Nico Steißlinger triumphs at the 35th Brezelfestlauf in Speyer!

Nico Steißlinger triumphs at the 35th Brezelfestlauf in Speyer!

The 35th Pretzel Festival was held on Sunday morning in Speyer's beautiful cathedral garden, with Nico Steißlinger from ABC Ludwigshafen crossing the finish line as the radiant winner. With a remarkable time of 21:54.1 minutes over the demanding 6.8 kilometers, he left the competition behind and clearly prevailed. Second place went to Lennart Nies from TV Maikammer, followed by Volker Goineau, who represented the Kassel running team and secured third place. A total of 723 runners took part in this main race, making the event a true festival of athletics, as the Rheinpfalz reports.

But the event offered more than just the long distance. In addition to the main run, there was also the short course over 2.8 kilometers, the children's run over 1.4 kilometers and the bambini run over 500 meters. In total, almost 1,300 starters were welcomed, which shows that the pretzel festival run is very popular not only with professionals, but also with amateur runners and families.

Changes due to the canceled pageant

This year the event was under special circumstances because the traditional pretzel festival parade was canceled. This led to adjustments to the street circuit, which were successfully implemented thanks to creative route planning in the Dompark and Klipfelsau. The start and finish of the main run were at the Mount of Olives in the upper cathedral garden, while registration and start number distribution were in the courtyard of the Protestant regional church.

The runs were perfectly organized: The Bambini run started on the Mount of Olives and led in a small loop around the cathedral. The children's run and the FitLine Fun Run over 2.8 kilometers also started on the Ölberg, with the running route in the cathedral garden being designed to be relaxed and family-friendly. The main route took the participants through the picturesque corners of Speyer and offered both a sporting challenge and a fantastic panorama.

Health care for runners

As part of the pretzel festival, the health of the participants is also important. The German Athletics Association has introduced an internationally validated health risk assessment questionnaire to raise awareness of preventive health care. Anyone who wants to take part in the competition at the expense of their own health should take note of this questionnaire before registering.

Running with enthusiasm and vigor - that's not just the motto, but also the philosophy behind the Brezelfestlauf, which brings the region's sports community together and promotes the joy of running. We look forward to the coming years and hope that the Brezelfestlauf will continue to be a meeting place for running enthusiasts. Further information about the event, including registration for the next run, can be found on the official Brezelfestlauf website.