D-MTEC @ Zurich Marathon
On Sunday 21 April, 34 members of the MTEC Department braved inclement conditions to join some 16,000 other amateur and professional runners competing in the Zurich Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10K Race. Despite the adverse conditions, the D-MTEC team put in inspiring performances.
On the morning of 21 April, Professor Bart Clarysse, D-MTEC Chair in Entrepreneurship, posted a message to a select group of D-MTEC students and researchers: “It’s brutal weather! Make sure you warm up properly before the race! Long sleeves are better…Enjoy!”
The “brutal weather” didn’t sap the competitive spirits of the D-MTEC squad, which was composed of 30 MSc MTEC and doctoral students, two senior researchers, a research assistant, and Professor Clarysse himself. Among the noteworthy performances was that of Savindu Herath (doctoral candidate at the Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation), who had announced his plan to “run the streets of Zurich faster this year”…“in pursuit of last year’s unrealized target of a sub-three-hour marathon.” Savindu ran the full 42.195-km course from Zurich to Meilen and back, achieving his first goal and missing the second by less than a hair (3:00:04!!).
Professor Clarysse put in the best D-MTEC time in the half-marathon (1:31:52), which started at the Quaibrücke, led along the edge of Lake Zurich to Erlenbach, and then reversed course to finish at the Mythenquai. The fastest D-MTEC woman’s half-marathon was run by MSc MTEC student Nina Altmayer in 2:13:20.
In the 10K race through Zurich’s city center, Jan Krusnik (MSc MTEC), at 47:45, and Manon Fryges (Research Assistant at the Chair of Entrepreneurship), at 58:12, put in the best D-MTEC times for men and women, respectively.
Jana Spiering (MSc MTEC), who organised the D-MTEC participation in the races, declared herself well pleased with the event. “It's great to see how proud all the participants are of their excellent performances. The shared enthusiasm for running among D-MTEC colleagues was truly inspiring, fostering a sense of team spirit. Moreover, connecting Master’s students with doctoral candidates provided a valuable networking opportunity. Overall, it was a truly enriching experience!”
The Apéro at the end of the race was shifted inside due to the bad weather but still allowed for lively exchange as the competitors refilled their energy reserves with pizza, fruit, snacks and drinks.
All D-MTEC running enthusiasts are invited to join in next year for the 22nd annual external page Zurich Marathon, which will be held on 13 April, 2025. Think ahead, though, as this year’s event was fully booked six weeks in advance.