Gütersloh, 03/05/2025

217 Kilometers Through Death Valley For The German Stroke Foundation

Arvato Systems employee Matthias Landwehr takes part in “Badwater 135” ultramarathon.

When Matthias Landwehr runs properly, he doesn’t stop too quickly – not after five or ten kilometers, and not even after 21.0975 kilometers, which is the equivalent of half a marathon, or even after a whole marathon. Even at 50, 100 or 150 kilometers, it does not have to end for him. After eleven “Wall Runs” around Berlin, the so-called “100 Miles Berlin” run with a distance of 161 kilometers, and five participations in the 230-kilometer “Tortour de Ruhr”, the 54-year-old Arvato Systems IT expert is now looking forward to the highlight of his running career: From the organizers he received the confirmation that he will be a participant in the legendary “Badwater 135” ultramarathon in the United States, one of the world’s toughest foot races. It will be an immense physical challenge for Landwehr, which he wants to use to draw attention to and collect donations for an organization that is committed to the fight against a disease that potentially affects everyone: the German Stroke Foundation headquartered in Gütersloh, founded by Liz Mohn in 1993. The foundation has already set up a website  where people interested in running can donate money for the good cause. Matthias Landwehr is also supported in his charitable commitment by his employer.

Only 100 participants

Matthias Landwehr is one of only one hundred participants in the extreme run, 50 of whom are not American – and only two of them come from Germany. The starting point is the eponymous Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the finish line is a mountain pass at Mount Whitney. The distance is 135 miles, or 217 kilometers, and the race takes place in the middle of summer. “With the confirmation from the organizers, my absolute dream of being able to take part in this very special race has come true. I’ve been looking forward to this for years,” said Matthias Landwehr, who is also known to many colleagues in the Gütersloh area as a long-time coach of the Bertelsmann sports program. All participants in the “Badwater” ultramarathon had to go through an extensive application process in advance and provide proof of their running experience – no problem for Landwehr, who ran around 4,500 kilometers last year alone. In the Californian desert near the border with Nevada, the route starts on July 7, 2025, at 86 meters below sea level, the lowest point in North America that can be reached on foot. From there, the route runs west along a road crossing three mountain ranges with a total of 4,450 meters of ascent and 1,859 meters of descent; it ends at the Whitney Portal at an altitude of 2,530 meters: the starting point to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the USA outside Alaska and Hawaii. The runners pass through places and landmarks with names such as Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil's Cornfield, Devil's Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Darwin, Keeler, Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, and Sierra Nevada along the way. “The route has to be covered within 48 hours; however, the biggest problem is not the time, but of course the heat: during the day, temperatures can reach well over 50 Celsius,” commented Matthias Landwehr. As preparation for these exertions, he goes through a training program that is both extensive and unusual.

“I am currently building a barrel sauna in my garden, and I will regularly do intensive training in it,” explained the extreme athlete. He also wants to go running in a thick sweater, complete more ultra runs in the coming weeks and months and finally train with a friend in Saudi Arabia for five days in June. “Not in the desert; the dusty sand could put a strain on your respiratory system,” said Landwehr. The fact that he is capable of such achievements at all is owed to years of work and mental stamina. “You can train your body and mind to make such efforts,” he explained. “Ten years ago, I would not have thought I could do it. But now I’ve had so much experience with ultra runs that I know my body and how to approach and get through a competition like this. I’m not fast, but I have stamina.” There is, after all, good reason why a large proportion of runners in such events are in the 50+ age group. Given the numerous extreme races he has successfully completed, he is only a little upset that he has not yet managed to complete the 245-kilometer “Spartathlon” from Athens to Sparta. “I wasn’t able to complete the race in the specified maximum running time of 36 hours and unfortunately had to give up,” said the Arvato Systems employee.

40 hours running time planned

Back to the Californian desert and mountains: a team of four friends, including a paramedic who is also a running enthusiast, will accompany Matthias Landwehr on his run in an air-conditioned car, hand him drinks and food, talk to him to distract him and cheer him up – and spray him with water throughout the day to cool his body down. The race starts in the evening, and there are two rather cool nights to run through – but also two days in presumably blistering heat. “I will run very slowly and, if necessary, rest for an hour in a cool, stationary car in between,” is his plan. In total, he reckons it will take 40 hours from the start to the finish line at an average speed of up to eight kilometers per hour.

Participants in the “Badwater 135” ultramarathon have to combine their run with a charitable effort. In Landwehr’s case, his choice is not only based on his affiliation with the Bertelsmann Group. “One of my running companions suffered a stroke a few years ago, but fortunately has since recovered well,” he explained another reason. He is very aware of how important the foundation’s wide-ranging commitment to the fight against strokes is. The foundation naturally responded to his request in a very positive way: “This is a very impressive undertaking,” said Sylvia Strothotte, Deputy Chairwoman of the German Stroke Foundation. “I am an enthusiastic sportswoman myself, but what Matthias Landwehr has achieved is simply incredible. A sensational event like this raises a lot of awareness for the topic of strokes, and we are very grateful for that. And of course, we hope that Matthias will finish in good health and with his performance encourage many people to donate.” The German Stroke Foundation has therefore not only set up a dedicated landing page for the ultramarathon runner on its website, where interested parties can easily make a donation; it will also accompany Matthias Landwehr on its social media channels during the preparation phase up to the race – and during the race itself. Landwehr’s team will take pictures and record videos, post them on his social media channels, and share them with the German Stroke Foundation. Arvato Systems has announced that it will donate ten euros to the German Stroke Foundation for every kilometer run. “We are of course aware of Matthias’ enthusiasm for running and have at least virtually cheered him on at many of his races,” said Marcus Metzner, Chief Marketing Officer at Arvato Systems. “We think it’s great that he will do his next big run for charity, which is why we’re absolutely happy to support him. We will donate ten euros to the German Stroke Foundation for every kilometer he runs.”

Matthias Landwehr, who turns 55 in July, cannot predict how long his body, and his joints in particular, will be able to cope with such strain. For him, continuing to work as a sports course coach – mainly online since the COVID-19 pandemic – is the ideal fitness program. And he plans to stay active well into old age – just like a Bertelsmann pensioner who takes part in one of Landwehr’s sports courses. “He’s been taking part for over 30 years and is now 85 years old. For me, he is a great role model – it doesn't have to be a marathon anymore at that age.”