The Tale Of The Strong Willed Benjamin
It was a typical new year’s resolution. Four years ago Benjamin Schütz proclaimed to his stunned mates: „I will run a marathon.“ It could have been on of these sentences that are easily forgotten with the next day’s hangover. But still in January Benjamin registered for the Frankfurt Marathon – also because his sister lives here. „Nothing was really great“ at the time in his private and professional life, he remembers. To finish a marathon seemed to him something to accomplish on his own without being dependent on others – just by pure will.
This year Benjamin will start in Frankfurt for the fifth time in a row. The last Sunday in October has become a fixed date with Germany’s oldest city marathon in his calendar. Once a year a marathon, once a year in Frankfurt. He experienced his first start and his first time crossing the finish line in the Festhalle as liberating. Benjamin still has no training plan by choice. He wants to relive that feeling of 2012, the pride and happiness. „I can do it no matter what happens around me because I want to. I proved this in Frankfurt and that’s why for me there is no other marathon.“
Most people don’t think that Benjamin, someone who trains when he feels like it and with a weakness for sweets, has already finished four marathon races. But he doesn’t believe in running under pressure. The magic of the marathon would disappear. This August he intends to participate in a thriathlon for the first time. „After that“, he says, „I won’t do anything. I know myself.“
Benjamin will travel to Frankfurt from Göppingen, his new home town. On August 1st he’ll start a new job there managing a shop. His girl-friend will join him on October 30th in Frankfurt tackling the 42k for the first time without any goals or high ambitions. „I just want to experience a wonderful day“, he says. Though one goal he has: Getting admitted to the Marathon Club in five years when he will be eligible with ten races in Frankfurt.
