JULIAN.

I'm 23, I come from competitive badminton — and my first interval session at the Schnecke sent me into such deep acidosis that my nervous system couldn't sleep all night. I've been at every Friday track session since.

THE BEGINNING.

I found out about it through Instagram. At some point I just went for it and showed up alone — not knowing anyone, not knowing what to expect. I was welcomed right away.

My first session was a Monday. Intervals. At the Schnecke. I went home completely gray and acidic and couldn't sleep all night because my nervous system was so overwhelmed. As a former badminton pro, I thought I was fit. The Schnecke taught me otherwise.

"Today, easy." — It wasn't easy.

THE BEETROOT CREW.

Over time a small sub-crew formed: the Beetroot Runners. We all take beetroot before races because the research is clear and we take the topic very seriously. Whether it really helps, we'll leave that open — the results speak for themselves, anyway.

We meet up privately for extra interval sessions and spend a not-insignificant amount of time philosophizing about the best Haribo flavors. Green Tropifrutti are a controversial topic in our circles.

"He came, he ate, he PB'd." — Axel

WHY RS.

It's the combination of the people and the sessions. Coaches and community who really push you — not a relaxed social run with small talk, but real work. You come out a better runner than before. That's the difference.

Then there's the carb-load. Rice with jam, excessive and without regret. A wise coach once summed it up so well there's nothing left to add.

ON THE MOVE.

My race calendar is less planning than lifestyle: spontaneous side quests from gravel races to HYROX to half marathons with zero preparation. The big goal, eventually: sub-1:20 in the half marathon.

The most important races so far:

On Fridays you'll find me on the track. Main distance 21.1 km — and yes, a few Strava KOMs under 500m are in there too.

June 5, 2026