Interview with two-time German Marathon Champ: SAYSKY Athlete Tom Gröschel
SAYSKY Athlete Tom Gröschel is a repeat two-time marathon champ in Germany, with victories in 2018 and 2019 - and what's even more impressive about this feat is that Tom only just had his marathon debut in 2018. On top of this, he's also laying down the law as a police officer, although not fulltime anymore, as the primary focus is now running.
Tom's gunning for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and with a 2.13.49 marathon PB at the 2019 German nationals, this is definitely within reach. Read the interview below the pictures for his thoughts about the race and ambitions for the future.
Tom Gröschel Interview
What were your thoughts going into the race?For the first half of the race, I forced myself to stay calm and relaxed. I really wanted to pick up the pace on the second half and run a negative split. I kept telling myself that I feel relaxed and smooth, the other guys had to dig just as deep as I did.
How was your preparation going into the race? Did you feel strong from the beginning?These past four months of marathon preparation ended up being more painful than the actual race itself! Despite some nervousness, I was well rested and ready to race. My main goal was to defend my German championship title and run a fast race. Winning the whole marathon was never really on my mind.
Now you are two-times German champion. What's your next goal?Come this fall, I want to keep pushing for an even faster PB! For that I pick up my rigorous daily training again once June starts.
What were you thoughts crossing the finish line?I really only just realized my first major marathon victory once I crossed the finish line. On top of that, I shattered my old PB with this very, very good time - which ultimately, is the thing I was most happy about.
How was the legs afterwards?Hours after the race my legs actually felt quite alright. Enjoying my victory and the new PB almost numbed the pain. Come next day, Monday, though I was only able to move around as slow as you can imagine.
Personal Bests:
- Marathon: 2.13.49
- Half Marathon: 64.52
- 10.000m: 29.34
Keep up with Tom here: Instagram and his personal website.
All of the pictures in this blog post were shot and edited by André Pristaff.
