Hartmann Stampfer: Bio
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| Name: | Hartmann Stampfer |
| Age: | 58 years old |
| Height: | 186 cm |
| Weight: | 93 kg |
| Status: | married with Johanna, 2 adult sons: Matthias and Lukas |
| Resident: | Fiè, South Tyrol, Italy, Europe |
| Profession: | remote control technician for the railroad |
| Hobby: | running, mountaineering |
| Motto: | live today and do not plan what might be in 20 years |
| Friends: | there are some, who knows for how long |
| Acquaintances: | there are more and more |
| Special: | i run each marathon and ultramarathon only once |
| Marathon: | it should yield at least start number, medal, certificate and the results |
As a traffic systems engineer on the railways, Hartmann makes good use of his flexitime for sport. While he was a keen cycle racer in his youth, in 2001 he took up running on account of his then still young sons.
And, as someone driven by curiosity and ambition, he did not wait long before entering his first big race, the South Tyrol marathon on 1 April 2002. This was the last marathon to take place in Bolzano, but for Hartmann it was the first on a very long list. He knew Bolzano like the back of his hand and had a premonition that this was somehow a unique opportunity. His thoughts: “If I can manage a marathon in a town I know so well, then I’ll have no difficulty with any of the others.”
He duly overcame this first hurdle without any problem. In 2003, however, a persistent injury prevented Hartmann from taking part in any further races. In spite of this, he set himself the goal of completing another marathon in his life. Just one year later he was back: in 2004 he entered the Rome marathon, and finished it. “That was the best marathon I have ever done,” he enthuses. “The race was like a sightseeing tour. It started and finished at the Colosseum: it went via Piazza Venezia and then St Peter’s Square, along the River Tiber and back via the historic Olympic stadium, then on to Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, past the Trevi Fountain and all the other famous monuments, but at marathon pace, not like an ordinary tourist.”
Only run each marathon once. It soon became clear to Hartmann, with his thirst for knowledge, that running went perfectly with travelling while underpinning Hartmann’s most important credo: you should only run each marathon once. “Every marathon is unique and should remain a unique experience in the runner’s mind,” says Hartmann. This attitude saw the Italian marathon scene dub him “Paganini” after the violin virtuoso who never did the same thing twice. Hartmann gradually evolved into an enthusiastic marathon collector, well-known for his exceptional preparation in the 100-marathon clubs of Italy, as well as in Austria and Germany.
As a South Tyrolean, he regards himself as a link between north and south. But 100 marathons were not enough for Hartmann. Collecting them became an obsession. “There are over 1,000 marathons, don’t worry,” he grins. Of the 300 marathons Hartmann has run, about half were in Germany and Italy, but to date his hobby has taken him to 77 different countries, and he can list them all. He has travelled – or rather run – every continent in the world “except Oceania and the Antarctic”.
