Running clubs for elite athletes in Germany

In contrast to the US, German athletics is very much club based. University athletics is almost non-existent and not of a very high standard. Whereabouts in Germany are you looking to be based?

You will need to be a member of a DLV affiliated club and register for a 'Startpass' to compete in most track competitions, especially local, regional (and national championships). Depending on where you live, there arevarious open club meetings of differing standards which you can compete in, and lots of road races all year round. The latter, especially so-called 'Volkslaeufe', can, however, be pretty weak.

In the North German region, where I am based, your times would make you very competitive.

The greatest training group probably is the LAV Asics Tuebingen in Southern Germany trained by Isabelle Bauman.

They have guys like Wolfram Müller (PB: 3:35,50 ), Filmon Ghirmai (PB: 13:39.61 5000m), Arne Gabius (PB: 3:41,55 ) among others. You could contact coach Isabelle Baumann (i.baumann@gmx.de) for further information, as she as the most important long distance coach in Germany surely is an insider to the buisness.

1) You should look in the German-Meetings circuit. Usually 5-6 second tier European meetings (some of them are EAA permit though). Rehlingen, Dessau, Cottbus, Kassel, Regensburg, Cuxhaven, Biberach. These are great small meets. You will probably need an agent to get in them though, and at the moment you would probably run B race level which are still great races (3.45 1500m etc etc) - I don't know what your goals are.

2) Most regional champs aren't really worth running in because the level now is quite low. South German and North German champs aren't too bad though. If you get in with a club, it won't be a problem running them - I never needed a "startpass" (?) to run in Germany. By the way, running German champs (which is a great meet) is out of the question unless you have a German passport.

3) As for being paid to run for a club, I'm not being negative here but at the moment no club in Germany will actually pay for you (as a foreigner) to compete for them. Firstly, because all the money in club athletics in Germany has dried up and its hard enough for them to pay their own elite athletes and secondly your times are solid but not at the level to be a paid athlete. I would say for a German to be paid these days they need to be a top 3 contender at German champs and over 1500m-5000m be at sub 3.40, sub 13.35 level. A foreigner - 3.36-37 and 13.15-10. I'm not kidding.

(how do I know this? I was lucky enough to be paid to run for a club in Baveria for 8 years - I did run at an Olympics and World Championships though)

Other countries have good meets, but your problem will be money and getting there because its not just Germany where the money is drying up for second tier meets. With your times you could run Folksam in Sweden, also maybe Elitikisaat in Finland, but you would need to pay to get there and for your own accommodation and there is no guarantee of starts or fast races after shelling out for expensive flights, arduous travel etc. I would recommend you look into the Flanders Cup series in Belgium - its easy to get from Germany (especially North or West Germany) and there are HEAPS of second tier guys in Europe who are all still very good running there throughout the summer. There was always heaps of college guys staying in places like Leuven when I was still in Europe. Entry isn't by invite and they are usually pretty fair with regards to seedings. Word of advice - If you are 3.47 guy, you have "run" 3.44 and so forth. Trust me, everyone does it and you do what you can to get in those faster races.

Single most important thing? If you are serious about a "career" - get an agent of some type. It doesn't have to be (and won't be) Mark Wetmore or Paul Doyle, but just someone. Ask anyone you know who knows someone - you never know.

As for your club in Germany, depending on where you are/want to live, find a good club, write to the athletes manager (Sportleiter), tell him who you are, what you are doing, that you have run faster then you really have and see if you can run for the club. Then run fast and let it take care of itself - that's also the best advice I can give.

Good luck.

sorry - just realised you never mentioned any notion of being paid by a German club - my bad. Just fire up some emails in your best German and you'll be away.

Your German club will have received a 'Startpass' as part of the process of registering you as a member of the club but you will probably never seen it. Have a look at the Leichtathletikordnung, § 4 Startrecht nr. 3 Startpass (http://www.deutscher-leichtathletik-verband.de/image.php?AID=14398&VID=0).

It is possible for foreigners to compete in national championships, subject to fulfilling certain conditions. This is also covered in the LAO (§ 4 Teilnahmerecht). However, it appears that if you have competed internationally for your home country association or taken part in a national champs in a different country within the last year then you are barred from competing in the German national track champs.

Thank you all for your help.

I'm not sure how things have changed in the last 10 years, but when I studied in Germany in the late 90's I trained/competed at LAC Quelle Fuerth. To join, I looked at local race results, picked the club with the fastest results, looked them up in the phonebook and called the main number. I asked to speak to a coach and gave him my times. Within a week I was running track workouts with the team. It didn't hurt that I spoke German, too.

I remember paying a small monthly fee, like $10-15 and EVERYTHING was taken care of. Massage, sauna, transportation to meets, entry fees, etc. I was nowhere near as fast as the top guys (they had a 2:11 marathoner at the time and 3 guys under 2:20), but got to train a bit with them. Their coach was my coach.

I think several of the faster guys had jobs at the sponsor company to help pay the bills. Like I said, I was a student and was only there a short time, but ran some nice PR's while over there.

Good clubs in germany for Long/middle distance are:

East: LG Nord Berlin (Carsten Schlangen 3.34min), Lac/Lc Erfurt (Stefan Eberhardt 3.33min, Sebastian keiner 1.45min)

North: LG Brausnchweig ( Soeren Ludolph 1.46, Jonas Hamm)

West: Tsv 04 Bayer Leverkusen (Robin Schembera 1.45min)

South: Tuebingen or LAC Quelle Fuerth Muenchen.

Many small Clubs in germany have some decent runners. They are spread all over the country.

In general:

http://www.leichtathletik.de

thanks,

Do you know any other clubs in western Germany? that is where i am planning on staying. Thanks

Hello,

this thread is outdated but I am looking for advice to see which running clubs I could join in Germany for long term development in the distance events -5/10k and upwards? Similar situation - post college running.

Hello ! I'm Felix professional athletes who is looking to join professional long-distance here in the Germany if this any who knows a good to get in club professional athletes tell me. And also I'm coach volunteer to help all categories to loose weight and gain andurance and also speed. Thanks