At the age of 70: Metjendorfer cheers after his first marathon!

At the age of 70: Metjendorfer cheers after his first marathon!

Werner Palm, a 70-year-old pensioner from Metjendorf, recently achieved a remarkable milestone: he successfully completed his first marathon. This impressive performance took place in Berlin at the end of September, where he went on the track with around 58,000 other runners.

for Palm, who had not exercised for over 40 years, was a big challenge, but he could not be discouraged. "I had a bit of doubt whether I would do it. But after half a way I knew: I pack that," he said after the competition. Participation in the marathon was the result of his remarkable transformation that began a few years ago.

a new phase of life

The impetus for Palm came in 2017 when he learned from the "run" initiative of the Northwest media group. "That sounded good - I decided to get in touch," he recalls. Since then he has acquired a structured training that made him end his first 10 km run within just four months. Just two months later, the first half marathon followed, which gave him self -confidence. "If you properly divide the training sessions, the body can do it well," is his conviction.

To increase his performance, Palm also began to change his diet. It reduced his meat consumption considerably and integrated more fruit and vegetables into its food. These changes not only led to better terms, but also to a remarkable weight loss of 17 kilograms.

support and ambitious plans

Three years ago, Palm took on an important role in the coaching team of the "run" group. Retirement allowed him to devote more time to sport. Last year he supported his coaching colleague Marion Menke during her training for the Berlin Marathon. "When I stood there and noticed the atmosphere up close, I thought:" I would also like to be there, "Palm describes his motivation.

To ensure that he did not overload his body, he had previously had a performance diagnosis at the doctor that gave him the green light. Now he has already registered for the Berlin Marathon 2024, together with Marion Menke.

Werner Palm describes the atmosphere of the marathon with shining eyes: "When I finally walked through the finish line, my friends waited for me with a confetti cannon, and suddenly it rained down paper hinge on me." The euphoria of the moment overwhelmed him, and despite the physical exhaustion, he felt alive than ever.

For the next year, Palm is already considering whether he wants to take part in the marathon again. "I would like to see how fit I am next year," he says with a smile. First, however, he plans to participate in the Oldenburg Marathon on October 20, where he wants to "only" tackle a half marathon this time. After all, he has just reached his big goal and wants to take time for the next challenges.

Werner Palm's journey shows that it is never too late to start sport and accept challenges. His story, which could be a source of inspiration, was, among other things, on www.nwzonline.de documented.