Rising Above Injury

How Sierre-Zinal restored my hope in running

May 19, 2023

So, here’s a story. Last year, I went to a race called Sierre-Zinal as a spectator. I was in the midst of my Post-Western States depression and was desperately looking for running inspiration.

Das Z Letter

Sierre-Inspira-Zinal

Last weekend I went to Sierre Zinal. Not as a 'coureur', not as a 'touriste', but as a spectator. It was a great experience and I witnessed first hand, that track and field and trail running have much more in common than I thought. I saw extraordinary athletic performances of some of the best runners in the world. At the same time the Sierre-Zinal race …

3 years ago · Chris Z

Although I definitely found this inspiration at Sierre-Zinal, it took until this week, before I finally unearthed this treasure. The spark of motivation to embark on a new life or running project often manifests in the most unexpected of moments. Only with an open heart and an eager spirit, we are susceptible to such ephemeral instants. And I never regretted following them.

Thus, the shocking news is:

If my recovery keeps on progressing well, Sierre-Zinal will be my A-Race for the summer.

How did that happen?

Each year, Sierre-Zinal sells out within a little more than an hour. When the registration opened in early April, I was still far from being able to run, let alone participate a race. Yet still, I tried my luck, knowing that the race was still 4 months away. And lucky I was. After a couple of 404 error messages and page reloads, I got one of the high-demand race entries.

Then I completely forgot about this windfall. Until last week, when I did a couple of surprisingly joyful power-hikes in the mountains and my first uninterrupted 30 minute run in ages.

However, I was a bit surprised that the first thing that popped into my mind, as soon as my run-walks turned into run-runs, was the desire to race. After all, I am still right in the middle of my recovery process and as out of shape as it gets. But something about Sierre-Zinal makes me want to come back more than anything else during those dark past 2 months of injury.

The first thing I did, when I came home after my 30-minute run, was to draw the elevation profile of Sierre-Zinal on my whiteboard. A crooked black line, that was drawn to stay. Highly visible, as a reminder of what I am working for. Something to look forward to. A beacon guiding me the way.

My heart still beats for the marathon, but all in due time. Sierre-Zinal is taking place on August 12th. Let’s see how life and running is going to unfold for me until then.

Mamu Petro being chased by Kilian Jornet at Sierre Zinal 2022 — *(Mamu Petro being chased by Kilian Jornet on a particularly steep downhill section ca. 2 km before the finish. Both runners crossed the line literally shoulder to shoulder. What a thrill!)*

About Sierre-Zinal

Sierre-Zinal is known for capturing the hearts and minds of runners from around the world. It is one of the few cult races that triggers the highest emotions, year after year.

On paper, this race is challenging but doable. A 31-kilometer point-to-point trail run through the stunning Valais Alps in Switzerland, with 2.200 meters of elevation gain and breathtaking views at every turn. In fact, it carries the intriguing label Course des Cinq 4000 (“Race of the Five 4000 m Peaks”). The Sierre-Zinal racecourse leads you along and towards the highest mountains in Switzerland, the “Grand Five”:

Weisshorn (4506 m)
Zinalrothorn (4221 m)
Obergabelhorn (4063 m)
Matterhorn (4478 m)
Dent Blanche (4357 m)

Each year, Sierre-Zinal unleashes the most fierce competition among the best runners in the world coming from both camps, the realm of mountain running, as well as classic track and field athletics. At the same time, Sierre-Zinal is open and approachable to the recreational runner.

This unique spirit of camaraderie sets Sierre-Zinal apart from most other races. Everyone who takes part in Sierre-Zinal is united by a shared passion for pushing themselves to their limits and experiencing the raw beauty of the natural world.

How does that sound to you? Did you ever run Sierre-Zinal?

Everything not running

Let’s try something new. From now on indefinitely, I am going to publish a Sprachnachricht with every new Das Z Letter. Sprachnachricht is the verbal summary of Das Z Letter. And it is in German. That’s why I will switch languages to further elaborate.

Ich wurde oft gefragt, ob ich den Das Z Letter auch auf Deutsch veröffentlichen kann. Das hab ich nicht ignoriert, aber auf Anhieb keine praktikable Lösung gefunden. Zwei mal schreiben war mir zu blöd. Übersetzungstools haben nur Schrott geliefert.

Letztendlich hatte ich die Idee, jeden neuen Das Z Letter einfach kurz zu vertonen. In deutscher Sprache. Das ganze soll aber keine eins zu eins Übersetzung werden, sondern eine Art “Erzählversion”. Nicht länger als 15 Minuten, nur ein Thema und dementsprechend kein Podcast.

Schwupp & Hallo: Das Z Letter - Sprachnachricht.

Die Sprachnachricht könnt ihr, ähnlich wie einen Podcast, über jeden Audio-Player oder den Browser abspielen. Ihr könnt euch die Sprachnachricht sogar in eure Podcast-App (Apple, Spotify, etc.) reinholen. Dann bekommt ihr die neue Das Z Letter Sprachnachricht, genau wie die E-Mail Version, jede Woche automatisch zugestellt. Einfach hier im Player auf “Listen On” klicken.