Our biggest Munich Marathon weekend yet

The short version

Munich Marathon was on Sunday 11 October, and we turned it into a full weekend. A shakeout run with On on Saturday, a table full of pasta right after, the loudest corner of the course on Sunday, and an afterparty at our Sunday brunch spot with On and STOX.

Some of us ran the marathon, the half, the 10K or the relay. Some of us ran nothing at all and still lost our voice. Both count.

Saturday: shake it out, then eat

The day before a race you are supposed to do very little. So we did very little, together. The Runners Delight shakeout with On was a short and easy run to loosen the legs and calm the nerves.

After that came the important part: carbs. We had 29 seats at L'Osteria on Elisabethstraße, only for people who were actually racing on Sunday, and yes, we checked the starter list. Thanks to On, lunch was covered: a main, a dessert and a drink for everyone. All 29 seats went, with another 20 people on the waiting list.

If you have never seen 29 runners defend a pizza the size of a car tyre as "race preparation", you missed something ;)

Sunday morning: tattoos and flares

Race morning started with the serious preparation: Run and Chill tattoos on calves and thighs. The temporary kind. We are committed, but not that committed.

Sunday: km 4 and km 39

The marathon course passes the corner of Schwere-Reiter-Straße and Elisabethstraße twice. At km 4, when the legs are fresh and everybody still smiles. And at km 39, when they really, really need you.

So together with NymphenRuns we set up there from 9:00 to 15:00, with a DJ booth from On, pizza, drinks, signs and a lot of noise. The rule of the day was simple: nobody runs past this corner without a high five.

There is something special about seeing the same people twice. At km 4 they wave. At km 39 they do not wave any more, but you can see it lands.

And then the finish in the Olympiapark, with medals, foil blankets and the kind of group photo where nobody can crouch properly any more.

Sunday evening: breathe, eat, be proud

In the evening we met at our homebase on Brienner Straße for the afterparty, together with On and STOX.

It started calm, with a breathwork and fascia release session on yoga mats between the restaurant tables. Sitting together, looking back on the day, then loosening very tired legs. Everyone in that session went home with a pair of STOX recovery socks.

Then came the party part: a DJ, a long table full of food, a polaroid camera and recovery boots for the legs that needed them most. And the proud wall, with one question on it: what are you most proud of today?

And yes, wearing your medal all evening was allowed :)

Thank you

To On for the shakeout, the pasta, the DJ booth and the afterparty. To STOX for the socks and the proud wall. To NymphenRuns for sharing the corner. To Hydraid, Maurten, ReBoots and OutdoorPhysio for keeping us fuelled, recovered and in one piece. To everyone who ran, cheered, carried signs or handed out high fives.

Want to join the next one?

You do not have to run a marathon to be part of this. We run every week: an easy social run on Sunday with brunch at Convivio afterwards, and intervals on Wednesday evening. You do not need to be fast and you do not need to know anyone. Have a look at the schedule and just come along.

Photos: Jakob Baier (GRIT Sports) for On. Shakeout photo: @francescanrun.