Trans-European run
The Transeuropalauf (also Transeurope-Footrace ) is a stage - ultramarathon that leads through all of Europe . The event took place for the first time in 2003. The second event was held from April 19, 2009 to June 21, 2009. Both competitions were organized by Ingo Schulze . The last Trans-European Run took place from August 19 to October 21, 2012.
Trans-European Run 2003
The first Trans-European Run took place from April 19 to June 21, 2003 and ran from Lisbon to Moscow in 64 daily stages with no rest day . The participants covered 5036 km. The route led from Portugal through Spain , France , Belgium , Germany , Poland , Belarus and Russia .
Of 44 participants reported 22 finished the race, including a wheelchair . Robert Wimmer (GER) won the race in 480 hours 29 minutes and 51 seconds. The fastest and only woman at the finish, Mariko Sakamoto (JPN), needed 785: 23: 15, the last participant, Koji Sekine (JPN), finished the race after 788: 36: 27. The wheelchair user Bernard Grojean (FRA) covered the distance in 469: 32: 12, but was not included in the ranking, instead his time was noted in the results lists.
Manfred Leismann, a TransAm finisher, had the idea for a European run from west to east under a motto that unites people. In Ingo Schulze he found a successful organizer of ultra stage runs; he had previously organized the Spree Run and the Germany Run. Together they founded the Transeuropalauf eV as a framework organization with Ingo Schulze as the first chairman and Manfred Leismann as the second chairman. Leismann explored the route, otherwise Schulze organized the event essentially on his own. Numerous voluntary helpers made the company possible. The association was dissolved after the task was completed.
Well-known successful participants were Robert Wimmer and Stefan Schlett .
Trans-European Run 2009
The second Trans-European Run ran from April 19 to June 21, 2009 in 64 daily stages with 4487.7 km from Italy to Norway . The longest stage was 95.1 km, the shortest stage 44 km, with an average mileage of 70.1 km. It started in Bari and ran through Italy, Austria , Germany , Sweden , Finland and Norway before ending at the North Cape .
Of the 67 registered participants, 45 made it to the finish, plus a scooter driver . Rainer Koch (GER) won the race in 378 hours 12 minutes and 44 seconds. The fastest woman at the finish, Takako Furuyama (JPN), needed 529: 06: 05, the last participant, Saeko Kishimoto (JPN), finished the race after 722: 46: 02. The scooter driver Peter Bartel (GER) covered the distance in 352: 03: 25, but was not included in the ranking, instead his time was noted in the results lists. Well-known successful participants were Robert Wimmer , Achim Heukemes and Marcel Heinig .
The event was accompanied by a team from Ulm University led by Uwe Schütz for scientific studies of the extreme loads .
The documentary film I Want to Run - The toughest race in the world was released about the run and was shown in cinemas in Germany in spring 2012.
Trans-European Run 2012
The third Transeuropean Run took place from August 19th to October 21st 2012 from Skagen (Denmark) to Gibraltar .
Planned trans-European runs in 2022
A 4th trans-European run is planned from May to July 2022. There are three routes to choose from: 4750 kilometers from Tallinn (Estonia) to Lisbon (Portugal) in 64 daily stages, 1600 km from Tallinn to Berlin in 23 stages and 1250 km from Berlin to Paris in 17 stages, the latter of which can be connected. The run takes place under new management (Oliver Witzke, Germany) and is called "Raceacrosseurope 2022". It has been postponed for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
A 5th trans-European run is planned from July to September 2022. It is to lead in 41 daily stages from Bremen to San Marino. A total of approx. 2260 kilometers will have to be run. The run takes place under new management (Thomas Dornburg, Germany) and is called "Transeuropalauf 2022".
literature
- Ingo Schulze: Transeuropalauf 2003 , Engelsdorfer Verlagsgesellschaft, ISBN 3-937290-71-0
- Birgitta Biermannski: The hardest run in the world , ISBN 3-8334-3749-9 . (Experience report in the style of a diary)
- Ingo Schulze: Transeuropalauf 2009 , Engelsdorfer Verlagsgesellschaft, ISBN 978-3-86901-782-2
- Russell Secker, USA: Running, Across Countries , ISBN 978-1448668120 . (Experiences from the Transeuropalauf 2009)
- Ingo Schulze: Transeuropalauf 2012 , Engelsdorfer Verlagsgesellschaft, ISBN 978-3-95488-207-6 .
- Christian Fatton, France: experiences from TranseuropaLauf 2012 , ISBN 978-2-36336-076-2 .
- Ingo Schulze: Ultramarathon & more , Engelsdorfer Verlagsgesellschaft, ISBN 978-3-96145-769-4 .