	Tanja Neumann ( DEU )	10:37 h
0Feb 6, 2010	86 km	Dagmar Wucherpfennig ( DEU ) (2nd victory)	10:51 h	Antje Müller ( DEU )	11:09 h	Sanna Almstedt ( DEU )	11:10 h
0Feb 7, 2009	81.5 km	Dagmar Wucherpfennig ( DEU )	10:03 h	Sanna Almstedt ( DEU )	10:24 h	Anke Drescher ( DEU )	11:40 a.m.
0Feb 9, 2008	80 km	Claudia Brümmer ( DEU )	9:05 h	Sylvia Rehn ( DEU )	9:41 h	Sanna Almstedt ( DEU )	9:58 h

See also

• Brockenlauf
• Harz mountain run and Brocken marathon
• Harz Crossing

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Brocken Challenge: Adventure and charity run from Göttingen to the Brocken summit In: brocken-challenge.de , accessed on August 27, 2019.

Web links

• Official homepage of the organizer
• NDR Sportclub Reportage - Brocken Challenge 2012 on YouTube
• Report in the Göttinger Tageblatt of February 10, 2010 (pdf; 564 kB)
• Report in the Göttinger Tageblatt of February 21, 2001