Step by Step Through Fire: 100K at Zugspitz Ultratrail
Heat, Hurt, and the Beauty of Not Breaking
This was a race I didn’t ask for. But maybe the one I needed.
The Starting Line of Something Else
When I signed up for the Zugspitz Ultratrail 100K, it wasn’t just about finishing another ultra. I had two reasons, both clear, both personal.
First: I wanted to connect with the place I now call home, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area. To move through its landscape not as a guest, but as someone who belongs.
Second: I needed a Western States qualifier, and this race would do it, as long as I finish under 25 hours.
And it worked. Technically. I got the qualifier. And I ran through my new beautiful mountains. But what unfolded on that long, hot day was something else entirely:
An unshakable, irrational, and heat-lit burning will to fight, that made no sense, and mattered all the more because of it.
Through The Heat
I spent half of the 106 kilometers and over 5,400 meters of elevation, under a sun that seemed determined to burn through not just skin, but also spirit. The thermometer climbed to 34 degrees, and stayed there. I ran through dry air and endless dirt roads, over mountain ridges and under cloudless skies that refused to soften. The heat wasn’t just physical. It felt emotional, personal. Familiar, even.
There’s something about The Heat that draws me in, despite how much she takes. She's like a toxic lover: seductive, unpredictable, always asking for more than she gives. And yet, I keep coming back. Maybe one day I’ll understand why. Maybe I don’t need to.
But what I do know is this: I didn’t break. There was no deep ultra-low. No desire to quit. Just a slow and steady disintegration of control, met with something quieter and sturdier than motivation: Trust.
And this strange, recurring thought kept surfacing:
“Actually, everything is okay.”
And then again, correcting itself:
“No. Not actually. Everything is okay.”
That Moment on Scharnitzjoch
There were many moments that day. Some were hard. Some were forgettable. But one of them was pure magic.
As we reached Scharnitzjoch in the early morning hours, just as the sun began to rise, everything aligned: light, landscape, exhaustion, flow.
I was up there with Mike, a fellow Willpower Athlete and a friend I’ve known for years. The view opened up, impossibly vast and perfect, and for a brief moment it felt like the mountain had opened its arms and let us in.
Right then, my phone rang. It was Karim, my coach. I showed him where I was. I showed him the view. And he was stunned. We all were. If the race had ended there, it would’ve been enough.
But it didn’t. We kept going. That’s what we did. That’s what all of us do. All things will pass. The good ones, and the bad.
Trail Kinship
Ultrarunning is never really a solo sport. Sure, you're alone out there a lot, but the trail is always full of presence. I met countless people that day. Some I ran with for hours. Others, for just a few minutes. But the companionship stuck.
People asked about my knee. They told me they’d read my book, listen to my podcast, follow my blog, love their Willpower gear. We encouraged each other, carried one another with words or just with shared momentum.
There’s a kind of silent agreement that forms when you're out there suffering together: no performance, no ego. Just mutual respect, and a strange kind of love.
We reminded each other that even when it feels impossible, things will get better. They always do. And sometimes, just the act of one person breaking into a run again is enough to pull the other along.
"If you can run a few steps again, I can too. And maybe, together, we will."
Zegapa Vibes
If there was one thing that elevated this race beyond the ordinary, it was the presence of the local running crew, The Nomads. Zegapa is the name of the beast they brought to the mountain on that day. This wasn't just cheering. These were life-saving measures. They carried ice, water and supplies up the trail and created what felt like an unofficial aid station exactly where it was needed the most.
Their care, their energy, their insistence that we all would make it… This was the stuff that saves races. Maybe even lives. At the very least, they prevented dozens of DNFs. And in a race like this, on a day like that, that kind of support is priceless.
I feel honored to live in a place with such a beautiful, caring trail community.
Damage Report
No use romanticizing this part. It was bad. Here’s what I walked away with:
One big toenail, gone for good.
Blisters between toes, some swelling up to two inches.
Toes swollen like they'd been in a bar fight.
Blisters on the soles of my feet. I hope the skin grows back.
Legs completely trashed. I honestly can’t recall a race I shredded them like this.
Abrasions in places I’d rather not name. First time for everything.
A dull but persistent back pain that’s still hanging around.
Two fully functional, almost pain-free knees — go figure.
One broken running pole.
One brief, bizarre collision with a car. Yes, really.
A sunburn that somehow made it through all the sunscreen.
I spent 30 minutes in the medical tent trying to tape up the worst of the damage on my feet — which only bought me more blisters and a detached toenail for the trouble.
Usually, I keep these things in check. I know my systems. I run smart. Cool head, clean plan, Levelhead style. But not this time.
This time, the Levelhead was quiet. My body and mind were out of sync — not broken, but strangely… dislocated. Like they were watching the race happen from a few steps behind.
Fueling Like a Maniac
Despite the conditions, my stomach stayed loyal. I ate and drank like a Marine fueling up for a long siege, and it worked.
Sports Drinks (90g carbs per 500 ml): 7 liters / 14 flasks
Water: 7–8 liters
Real Foods: 2 waffles, 1 bowl of pasta, 2 potatoes, 1 bag of salt pretzels, 4 slices of watermelon, 2 slices of the delicious pizza at V5
Coffee: 5 half cups
5 salt pills
I could’ve kept eating even after crossing the finish line. It was as if my hunger had outpaced the race itself — bottomless, and strangely proud of having held the line.
The Kit That Carried Me
Since so many people asked what gear made it through this scorcher of a day with me — and what didn’t — here’s the full breakdown of unpaid (anti-)advertisement.
Salomon S/Lab UltraGlide shoes (Worked well at the 65k IATF a couple of weeks ago, ate my feet alive at ZUT)
Patagonia 5" trail shorts (Inner mesh cut out, because I can)
Wright socks (Let me down for the first time)
Leki Micro RCM running poles (Broke before the last downhill)
Salomon Sense Pro 5L running vest (Willpower patch over)
2x Willpower "Beyond the Heat" tube scarf (Used as wristband + ice bag for neck)
Apple AirPods Pro (Flooded with water, still working)
Garmin Fenix 6X Pro watch (One reliable piece of sports gear)
Lupine Neo headlamp (Still the best headlamp on the market, yet battery was running low about 1 hour too early)
Stats for Nerds
For those who like numbers — here’s the data. Nothing to boast about, I’m a very average runner, and these stats reflect that. But they’re part of the story.
Distance: 106.08 km (Garmin)
Elevation Gain: 5,495 meters (Garmin)
Time: 18:35:47
Running Time: 8:42h
Hiking Time: 8:31h
Resting Time: 1:21h
Age Group Placement: 22nd out of 177
Overall Placement: 99th out of 617
Winning Time (Men): 11:12:10
Winning Time (Women): 13:02:56
Last Finisher: 25:51:04 (shortened course due to thunderstorm)
DNFs: 215
Highest Temperature: 34°C
Lowest Temperature: 18°C
Calculated Sweat Loss: 15.3 liters
Estimated Calories Burned: 9,600 kcal
Longest Section Between Aid Stations: V7–V8, 2:46:52 h
Even more nerdy details at Strava
The Playlist That Found Me
I didn’t listen to much music. But when I did, it mattered. Deeply. Some songs felt like answers. Others, like echoes of races past. Many came from a playlist I made in 2017 for my first ZUT, when I ran the 68K. Somehow, they found me again. Full circle.
“What would you die for?”
— Most Precious Blood
That line stayed with me. Not because I have an answer. But because it’s the right question.
These are the songs I remember:
Down - Jail
Therapy? - Diane
Chuck Ragan - Meet You in the Middle
Maylene & The Sons of Disaster – Taking On Water
Trevor Sensor - The Reaper Man
Throwdown - Burial at Sea
Azad – Endgegner (feat. Kool Savas)
Jaylan - Runde Zwei
In Flames - Wallflower
Shortage - Eye for an Eye
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
Good Riddance - This is the Light
Birdy - Skinny Love
Waka Flocka Flame - Karma
Slime - Sand im Getriebe
GWLT - Schutzlos
Audrey Horne - The Open Sea (Demo Version)
Most Precious Blood - The Great Red Shift
Tim Barry - Memento Mori
The Black Pacific - Living With Ghosts
Yelawolf - Violin (feat. Lee Brice)
Ghost - Bible
Local H - Last Caress
Grey Area - Before Me
Behemoth - Bartzabel
Jesus Wept - Black Crown
Pascow - Diene der Party
All The Luck In The World - Haven
Frank Turner - Haven’t Been Doing So Well
Turnstile - Never Enough
Marduk - Narva
Lovelytheband - Broken (Acoustic)
Tuavaband - Trees
Slime - Sein Wie Die
(Typing out this list, I realized how many of the song titles perfectly mirror what was unfolding out there)
One Step Past Understanding
That’s what happened. I fought hard. Harder than I needed to, if you look at the numbers. The Western States ticket was secure early on. My finish time and placement? Hobby-level, at best.
And yet, I didn’t let go. I fought like it meant something more. And maybe it did. I just don’t know exactly what yet.
Lisa asked if I’d run another 100K.
Yes. But not soon. First, I need to understand what this one meant. To know what parts of it made me come alive. What I’m good at. What I love. What I want to keep.
Then, maybe, I’ll choose another race. And if the stars align, I’ll earn that next Western States qualifier the same way I did this one:
Step by step through fire.
Final Thought
Sometimes, a race isn’t a race. It’s a mirror. A moment where the version of yourself you usually perform burns off under heat and effort and you’re left with something quieter, realer.
And in that moment, you realize:
Everything is ok.
No “actually.”
Just is.
Great job, congrats on your accomplishment!
A race review worth reading!
Einen riesigen Respekt für das Finish – vor allem bei diesen Bedingungen! Super stark! Und danke für diese interessanten Einblicke. Sehr spannend!