Marathon: The medal comes in the mail

Manuel Skopnik looks exhausted on the selfie he posted on Facebook. That's to be expected when you have just completed the Hanover Marathon in two hours, 58 minutes and 49 seconds - even if you weren't actually in Hanover. 

"That was a new experience," wrote Manuel in a Facebook post. "My starting number and medal were sent to my home!"

After the original Hanover Marathon, which had originally been scheduled for April 26, had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizer Stefanie Eichel quickly came up with a plan to offer the participants something else in its place. 

"We wanted to turn a weekend without a marathon into a weekend with a marathon," she told DW. "We knew that everyone had been training hard and we didn't want people to be sad, lost and lonely on the day. We wanted to actively counteract this - united in thought."  

And that's how Manuel ended up running 42.2 kilometers (26 miles) on his own through the Königsforst forest near Cologne instead. 

Outdoors or on a treadmill...  

The 20,500 runners who had registered for the Hanover Marathon were all given the opportunity to get accredited for the #stayathomemarathon. The organizers sent them their starting numbers and medals by mail in advance.

In the end, over 10,000 signed up for the alternative marathon which they were free to run wherever they chose - whether on a treadmill at home, in their back garden or through a forest. The only rule: they had to observe social distancing rules. 

Manuel is one of the best long-distance runners in Germany in the 45 to 49-year-old category. There is nothing he likes better than running in city marathons, and he also competes in even longer events. So he was delighted that the organizers came up with the #stayathomemarathon.   

Personal bests not welcome 

"I thought it was a great idea," he told DW. "You want to put your training into practice and run a good time. For Hanover, I had planned to finish in 2:45:00, under ideal conditions."

However, due to the route he chose, through a forest in Bergisch Gladbach, achieving that time was not possible.  

"But I accepted that because I like the landscape there," he said. "It probably added a few minutes, but I still reached the finish line in under three hours."

The solo run was a welcome change from his daily training routine, even if the biologist, whose company is working on research into the coronavirus, missed having spectators cheering him on along the course.

But he wasn't completely alone and noticed three other participants in the #stayathomemarathon as he made his way through the forest, each recognizable by their starting numbers. 

The organizers published no list of results from the #stayathomemarathon "because health is priceless and valuable," explained organizer Stefanie Eichel.  

"We didn't want to overtax the runners' immune systems by encouraging them to strive for top performances during the coronavirus pandemic – particularly since we were unable to organize any food points or medical staff."  

So instead, an alphabetical list of the participants was published. The majority of the athletes in a city marathon are not all that performance-orientated anyway. "For most of them it's about conquering one's weaker self," she said. 

Replacement for London   

Nicole Peters has conquered her weaker self many times. Last year alone, the German chemist completed nine marathons, along with a number of shorter races. Her original plan had been to take part in the London Marathon last Sunday, where she wanted to fulfill a dream: qualification for the Boston Marathon.

"The postponement of London was really bad," Nicole told DW. "It pulled the rug out from under my feet. It took me at least a week to come to terms with it."

To give you an idea of just how crazy the 43-year-old is about running, she actually married her husband, who is also an avid runner, during a marathon in Las Vegas. Early in the race, the two veered off the course and headed for a Wedding Chapel where they exchanged vows. They then returned to the course to finish the race.

Everything but the spectators 

After London was postponed until early October, Nicole quickly registered for the Hanover Marathon, only to learn of its cancelation shortly afterwards. So she took part in the #stayathomemarathon in more familiar climes.  

"I was so happy that we would at least have a little bit of that competition feeling," she said. "I also felt almost like I was running in Hanover – except I wasn't in Hanover, there were no spectators, and the medals were a bonus!"

Nicole finished the #stayathomemarathon in three hours and 51 minutes, a good 11 minutes short of the time she would need to qualify for Boston. "But I had to fight my way through mentally," she said.  

She remains highly motivated and hopes that real marathons will be possible again soon.  

"My next goal is the New York Marathon in November. If it were to be canceled, it would be a real disappointment." 

But if recent experiences have taught her anything, it's that she maybe doesn't necessarily have to be in New York to run the New York Marathon.