Do you have a role model?

"Nothing specific, there are so many amazing athletes in this sport. But if I had to name someone, Courtney Dauwalter comes to mind. Courtney is probably the best 100-mile runner at the moment. She runs with such ease and radiates incredible joy. She remains true to herself in everything and doesn't allow herself to be influenced by any outside conventions. I find that very inspiring."

How do you overcome your inner couch potato during training?

"Set goals. It helps me to have a specific goal in mind. It doesn't even have to be a specific competition, a private endeavour or project can also help. When the weaker self comes round the corner, I always know exactly what I'm training for. That helps me a lot to motivate myself. Training sessions that tend to be more difficult for me, such as track intervals, I usually do together with others. A healthy group dynamic can do wonders for motivation."

What does outdoor mean to you?

"Outdoor is often associated with equipment and wild adventures. But for me, the outdoors starts small, like a morning coffee in the sun on the balcony. I'm an outdoor person through and through, but I don't need any special equipment or a big plan for it."

What hobbies do you pursue apart from running?

"As well as running, I love cycling in all its forms. Mountain biking, road biking and now gravel biking are some of my favourite alternative sports. When things are a bit quieter, I also like to go hiking or via ferrata climbing. I also climbed quite regularly for a while, but unfortunately I can't fit it in at the moment. In winter, I do cross-country skiing and occasionally go on a ski tour, which is the perfect alternative to mountain running training for me."

What does your perfect day look like?

"To be honest, I don't want to commit myself to THE perfect day. For me, a successful day can have many different facets. It can be a beautiful summer's day that starts early at sunrise - with an extended tour on the mountain and a cosy finish in the beer garden. Or a training run in rainy conditions, when it's windy and cold. Followed by a visit to the sauna and a pizza at my favourite Italian restaurant. That also makes a perfect day for me. But there are always two components: Exercise and good food!"

Which tour or running route can you recommend?

"One of my favourite tours goes from the Rabenkopf over the Jochberg, along the shores of the Walchensee and back to the Jachenau. This 30-kilometre route combines everything I love about trail running. A longer, runnable climb through a beautiful forest, a bit of technical terrain at the summit, flowing trails and wonderful views of the Alps."

Sandra Saitner

LOWA TRAIL RACERS Team

"Just do it!"

A situation that passionate runner Sandra Saitner cannot tolerate? Standing still. Her motto - both in sport and in other areas of life - is: Just do it! That's why Sandra has been taking on sporting challenges again and again for 20 years now, looking optimistically to the future and showing how, with the right attitude and a good dose of hard work, trail running can literally move mountains.

Sandra started running classic road races in her mid-20s. Initially, ten kilometres was on her competition bucket list, but this quickly turned into the half marathon distance, which she competed in for a long time. Trail runs were already regularly integrated into her training plans. Sandra was really infected by trail running when she ran up the Wendelstein in the Bavarian Alps. This vertical run inspired Sandra so much that it didn't take long for her to sign up for the Karwendel mountain run.

Since then, trail running has been an integral part of her everyday life and she can no longer imagine her life without it. Unsurprisingly, Sandra has found a perfect home in Bad Tölz where she can live out her sporting passion. "Close to the mountains, ideal training conditions, a great running community - I couldn't imagine a better place to live than the Isarwinkel," says the likeable Upper Bavarian.

Instagram

Why is Sandra so passionate about trail running? It's simple: the sport shows her that you can achieve things that seem almost impossible. "With the right attitude and a little ambition, you can push boundaries. I always try to look ahead and just go for it and encourage myself to take on new challenges - without thinking too much," says Sandra, describing her life motto. Thanks to this approach, she has also been very successful in competitions in recent years. For example, she came third overall in the Zugspitz mountain run. However, she is most proud of her victory at the K85 (IATF) in Innsbruck 2023.

When she's not training on the trails at home, Sandra can also be found travelling on a wide variety of trails. Trail running shoes are always part of her luggage. "My favourite trail experience to date is probably the Trans-Corsica Run - a guerrilla run on the GR20. It is one of the most beautiful long-distance hiking trails in the world and one of the most difficult in Europe due to its alpine route. "Together with two friends, we covered 180 kilometres over 12,000 metres in altitude on this long-distance hiking trail. A very intense and wonderful run that we will certainly remember for a long time to come," enthuses Sandra about her most beautiful trail running adventure.

PROFILE

YEAR OF BIRTH

1983
HOMELAND

Bad Tölz, DE
OCCUPATION

National Account & CM Manager
HAUSBERG

Rechelkopf
FAVOURITE ROUTE

Ultra runs
GREATEST SUCCESSES

1. 1st place Innsbruck Alpine Trailrunning Festival 2023 (K35)
FAVOURITE RACE

Stelvio Trailrun
PRE-RACE EATING

Potatoes or rice

7 questions for Sandra

- Do you have a role model?
  
  "Nothing specific, there are so many amazing athletes in this sport. But if I had to name someone, Courtney Dauwalter comes to mind. Courtney is probably the best 100-mile runner at the moment. She runs with such ease and radiates incredible joy. She remains true to herself in everything and doesn't allow herself to be influenced by any outside conventions. I find that very inspiring."
- How do you overcome your inner couch potato during training?
  
  "Set goals. It helps me to have a specific goal in mind. It doesn't even have to be a specific competition, a private endeavour or project can also help. When the weaker self comes round the corner, I always know exactly what I'm training for. That helps me a lot to motivate myself. Training sessions that tend to be more difficult for me, such as track intervals, I usually do together with others. A healthy group dynamic can do wonders for motivation."
- What does outdoor mean to you?
  
  "Outdoor is often associated with equipment and wild adventures. But for me, the outdoors starts small, like a morning coffee in the sun on the balcony. I'm an outdoor person through and through, but I don't need any special equipment or a big plan for it."
- What hobbies do you pursue apart from running?
  
  "As well as running, I love cycling in all its forms. Mountain biking, road biking and now gravel biking are some of my favourite alternative sports. When things are a bit quieter, I also like to go hiking or via ferrata climbing. I also climbed quite regularly for a while, but unfortunately I can't fit it in at the moment. In winter, I do cross-country skiing and occasionally go on a ski tour, which is the perfect alternative to mountain running training for me."
- What does your perfect day look like?
  
  "To be honest, I don't want to commit myself to THE perfect day. For me, a successful day can have many different facets. It can be a beautiful summer's day that starts early at sunrise - with an extended tour on the mountain and a cosy finish in the beer garden. Or a training run in rainy conditions, when it's windy and cold. Followed by a visit to the sauna and a pizza at my favourite Italian restaurant. That also makes a perfect day for me. But there are always two components: Exercise and good food!"
- Which tour or running route can you recommend?
  
  "One of my favourite tours goes from the Rabenkopf over the Jochberg, along the shores of the Walchensee and back to the Jachenau. This 30-kilometre route combines everything I love about trail running. A longer, runnable climb through a beautiful forest, a bit of technical terrain at the summit, flowing trails and wonderful views of the Alps."
- What is your favourite LOWA shoe?
  
  "The LOWA CITUX!"

Sandra Saitner

"Just do it!"

PROFILE

7 questions for Sandra

ALL LOWA-TRAIL RACERS ATHLETES