It was the first race since my battle with the Swiss alps at the Eiger Ultra-Trail last July and I had not been running much since December - I had travelled to Australia and I started my new job in Frankfurt. So, when I was waiting at the starting line, just outside the Commerzbank Arena, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Naturally, I always set out to beat my previous personal best, but this time, my goal was to just run and to see where I stand with my training and my fitness.

The temperature was perfect with around 12 degrees and the roads were dry. After the first meters of the race, which lead along a narrow street and slowed down the bulk of runners, I was able to find my rhythm. I was running with a 4:30 min/km pace on time to arrive at just over 1:30 hours. The course was lovely and guided us through Sachsenhausen, along the Main with views upon the skyline through a forest and back to the Commerzbank Arena.

It took me 43:40 minutes to cover the first ten kilometers, which was a little bit slower compared to the 42:09 minutes at last year’s Barcelona Half Marathon. Then, I passed the 16-kilometer mark after 1:12:38 hours, whereas in Barcelona it took me 1:04:33 for 15 kilometers. Though, I was apparently faster in Barcelona, overall I felt I was running a more balanced race at the Frankfurt Half Marathon. And, my gut feeling proved to be correct. While I was running too fast and “exploded” on the final kilometer in Barcelona, I was able to sprint the final meters in Frankfurt, crossing the finish line at 1:34:09, which was only five seconds slower than in 2017.

In the end, I am extremely happy with the outcome of this half marathon. Bearing in mind that I thought that I lost some of my endurance, it showed that I my fitness level is good. It offers a solid foundation for the next five months of training before the start of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc in Chamonix.

FRANKFURT HALF MARATHON 2018