In the massage area in the convention center, not only the body of the marathon finisher will be cared for, but the soul as well. In running, there is the saying that states that the best thing about a marathon is the massage afterwards. Andreas Krüger holds this for true. “That’s the way it is,” he confirms after he has just climbed off the massage bench and is dressing again. Fifteen minutes of relaxation and nurturing are behind him. The masseur treated Andreas’ hardened calf muscles so well that the cramps he suffered during and after the race completely diminished.
But in the massage area in the Convention Hall its about much more – namely about the nurturing of the soul. “I could totally relax”, described Andreas after his 15 minutes of professional massage. Some of the runners on the 39th parallel want to discuss their results, Andreas on the other hand wanted his peace and quiet. After 3:11:11 Andreas crossed the finish line in Convention Hall, which for his standards wasn’t optimal. Andreas might be considered a marathon addict, after all, the running classic on the Main this year was his tenth race over the classic distance. Two weeks before the race through the Main metropolis, he ran in Poznan, the largest marathon in Poland. There, too, the runners were offered a massage at the finish – but under different circumstances. If the runners in Frankfurt are only allowed to take a shower on the massage bench, they jump into a kind of swimming pool in Poznan before the massage. One after another, all in the same water. Just like a family bath day almost a century ago.
In Frankfurt, is not only hygiene, but also the caring at a high level, Petra Bergmann oversees this. She is the leader of the massage area by the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon. This self-employed physiotherapist from Darmstadt is like a grand master for all of the helpers and volunteers, that work and completed their training in different fields by physiotherapy schools. The use of the marathon serves the young people as an intensive course for physical education and massage technique. After all, many types of bodies have to be treated in succession – men, women, young, and the elderly. Here it is hard thighs, stiff backs or aching feet. For example, a runner from Jerusalem was so immobile that Petra Bergmann had to use a few special physiotherapeutic techniques before the man could walk normally again.
“In principle, however, the aspects relaxation, decongestion and lymph drainage are in the foreground,” says Petra Bergmann. After the 42,195 kilometers, the legs need soothing hands, an intensive and hard massage would only make things worse. There is not a standard program, the helpers have to keep an eye on the patients, says Petra Bergmann. After all, many cool down quickly, there can be circulatory problems, because the body is put into a sleep mode after such a strenuous day. Anna Sicklinger has an eye on just about everything, after all, she herself was standing at one of the Frankfurt Marathon massage benches the year before – from 11 am to 5 pm she massaged, only interrupted by some five-minute breaks. In the meantime, the 19-year old is in her third year of physiotherapy training and she the marathon is a win-win situation for her. Of course, she is exhausted, but she when she drives home she does it with a good feeling, “because people are happy about what I do”. And this joy is a confirmation not only for the work from Anna Sicklinger – but also for her colleagues as well. After a stressful run on the hard asphalt streets of Frankfurt, the halls of the Frankfurt Convention Center offer your 15 minutes of relaxation and enjoyment.
