Three colleagues, one course, no friends: VÖLKEL at the 2026 corporate run

The Battle 2026: One second that lingered

Last year, Olli came out on top in the internal VÖLKEL rankings. Right behind him: David. The difference between the two? Just one second. A second that David clearly hadn’t forgotten. That pretty much set the scene for 2026, and what would normally have been a simple internal contest quickly became “The Battle 2026”.

Three colleagues. One course. No friends.

The roles were quickly assigned, too:

And since a little extra pressure never hurts, there was one more simple rule: Whoever loses brings cake. Of course, the rivalry was less dramatic than it sounds. But a bit of friendly teasing is part of the deal when three ambitious runners from the same company line up at the start.

Then it got serious: From talk to the course

At 19:00, the starting signal sounded on the Schützenplatz. After warming up together, it was time to tackle the 4.3-kilometre course through the Stadtpark and Edelhoffpark. Now the times would have to show how much those pre-race claims were worth. And David backed up his words with action.

Finishing in 18:57 minutes, he was the fastest VÖLKEL runner and won the Battle 2026. Defending champion Olli followed in 19:44 minutes. Til crossed the finish line after 21:52 minutes, taking third place in our little internal race.

That settled the Battle 2026. Last year’s one-second deficit had turned into a clear lead for David this time. So those big claims before the start hadn’t been entirely empty. The sporting side of things was settled. But the really important question was still unanswered: So who’s actually bringing the cake now?

More than just the VÖLKEL Battle

For all the attention our little battle received, the corporate run was, of course, about more than David, Olli and Til. A total of ten colleagues lined up for VÖLKEL. Different running times, different personal goals and probably very different emotions over those final metres. But in the end, everyone reached the finish line.

And the team result was something to be proud of, too: VÖLKEL finished 26th out of 80 teams in the team rankings, putting us in the top third. A result we are certainly proud of. Because that is also exactly what an event like the Remscheid corporate run means to us: sharing an experience outside our normal working day, cheering each other on and reaching a goal together. Good times and a strong placing in the team rankings are, of course, a welcome bonus.

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Fast times for a good cause

But the sporting and social side is only one part of the event. The EWR*Firmenlauf also combines the run with a charitable cause. For every registration, the organiser donates 1 euro to Ärztliche Kinderschutzambulanz Bergisch Land e. V. The non-profit organisation supports children and families affected by violence, neglect or abuse.

Every participant therefore makes a small contribution towards supporting this important work in the region. For us, that is another good reason to have taken part again in 2026.