“There is no miracle tip in a marathon”

"..a healthy body and good preparation are the most important things" Dr. Holger Förster is the Medical Director of the Medical Service at the 13th Salzburg Marathon. At the trade fair in the Salzburg Congress Center, he is on hand to provide advice and support to many runners. The native East Tyrolean answers us what to watch out for as a marathon runner.

Why is a medical examination before a marathon start so important?

In general, it is of course important to know whether you are basically healthy. Health always comes first. Above all, an eye is kept on the cardiovascular system, one looks at whether one is even able to run a marathon. Today you should already know that, now you pay attention to acute complaints. If flu-like effects occur or if there are complaints in the musculoskeletal system, for example, I offer help in deciding whether you can run or not.

The marathon is already knocking on our door. How should one prepare now in the last few days? What should you pay attention to?

That you don't get sick. That's the most important thing now! You should eat enough, fill up your carbohydrate storage, drink enough and be regenerated for the start on Sunday. You don't usually train anymore, just small recovery runs, short increase runs and make sure you don't catch a cold anymore - on the sightseeing tour through Salzburg.

Not only do you have a wide range of experience in the medical field, you are also active in competitive sports yourself. Do you have any insider tips? How do you prepare for a competition?



My competitions are shorter. I mainly run middle distances, i.e. 800 meters or 1,500 meters on the track. The preparation looks a little different, but the principle is the same. Here, too, it is important to keep the muscles healthy and to be fit at the start. There are no drugs, no special tricks and no magic tip. A healthy body and the appropriate preparation are the right recipe. You train beforehand, this condition should be maintained.

When the marathon is done, what should you do to regenerate?

The regeneration time depends on the original training condition. The better someone is trained, the quicker he is fit again. If you are running a marathon for the first time, this phase of regeneration will certainly take longer. But of course everyone has their limits. The most important thing is regeneration right after the race. The first thing to do is to take a quick shower and get dressed warmly again. The muscles are kept soft by going for walks, and a massage is of course also helpful. If you don't put too much strain on your body, swimming or cycling is good for the days that follow, so you can slowly get back into training.