The competition is more about sharing that magical running moment than about writing. ODLO product manager and competition judge Roberta Lazzaroto says anyone can enter. “There are no good and bad runners. All you need is the motivation to lace your shoes and speed up your heart rate!”

So far there have been stories to inspire, motivate and humble. Stories have come from runners of all nationalities and backgrounds. There are stories from running families and stories detailing uphill battles against injury. For Sandra Willemsen, it’s about finishing a marathon, despite having smashed her kneecap aged 16: “I have had four ligament ruptures in my right knee and one in my left knee – but still I run.”
For Nadine Wolff, it’s about freedom. “I love trail running,” she writes. “It’s to be emotionally unavailable and to forget everything around you.”

There are encounters with running legends and personal stories that touch upon our basic need to run. The runners' experiences vary from big cities to forest trails. After reading them, the only question that will remain is, what is yours…? To Share Your Moment and for full competition rules and details, click on our facebook fanpage. 

Where exactly are you?
Italy. In South Tyrol, Latsch, at Hotel Vermoi.

Tell us about the training camp?
The training camp is currently taking place in Latsch for the seventh time. I'm here with my coach Jürg Meile and about 15 young athletes. My training partner Reto Vögeli is a visiting athlete from Sarnen TV.

How long are you there for?
Ten days.

How tough is it?
Training sessions include activities such as sprints, technical runs, jumps and strength exercises. These workouts are usually short and intensive training sessions with maximum exertion, with plenty of rest in between workouts. The training is a little tougher in general, but there is also more time for rest. After four days of training I have at least one day off where I can recover.

So how do you chill?
I like to use this time to look around Merano and enjoy the city and weather! The hotel where we stay also offers us the comfort that we need in order to to fully focus on training.

What's the daily routine?
At 8 o´clock I get up and eat breakfast. Then I have time to lie down again and prepare myself mentally before training. Between 10:00 and 10:30, I go to the complex and warm-up for about 30 minutes.

The training then begins and lasts one-and-a half hours. Lunch is at 12:30 and usually consists of pasta. After lunch I have about three hours before the second session that starts at about 5 o´clock.

What do you do between workouts?
I usually take a short nap, and for the second session I just need a short warm-up. Once I’m finished I have dinner. The program looks less intense in the evenings: usually a cozy get-together, games, bowling or something fun!

Any recovery tips?
After each workout I put my legs in the cold water of the outside pool to help blood circulation – this works wonders! In addition, massage and physical therapy are also on the program. Stretching and ankle and torso strengthening are also part of my daily routine!

Among them was ODLO's own celebrity runner, Fabian Jeker, the former pro-cyclist who had set himself the goal of running a sub 2:30 marathon. Also taking part was a relay team from ODLO. In the days preceding the race, the two decided to challenge each other to an internal race to see who could come home first.
In the end, the relay team took the honor, finishing in 2:26.01. In doing so, they won the team race and set a course record! They had a very fast team, with a particularly strong final athlete for the last 17.7km stage. (The first three runners ran, respectively, 9.7 km, 10.8 km and 3.4 km.)
For Jeker, it was a different story. He reached the half-way point in a time of 1:14, on-pace and feeling strong but, like many marathon runners, discovered problems at km 29 and found it hard to maintain his pace in the final 10km. He finished in 2:50.07 — still a fantastic time.
After a few hours, the sun finally came out. It was the perfect complement to the many happy smiles of relief at the finish.

For ODLO athlete Sören Ludolph, it is especially true. The German 800m Champion recently gave a press conference in which he spoke of his ‘big dream’ to compete in London.
“I started dreaming about the Olympic games back when I was a student,” he told reporters.
To make the dream come true, he moved to Hanover and started training with a new coach.
“Being only 16, it was a bit early to say whether the Olympics would ever be an option. But today my dream is within reach!” he said.  
Over 10,000 athletes will compete in 26 sports at the Olympic games during almost three weeks of non-stop sporting action over the summer. Over a million people are expected to watch the games live while millions of others will watch from home.
Of course, the most popular events will take place on the athletics track.  Ludolph is the first to admit that competition is extremely stiff and like many athletes, his first challenge is still to qualify.
“I can do it. Of course, it’s going to be hard but I know I’ve already run this fast before,” he said.
To secure his selection he must run under 1:45,55 by July 2nd, one day after the European Championships.
“I have to stay relaxed about it. What’s more, my development is still ongoing, but I know I can do it,” he says.
ODLO Running wishes him all the best!

"Running in challenging environments has opened my eyes to the ways in which we can enjoy the natural environment,” she writes. “I love the feeling of being free.”

Also typical is Damien Baetens' account of how he started running just to stay in shape but then got the running bug, progressing to his first marathon in 2010. "It took me a long time to recover," he writes.

The competition invites runners to send in their favorite running moment. ODLO product manager and competition judge Roberta Lazzaroto, says the response so far has been inspiring.
“Every time I read one I just want to go outside and run,” she says.

She adds that anyone can enter. “There are no good and bad runners. All you need is the motivation to lace your shoes and speed up your heart rate.
“For me, running is like breathing — it’s something I do everyday and it makes me come back with a lighter mind."

The best five entries will win a chance to go training with one of ODLO's star athletes. They will also win a set of ODLO running gear. So far there have been stories to inspire, motivate and humble. There are encounters with running legends and personal stories that touch upon our basic need to run. The runners' experiences vary from big cities to forest trails. After reading them, the only question that will remain is, what is yours…? To Share Your Moment and for full competition rules and details, click on our facebook fanpage.