Race Recap: Rob Sobotnik at the Berlin Marathon 2021

I got the email in mid-December of 2020 when it felt like there was no end in sight of the pandemic. It began “Too often we receive emails that start like, “We are sorry to inform you that…” Not this time, though, since you are one of the lucky winners of the lottery and will be participating in the 47th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2021. Congratulations!”. I recall a snow storm was set to hit later that day, so I went out for a quick run while flurries had begun coming down just to shrug the excitement out of my system. Maybe 2022 seems a bit more realistic, I thought once I returned. Eventually, New York had defrosted and Spring was upon us. Vaccines were abundant, and there had still yet to be any notice of cancellation in my inbox for the Berlin Marathon. I had my doubts, but I figured the only disservice I would be doing myself is not preparing for the race, regardless of if it was happening or not.

I relied on Pete Pfitzinger’s book “Advanced Marathoning, Second Edition” for my training plan, and decided that the plan peaking at 55 miles/week would be the most realistic option for me. In March of 2021, I was able to throw down a 1:26 half marathon, a 5-minute improvement on my previous HM PR, giving me a confidence boost that I might be capable of running something more aggressive than I had imagined in Berlin later in the year.  My best IRL marathon time in NYC 2019 (my first and only in-person marathon) had been just shy of 3:30, an accomplishment nonetheless, but when I recall finishing the race, I knew that I had more gas left in the tank. This time I wanted to finish a marathon knowing I gave it my all.

I had been living in south Brooklyn for the majority of my training cycle and completed a lot of the prescribed runs solo, choosing arbitrary workout paces with my eyes set on lofty goals. While I wasn’t hitting super high weekly mileage, I was consistent with my training and made sure I was listening to my body. I never ran more than 5 days a week, incorporating yoga into my training schedule at least two days a week. I cut a handful of workouts over the 18 weeks short when my legs weren’t complying, and allowed myself a down week halfway during training when burnout was looming. Knowing how to work hard and when to hit the gas, but also when to pump the brakes is a really important element of training that I don’t think anyone actually perfects, but is crucial to keeping injury at bay. I would be lying if I said I never had desperate moments trying to figure out why the hell I was doing this, slogging away all throughout the summer heat and humidity. As mileage ramped up and I noticed my morale diminishing, I would try and make the trek up to north Brooklyn for Thursday Night Track, and the various weekend long runs offered. These are the runs where members of the club push you along and keep you moving even when the going gets tough, and helped shape a mindset that I brought with me to Berlin.

I definitely had my doubts about running my first international race given all of the circumstances. Navigating travel to another country during the pandemic didn’t come easily. I had also anticipated running with a pacer in wave 1, but due to my previous marathon time, I learned only at the expo that I was in wave 2 and no pacers in my wave would be targeting my A, B or C goals. I also learned rather quickly that Germans LOVE rules and they would not be making an exception for me moving up to wave 1 if my previous time did not merit it. It also goes worth noting that it was going to be the hottest day in Berlin within the 10-day forecast, so race day looked like it was going to be an uphill battle despite the notoriously flat nature of the course.

I set off through Tiergarten, and didn’t check my watch until after mile 2, when I saw that the comfortable-feeling pace I was running was actually what I had needed to hold for a sub 3-hour finish. I decided I would flirt with that pace as long as possible, either leading me to a huge PR, or a potential crisis. Marathons, much like life, have a way of throwing you curveballs you never saw coming nor could’ve ever prepared for. I had nothing to lose unless I didn’t finish or didn’t work hard, and both were not viable options.

I have vivid, photographic memories of brief moments during the race, but so much of it all blurs together; the enthusiastic crowds of spectators cheering you on by the name printed on your bib, the roar of music played by live bands stationed at busy intersections, an occasional “let’s go Brooklyn!” shouted from the sidelines which always delivered a much needed boost in what felt like such a far way from home, the misstep I took where I lost my footing and nearly wiped out, the stunning architecture of the city and all of the beautiful and unique neighborhoods you pass through, the runners I saw who covered the distance in costumes, specifically the head to toe mummy wrapped character. I’m still wondering if or how they avoided heatstroke...

Regarding race strategy, I made sure to take a water cup at every station and force down a sip or two (regardless of thirst) and dump the remainder over my head given the hot conditions. I made sure to hit my tangents, unless it meant zigzagging to find some respite from the sun in a briefly shaded section of the course. When I started to struggle, I found myself repeating “form, fuel, fight”, something I came up with à la minute as a reminder to prioritize form and fuel, and saved the fight for the last 2 km when I realized if I didn’t pick up the pace, I would’ve missed the 3-hour cut off since I fell off pace around the 37 km mark due to some hamstring cramping that came out of left field. 

I kept thinking about all of my family, friends, colleagues and teammates who were all so excited for me to have this experience. I was also lucky to have my partner Brandon (who managed to get his passport the day before we left– talk about a nail biter!) hit 3 different sections of the course, cheering me on and pulling me through. When everything hurt, I kept reminding myself the pain was temporary and there was nothing else left once I hit the finish line, aside from celebrations which would take place regardless of the outcome. I heard another runner who was also boarding our outgoing flight from Newark tell someone “No one really cares what your time is aside from yourself. People just care that you did it.” This stuck with me and served as a constant reminder that there was nothing to lose, even if it turned out to be a bad day at the office.

After passing through the Brandenburg Gate and over the finish line, I checked my app to see my official finish time. When I saw 2:59:44, I started crying. From having covid in the early days of the pandemic and having to rebuild my cardio base from the ground up, to months of lockdowns, and now having just finished the first in-person World Major race on the calendar since the pandemic began, I was completely overcome with emotions and had so much to be thankful for. The messages came pouring in from everyone including so many of my NBR teammates and was a reminder of how much support I had along this ride. I couldn’t help but think to myself how much I deserved a beer. Where was the closest beer?!

Watching the culmination of 18 weeks of training come to life, I felt so privileged to be able to move my body down the straße of Berlin, to represent both Brooklyn and the club. I had accomplished a 30+ minute PR in my second ever in-person marathon. On race day, the answer to the question of “why the hell am I doing this?” becomes crystal clear— this distance is an absolute celebration of running because of how much you need to nurture yourself to achieve the results you want to see; pushing the limitations of what your body and mind are capable of and showing up for yourself in ways you never would have imagined. For what seems to be such a solitary sport, it’s anything but when you know you have the support of teammates in practices and racing, all working toward similar goals.

With such a stacked Fall season, I’m so excited to see everyone crush their upcoming races next. Danke schön, to my NBR teammates & Berlin!