Racing the Wakenitz River: Lübeck’s 28th WakenitzMan Edition
In the city of Lübeck, Germany, the 28th edition of the WakenitzMan race took place. The race is a 14 km marathon swim on the Wakenitz river.
Louisa Obermark, a 21-year-old dynamo, stole the show as she crossed the finish line at Naturbad Falkenwiese after 3 hours and 12 minutes. This came just a day after her win at the Förde Crossing, a 3-kilometer swim.
By the 5.5 km mark at Absalonshorst, Obermark had already established a significant lead. With waters at a comfortable 21°C, she maintained her lead and took the title. Following her was the triathlon masters world champion, Bettina Lange from TSV Bargteheide, who finished the race in 3:24:13 hours. The third place was secured by Lisa Selle from Düsseldorf with a time of 3:30:44.
In the men’s division, Dag Störmer of Eintracht Hildesheim was the fastest, completing the 14-kilometer stretch in 3:28:44 hours. He was closely followed by Sebastian Engel from USC Kiel and the Portuguese swimmer, Guilherme Farias. Lübeck’s pride, Andreas Keller from MTV Lübeck, secured the eighth position.
The relay category saw fierce competition with 28 two-person teams participating. The duo from Hamburg, André Röhl and Sven Teßmann, emerged victorious with a time of 3:26:17 hours. The fastest four-person relay title was claimed by the mixed team from SG Stormarn Barsbüttel.
The event organizer, Tobias Klotz, expressed relief and joy as every swimmer reached the finish line without any mishaps. The spirit of the event was perfectly encapsulated by Obermark’s ambition to take on a 25-kilometer challenge next, suggesting a potential new starting point for the WakenitzMan in Ratzeburg.
Photo credit: WakenitzMan Facebook
