For marathon runner Katharina Steinruck, the European Championships 2022 are the highlight after the 2021 Olympic Games in Japan. Although a European Championship in one's own country is "mega," as Steinruck said in part one of the interview, the starting time of the discipline in particular is causing criticism of the EAA (European Athletic Association). Why Steinruck's decision for the European Championships - and against the World Championships - was not easy, what goals the athlete is pursuing and how she looks back on the 2021 Olympics: Part two of the interview.
What spoke against the European Championships on the contra side?
Katharina Steinruck: "I didn't make it easy for myself for the reason that the World Championships are regarded more highly than the European Championships - purely from a sporting point of view. However, on the one hand, we have the European Cup at the same time as the European Championships. That means it's also a team event, in which the German women's team is one of the strongest in Europe. We have a really high chance of winning a medal. Of course, none of the girls wants to miss out on that, because it's also been a long time since there was a medal. We just never had a team at the start. Or we had three runners at the start and only two finished. That's been the case consistently since 2014. I was always on the start line and at the finish line, but never had a team. So of course I hope it's different this year because there are six of us girls. What spoke against the European Championships - as far as I am concerned - is simply the starting time. I am not a heat runner. If you look at my results or best times: When did I run them and what kind of weather was it? It was always cold. I'm a spring and fall runner, and I don't like summer from a purely athletic standpoint. For vacation and hanging out, yes. But I'm not a heat person."
Last but not least, the European Championships also have an online petition against the start times. The women start at 10:30 a.m., the men at 11:30 a.m. What is the goal?
Katharina Steinruck: "Of course, with the petition we tried to make it clear to the EAA: 'Guys, bring the start times forward. You do it with the walkers, too.' They start at 8 a.m. According to the forecast for the last few years, it's supposed to be 23 degrees. And to that I say: 'Yes, people. That's what they said in Japan. And then we got the hottest day of the year in all of Japan. Thank you very much.' But at least Japan then still reacted and brought the times forward by one hour. Our doctors and our national coaches also intervened with regard to the European Championship. Allegedly also the federation - but I don't know in which form. I can't say anything about that."
Do you think there will be another rethinking?
Katharina Steinruck: "Whether something will happen in the end, we'll have to see. But the thing is: at the World Championships, the start was at 6:10 in the morning. It was cool, it got warm at the back. And now we start in the full heat. The forecast is constantly changing, but it will be warm. We won't have 15 or 16 degrees there now. You have to read the temperatures that way: Even if it's only 25 degrees, that's a shade temperature and we're running on asphalt. That heats up. It's always warmer in the city than outside anyway. That's easily ten degrees more, if that. With direct sunlight, it becomes a kettle. It's also a question of proportion: What benefit do I get from it in the end? Of course, I don't stand at the starting line to say, 'Yep, I made it to the finish line. Happy, I'm 19th and I might still have a 2:33 time. (2 hours, 33 minutes, editor's note) That's just not my ambition. Even last year at the Olympics, it was all about somehow getting to the finish line. I was very, very well prepared, actually had a level of a 2:26 (2 hours, 26 minutes, editor's note). And that's just annoying then."
How does it look this year?
Katharina Steinruck: "My level is currently similar again. But I won't be able to do that, I already know that. I have to adjust to that. I will not run a 2:26. Definitely because of the weather conditions. In the end, we decided to run in the European Championships in the hope that the team will be at the start. That three of us will finish and that we will be strong enough to win a medal. In the end, the people up there decide on the starting times. And in the end it's the money that decides, i.e. the ratings and the spectators. Whatever else."
What kind of placement, what kind of final result do you expect for yourself personally?
Katharina Steinruck: "It's super difficult to say. If it were normal conditions in Munich, I would say, 'I'm going to try to attack the best time and I want to get an individual medal.' That's actually my ambition. And definitely a medal with the team as well. Because we don't know what to expect now, of course, it's super difficult. Will the start time still be changed - or not? Will it be hot - will it not be hot? Who will finish in the end - who won't? It definitely won't be a race to the finish. It will probably be approached very defensively by most of the runners at first. And then we'll see who comes through. I still have my eye on a top position. A top ten finish would be great. I would be happy about that. Any time under 2 hours 30 minutes - mega. And yes, it just depends on the conditions. I'm really in a very good mood. I've had a mega training. I definitely have a high level. But I don't know if I can show it on the day."
Is it possible to adapt your training to these extreme conditions to prepare your body for them?
Katharina Steinruck: "I did a heat adaptation in advance - so also long runs at almost 30 degrees. I also have the feeling that it's getting better, that it's definitely doing something for me. But to really, really cope with the heat, I would have to live in a country like that - and for years. With heat adaptation, you also have to remember: we can't do every workout in the heat, because then you're driving your body into the basement rather than building anything up training-wise. That means it was such a tightrope walk between: Which unit do I really do in the cool, so that this unit is also qualitative. And which unit do I do just outside to say afterwards, so afterwards I cool the body down really, but he has already noticed once: 'Oh, it's getting warm'."
You'll also pass several landmarks in Munich during the marathon. For example, the course passes the Friedensengel or the Eisbachwelle in the English Garden. How much do you actually get to see as an athlete during a race like that?
Katharina Steinruck: "Thank goodness we run four laps. That means that if I miss anything, I can watch it in the second lap (laughs). It really does vary. It depends on where you are in the race. In Berlin 2016, I was looking at the city. That's when I was like, 'Katha, try to enjoy it and look at the city." I took in super much of the city and got super much from the sidelines. Some races, on the other hand, I couldn't tell you anything more. I think I'll be looking all around a little bit. But we'll probably also be very busy working through all our water and ice packs."
Your gaze will probably turn toward the 2024 Olympics in Paris after the European Championships. Let's look back at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, which was markedly different than previous Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. What was your impression?
Katharina Steinruck: "We were in Sapporo. We didn't see Tokyo at all - except at the airport. Before that we were in a pre-camp. That was very nice and the local people made the stay unforgettable for me. Of course, one was restricted. When you went out, you had to have an escort. We only had a marked road where we were allowed to train. We were not allowed to meet a soul, we did a PCR test every morning. So it was very, very controlled everything and very according to plan. We were not allowed to go outside - except for training. But that wasn't bad because it was super hot outside. Then we traveled to Sapporo. There we were in a hotel with all the nations. I was rather disappointed there, I have to say honestly."
For what reason?
Katharina Steinruck: "The team hotel was very nice, but reminded me of some big marathon event where people just don't run around in their sponsor clothes, but in their national clothes. There were no rings anywhere. There was nothing so that once you thought, 'Hey, it's the Olympics here!' There were rings in the city, but it was quite far from the team hotel and officially none of us went there. And we couldn't go to the closing ceremony. We couldn't go anywhere."
So the feeling of the Olympics couldn't really come up at all....
Katharina Steinruck: "That's right. We tried to persuade the bus driver and our contact person to at least let us take photos at the Olympic rings when we left. He then made that possible for us. Then we could also say: 'We were really at the Olympics!' But the people were all super nice. We also had spectators along the course, although at first it was said that there shouldn't be any. But the people didn't let us take that away from them. It was significantly less than what I'm used to in Japan. Japan actually has what feels like five rows at the marathon course, standing behind each other and cheering. But as I said, it could have been any other championship. That it was Olympic, we didn't really feel that."
Is that what you're hoping for in 2024, then? To really feel the Olympics, so that it's tangible?
Katharina Steinruck: "That's what I hope. That it's different in Paris. That you realize it's not just a competition, like a championship, but, 'Hey, this is the Olympics!'"
Click here for part one of the interview with Katharina Steinruck.
Text/Interview: Michelle Brey
Photo: Katrin Dörre-Heinig