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Runners know about the positive effects of running. Professional as well as hobby runners share their experiences of this unique sport.They talk about how running has changed their life and how they motivate others.Frank Mengel quit smoking by running, Walter Axmann healed diabetes 2 by running,

Stergio Sioutis proves as handicapped athlete, that it is possible to submit at international competitions. Werner Beecker runs at the age of 77 and sets several european and world records in his age group. Kostas Petridis was overweight and a smoker. Since he started running, he lost more than 20kilograms of weight, quit smoking and became a Marathoner.

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Deriba Merga is one of the fastest Marathonrunners worldwide. He lives in Addis Abeba, one of the most famous running resorts of Ethiopia. In 2009 he won the Houston and the Boston Marathon. Deriba reports about his early running carrier, his victories and his goals. He makes a living with running and wants to establish a world record.

Dieter Baumann, olympic champion 1992 in Barcelona, 5000m, talks about his project "Youth trains beyond borders". The programm supports young offenders to intigrate themselves again in society. The final relay half marathon, in Adelsheim - Germany, gave them the chance to establish social bindings as a group of runners, supporting each other to run and finish the race. Dieter Baumanns commitment helped the youngsters to develop stamina, confidence in their own abilities and teamspirit.

His exceptional victory at the Olympic Games 1964 in Tokio at the 10000meters final, is known as one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. Billy Mills describes his first running years, how he grew up in Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, about his training and the olympic race of Tokio. Billy Mills wants to share his "gift from higher power", the olympic gold medal, and supports several charity programs.

Dr. Ulrich Strunz, nutritient expert and athlet, specifies the importance of a healthy and natural diet for athletes. He details the recommended nutrition schedule for runners, especially for Marathoners. Dr. Strunz informs about, what kind of diet is usefull during a exercise phase and what kind of food supply is reasonable during a Marathon race. He talks about the significance of vitamins and its positive effects for athletes and physical fitness.

Billy Mills, Membership and Mentor of "Wings of America".The mission of "Wings of America" is to enhance the quality of life for American Indian youth. In partnership with Native communities, Wings uses running as a catalyst to empower American Indian and Alaskan Native youth to take pride in themselves and their cultural identity, leading to increased self esteem, health and wellness, leadership and hope, balance and harmony.

Engelbert Franz owns the "Marathonshop". As a teenager he used to be a runner of the national team of Germany. In the Marathonshop Engelbert advises the runners, who want to buy a pair of running shoes, which type of shoe would be prefered. Thereby he evaluates by the athletes weight, the shape of the foot and the ambition of each client which type of shoe would be recommended. The right choice of running shoes is quite relevant for an athletes running style and may prevent injuries.

Stergio Sioutis, 49 years old, started running as an teenager. He participated in several competitions, especially short distance races. By an age of 20 his vision degraded. Allthough his physical impairment Stergio continued exercising. His dream was the participation at olympic games. His greatest victory was in 2004: Stergio finished 12th at the Paralympic Marathon in Athens.

Werner Beecker is a world champion in his age group. He is 77 years old. Mr. Beecker started running as a young man. In his lifetime he has won 1400 competitions. He established National records as well as European - and World records. Besides his passion for running, he is an embraced cyclist. In his carrer he captured more than 280 cycling victories. Werner Beecker is an example of a successfull senior athlete, who doesn't think of retirement from sports.

Walter Axmann was diabetic. His doctor advised him either to start physical workouts, such as running, or to take medication for the rest of his life.Mr. Axmann started running and suddenly his blood sugar level returned to normal range. In addition he consulted an nutritionist who advised him to choose a healthy diet. "My life has changed. I became another person. I feel just great", Walter Axmann affirms in the interview.

Frank Mengel: "When I was young, I never practiced sports. I smoked a lot g ained more and more weight. Four years ago I came to the conclusion that something has to change. I used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day and a weighed almost 100 kilos. I never could quit smoking. I had purchased almost every tool, like nicotine patches or pills. Those things did not work out. I had always relapsed. Only running helped me quit smoking. I don’t feel any more the desire to smoke."

"Why is mental training considered quite important for long distance runners, especially for Marathoners? Because 50 % of human capability is based in our mind. An athlete trains his body for peak performance, but he also has to exercise mentally. I am often asked by participants of my seminars which aspect would be more important: the physical, the technical, the functional, the coordinative or the mental aspect? And I ask them: Which leg do you need more for walking, the left or the right one? For walking and running we need both legs. You may exercise endurance, strength and pace but you will only succeed if you also work out mentally as well."

The Berlin Marathon happens to be one of the greatest Marathon events worldwide. Thomas Steffens, promoter and chairman of SCC-Running, describes the early beginning of the Berlin Marathon, its progression and the world records. The competition is limited by 40000 runners. Mr. Steffens talks about the organisation and further details of the race. The event offers also a race for handbikers, wheelchairs, Inlineskaters as well like a Minimarathon and a Bambinirace for young runners.
last update: 2010-09-26T14:58:06+01:00