Foto: zvg

Last fall, the successful career of 39-year-old Christian Kreienbühl came to an end. Because of Corona a little quieter than he deserved, because the Zurich native competed in the Olympics, in a world championship and won a team medal twice in his three consecutive European Championship starts.

Sport is a school for life. What are you taking with you into the next phase of your life?

I am taking a great deal of gratitude as well as memories that have become seared deep into my mind - and running gear until the end of my life...

Of course, the values and qualities that have shaped me as a person will remain over the long term. For example, perseverance, the habit of setting goals and achieving them together with a team (or failing to do so), independence and self-responsibility, the ability to deal with stress, nervousness, defeats, setbacks, as well as great personal achievements.

And finally, thanks to the sport, I made friends for life and met my wife - which brings us back to the subject of gratitude.

With SHARE YOUR RUN, you have found a new challenge which, alongside your job as a product owner and role as a family man, you are putting a lot of heart and soul into. Can you reveal more about this project which is close to your heart?

Yes, after I retired, I suddenly needed much less sleep. This left me with a lot of time and energy to implement an idea: a marketplace for running experiences. An Airbnb for runs.

When travelling (even in Switzerland!), haven’t you ever wished for a local expert to show you the best local running routes? A local runner who can help you get to know the country and people first-hand? On our platform www.shareyourrun.com, everyone can book precisely such a run with just a few clicks. This turns the run into an experience!

And the really great thing about the platform: not only can you book a run, but everyone can also offer one and earn a fee (determining their own price). You don't need coaching training to show someone your favourite route and give a few tips about the area.

We runners all tick the same way - so great running friendships can also develop!

What would you do differently in your running career if you could turn back the wheel of time?

I would try to enjoy the moment even more. It is not always easy to recognise the great situations as such. They are often over before you know it.

Enjoyment is particularly difficult when things (literally) don't go well. Runners, for example, bemoan being injured. Alternative training (e.g., aqua running or road cycling) then becomes a torment - the maximum penalty. I wish I had been more aware of the good things back then. Being able to devote yourself to sport is a huge privilege.

What are your 3 most important training tips for amateur runners?

1. The well-known 10% rule: "Never increase your weekly running distance by more than ten percent." Anyone who breaks this rule risks getting injured. And that (apart from dogs), is practically the only thing we runners fear.
2. Less is more. I think ambitious runners want to achieve too much too quickly and therefore also train too much and too fast.
3. Another competition tip. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but: never in the history of the marathon has anyone run the first half too slowly...

Can you tell us a secret tip/recipe for success?

I have never trained particularly fast. But in a competition, I could almost always deliver. I am convinced that this is related. If you use up too much energy during marathon training, you won't have any left when it really counts.