IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GERMANY’S FIRST MARATHON

“In running, we all work on equal terms. Although we pursue individual goals, we share the same passion – and that unites us,” says Jörg Matthé. Matthé is the managing director of the Leipziger Laufladen – and it was precisely this enthusiasm for running that was one of the decisive factors in opening the doors of the Leipziger Laufladen 21 years ago, on March 27, 2003. Jörg Matthé and Uwe Förster, two former competitive athletes, one on middle and long distances, the other in decathlon, joined forces. The aim: to create a contact point for all runners from Leipzig and the surrounding region who needed new running equipment.

Before that happened, however, they had to gain experience and acquire the necessary knowledge. Because that’s what it takes to run a running store. As active runners since childhood, Matthé and Förster continuously accumulated know-how in sports. “It helps immensely if you can put yourself in the customers’ shoes and have been in a similar situation before,” explains Matthé, who toyed with the idea of turning his running hobby into a career early on. Born in Leipzig, he founded “Laufservice Matthé” in 1990, initially selling running shoes from his apartment and later from his garage.

The 55-year-old gained valuable experience in sales, marketing, and product development at an American sporting goods manufacturer for over ten years. At the same time, he worked on a concept for his own running store: “During this time, I learned what I needed to be able to open the Leipzig running store later on.”

It has been located in the Brühl Arkaden in Leipzig’s city center for over two decades now – at Brühl 33, 04109 Leipzig to be precise. On 300 m² you can test running shoes, try on running shirts, or take a close look at the latest heart rate monitors. And much more. Support and advice are provided not only by Jörg Matthé, but above all by his team of currently eight employees – all of whom have been active runners for years, and most of whom are members of SC DHFK Leipzig e. V.

The Leipziger Laufladen and SC DHFK Leipzig – a connection that was forged early on.

Jörg Matthé joined the SC DHFK Leipzig at the age of eleven and was initially at home on the middle distances before taking a liking to the long distances. Successfully so: at the age of 19, he won the Auensee Marathon in Leipzig wearing the green and white jersey.

However, the Leipzig native was not only involved in the SC DHFK as an athlete, but also as a coach and in other volunteer positions. For almost 20 years, in addition to his professional work at Leipziger Laufladen, he has been the head of the running department at his home club. Two tasks that have led to a close relationship between the running store and the club since the Leipziger Laufladen was founded.

This is “an important partnership that we have maintained for years and from which both sides benefit enormously. We organize many events together, with a particular focus on sports for children and young people,” says Jörg Matthé, who also supports the running department of SC DHFK Leipzig as an outfitter with Leipziger Laufladen.

The close connection between the club and the running store is also reflected in the team of the Leipzig running store. Seven of the eight employees are also members of SC DHFK Leipzig. “It’s really great when you find your team among runners from your own club,” says Matthé. “We have the running expertise because we have years of running experience, and the passion for running is there anyway.”

In addition to their running background, the team at Leipziger Laufladen combines a wide range of different professions from the sports and health sector. Whether a trained aerobics, health or fitness trainer, qualified sports teacher, nutritionist, or sports student studying to become a teacher. All of these are different sports science skills that the team bring to work at Leipziger Laufladen.

Biomechanics is a key area of sports science that is extremely important in running. It is crucial in order to understand the movement sequences involved in running and their functions and, on this basis, to select the most suitable running equipment for each individual.

Jörg Matthé realized early on how important an understanding of sports science is for the best possible running shoe advice. New materials are used, new technologies come onto the market, established models are revised. For the owner of the Leipzig running store, this is something that has a special appeal in his profession: “I’ve always had a great interest in innovative ideas in the running sector, whether for running shoes or other equipment. It’s exciting to see how innovations are received by customers and, in the best case, how they even become established.”

For this reason, the Leipziger Laufladen organizes the annual “Test Day on the Test Field”. In the spring, brand manufacturers have the opportunity to present their innovations and products at the sports facility of Leipzig University’s Faculty of Sports Science. Everything can be tested from 4 to 8 pm. Around 1,500 to 2,000 running enthusiasts from the region take advantage of this offer every year. If something convinces Jörg Matthé, his team, and the test runners, it is added to the Leipzig running store’s product range. This also happened about five years ago.

In 2019, True Motion’s first U-TECH Nevos, including the newly developed, innovative U-TECH^TM technology, was a hit. “The most exciting thing was to have a running shoe in our product range that is not explicitly intended for just one type of runner, but is an option for everyone,” says Jörg Matthé.

“For me, a running shoe always needs a USP – something that sets it apart from other running shoes. I have to be able to recognize what makes a running shoe special, where its strengths lie. Only then can I offer it to a customer.” Today, all True Motion running shoe models can be found on the shelves of the Leipzig running store.

Jörg Matthé and his team also use modern technologies during a running shoe consultation. Runners’ feet are measured in detail using a 3D analysis. The static analysis is followed by a dynamic analysis. To do this, customers run on the track in the running store or outside the store in the mall. “In the dynamic analysis of the running movement, we like to work with clear images and look at the movement sequence when running. Experience is one of the most important things. If you practice a sport yourself, it’s easier to understand the movements,” says the passionate runner.

However, the Leipziger Laufladen does not want to limit itself to providing on-site advice. In addition to the events that are organized and implemented in cooperation with SC DHFK Leipzig, the Leipziger Laufladen helps with a wide variety of running events in the region.

The biggest running event in Leipzig is the Leipzig Marathon, which will take place for the 46th time in April 2024. Jörg Matthé and his team help with the organization, run the marathon fair, and are sponsors and partners of the event. This is a special competition for the managing director of Leipziger Laufladen, as he was able to take first place in the marathon himself as a runner in 2008. Long-time employee Sandra Boitz, another winner of the Leipzig Marathon in 2013, is also part of the Leipziger Laufladen team.

To prepare for such an athletic competition, the Leipziger Laufladen offers so-called running seminars. From November to April, training runs start every Thursday at 7 pm. Whether it’s a 10k run, a half marathon, or a marathon, at a moderate pace or faster times – running takes place in up to ten different performance groups.

In the months following the Leipzig Marathon, the same applies to the “Lauf.Jetzt” running group, which starts at 6 pm on Tuesdays from April to October and prepares for the Leipzig Run, the Leipzig half marathon in the fall. The meeting point is the horse racing track. “Although running is often seen as an individual sport, it’s even more fun as a group – especially when you’re preparing for a competition,” says Jörg Matthé.

And why not run where the first marathon took place in Germany over 120 years ago? Everything you need to prepare for this is available on site from a single source at Leipziger Laufladen, from running shoe advice and regular running training in a group to an expert exchange on the latest innovations in running. True to the motto: RUN LOCAL, BUY LOCAL.