Dubai: Even by his hospitable standards, Siegfried Nierhaus has given a lot to the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon which this year will be held on January 24. The 44-year-old has run the 10km six times and even run the full 42km once. And as he prepares for another shot at the 10km this year, the Managing Director of Atlas Hospitality tells XPRESS in an interview what he is looking to achieve besides going in under the hour. Excerpts…
How have you been training for the big day?
For the 10km race, I started training a month before. Every second day I practice for 30 mins and doing different exercises. It goes up to 60 min two weeks before the race and the week before, only 30 mins of exercises.
What are your goals for the race?
I want to enjoy myself, inspire others and finish the 10km race below 58 mins.
Will you be running for any charity/cause or do you have your own personal reasons?
My goal is to inspire others so that they get the chance to live the excitement and the fantastic experience of being a part of this great event. I heard a lot of positive comments in the past years after the race about everyone’s excitement and experience and for some it is like a highlight in their lives. This year I am happy that over 20 members of my team will be running this race and the best is that I could convince my son to join me in the race to enjoy the atmosphere around this exciting event.
What are you looking forward to most - and least?
The final preparations, fancy dresses, early morning meeting before the race with the team, mingling with others during the race and crossing the finishing line. As for the least, nothing really, just the fear of getting injured.
What words of advice would you give to any first-time runners?
Practice enough before the race to enjoy the experience and not have muscle pain after the event. Don’t forget the stretching before and after the training sessions!
Finally, what do you like most about the day itself?
The amazing atmosphere before, during and after the event and seeing the joy and pride on the runners’ faces when they cross the finish line. The individual timing is absolutely not important.
